What Exactly is an Intuitive Eating Dietitian?

Written By Matt Priven

By Kelsey Chadwick, MS RDN

February 21st, 2025

You might hear us referred to as intuitive eating dietitians, weight-neutral dietitians, HAES providers, or anti-diet dietitians—each term reflects our commitment to supporting you without promoting restrictive diets. At Oceanside Nutrition, we specialize in helping individuals develop lasting, healthy eating habits and build peaceful relationships with food.

We don’t give out diet plans or recommend fad diets. We won’t suggest calorie counting, tracking every macro, or spending your money on the latest supplements. In past posts, we’ve explained why diets don’t work and, as providers, we (of course) choose not to engage in interventions that simply aren’t effective. But beyond effectiveness, there’s an important ethical question: Is it responsible to recommend dieting when we know it can cause so much harm?

Research shows that dieting is linked to a higher risk of developing eating disorders, which have the second-highest mortality rate among psychiatric illnesses. One study found that women who dieted moderately were five times more likely to develop an eating disorder, and those who engaged in extreme restriction were 18 times more likely compared to those who didn’t diet!

For more details on why diets don’t work, check out my previous post, What Happens When We Diet?

So, what DO we do?

Our goal is to guide you toward a peaceful, healthy relationship with food. We understand that dieting and disordered eating come in many forms. Our work focuses on helping you build a better relationship with food through strategies like:

  • Reducing "food noise"—the stress and anxiety around food choices

  • Increasing nourishment and creating balanced eating habits

  • Fostering a healthy approach to exercise

  • Addressing body image concerns

  • Adding variety and enjoyment to meals and snacks

  • Planning simple, nourishing meals for the week

  • Supporting realistic meal routines that cater to your health needs

  • Providing education and support with preventative health goals or disease management

We don’t tell you what to eat or label foods as “good” or “bad.” Instead, we help you remove the moral judgment from food and focus on enjoying it without guilt. We practice weight-neutral care, honoring the diversity of all bodies, as we believe that weight does not define health.

You might wonder how intuitive eating fits in with managing medical conditions. The good news is that intuitive eating can still be practiced, even if you have a health condition. Intuitive eating isn’t about eating whatever you want whenever you want—it’s a compassionate approach to eating that respects both your physical and mental health. In fact, emerging research suggests that intuitive eating can improve blood sugar control, which could be beneficial for those managing diabetes. Additionally, because people with diabetes are at higher risk for eating disorders, intuitive eating may help reduce that risk.

Overall, studies show that intuitive eaters tend to have better health outcomes, including lower rates of cardiovascular disease, less body dissatisfaction, decreased emotional eating, higher self-esteem, and improved overall quality of life. There are now 170 studies exploring the benefits of intuitive eating, and the research continues to grow.

Our mission is to help you become a confident intuitive eater and break free from dieting for good. If you’re looking for personalized, weight-neutral nutrition care or support with intuitive eating, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team today. We’re here to guide you every step of the way!

Reference:

Arcelus, Jon et al. “Mortality rates in patients with anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders. A meta-analysis of 36 studies.” Archives of general psychiatry 68,7 (2011): 724-31. https://doi.org/10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.74

Patton, G. C., Selzer, R., Coffey, C., Carlin, J. B., & Wolfe, R. (1999). Onset of adolescent eating disorders: Population based cohort study over 3 years. BMJ, 318(7186), 765–768. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.318.7186.765

Matt Priven
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