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A new study has discovered that contact with natural environments may help people develop healthier eating habits. Led by Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) and published in the journal Body Image, this is the first research to provide evidence that exposure to nature can influence people's relationship with food.

The study involved 500 U.K. adults who were assessed on their individual levels of contact with the natural world, such as how much they noticed nature in their everyday lives, as well as the frequency and duration of the time spent in natural environments.

The participants also completed surveys measuring body image, self-compassion, connectedness to nature and intuitive eating, which is an anti-dieting approach to eating that focuses on listening to the body's internal signals instead of following strict eating rules.

The study found a direct positive relationship between nature contact and intuitive eating, but pathways involving other factors were even more important.

One pathway involved nature contact influencing intuitive eating habits through higher levels of body appreciation. It is thought that nature contact helps people feel more comfortable in their bodies, more appreciative of what their body can do and more responsive to their body's needs, which in turn leads to higher levels of intuitive eating.

A second pathway involved self-compassion. Greater nature contact promotes self-compassion , and the researchers believe this provides a buffer against responding to difficult thoughts and emotions through impulsive eating.

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