ABSTRACT
This study is a comparative analysis of the effects of intuitive eating and correlations with quality of life and wellbeing in Yoga practitioners, physical activity practitioners and sedentary individuals. The study involved 204 participants, comprising 66 Yoga practitioners, 74 physical activity practitioners and 64 sedentary individuals, between the ages of 20 and 59, who were resident in Brazil at the time of the study. Quantitative research was conducted through Facebook and the application questionnaires via Google Forms to measure intuitive eating, food consumption, quality of life, stress level, satisfaction with body image and level of mindfulness. The study found that while intuitive eating did not differ between Yoga practitioners and physical activity practitioners, both showed greater adoption of intuitive eating as compared to inactive individuals. Still, Yoga practitioners had better confidence in their physiological signs of hunger and satiety, as well as better eating behavior, quality of life, satisfaction with body image, healthy body weight, and stress-related emotional regulation, as compared to the other groups. In addition, there was a positive correlation between intuitive eating and quality of life, body esteem, mindfulness and eating behaviors that discouraged eating in response to external or psychological influences, and a negative correlation to stress and weight gain. This study finds that physical exercise, in particular the practice of Yoga, is linked to the promotion of better intuitive eating behavior as well as better quality of life and wellbeing.
