Nutrition Science and Everyday Application - beta v 0.1

RAISING HEALTHY EATERS 609
or talking about nutrition to encourage kids to eat more of nutritious foods or less of
“bad” foods. Pressure can also be negative: restricting, threatening, punishing, shaming, or
withholding dessert or fun activities. Instead of pressure, follow the division of responsibility
in feeding.
EATING COMPETENCE
Eating competence is an evidence-based model that defines the interrelated spectrum of
eating attitudes and behaviors. 3 The model is based on the principle that internal cues
of hunger, appetite, and satiety are reliable and can be used to inform food selection
and guide energy balance and body weight. Satter breaks eating competence down into 4
basic components: (1) eating attitudes; (2) food acceptance attitudes and skills; (3) internal
regulation attitudes and skills; and (4) contextual attitudes and skills for providing family
meals.
According to Ellyn Satter, “Eating Competence is being positive, comfortable, and flexible
with eating as well as matter-of-fact and reliable about getting enough to eat of enjoyable
food. Even though they don’t worry about what and how much to eat, competent eaters do
better nutritionally, are more active, sleep better, and have better lab tests. They are more
self-aware and self-accepting, not only with food, but in all ways. To be a competent eater,
be relaxed, self-trusting, and joyful about eating, and take good care of yourself with food.” 4
Current nutrition advice often focuses on avoidance of foods and reliance on outside
indicators, such as diet plans, to guide eating. Eating competence is the opposite. It
encourages us to seek food that is enjoyable and to let internal processes such as hunger
and satiety to guide eating.
Eating competence comprises both permission and discipline. 5