The Program
The Body Project is a dissonance-based body-acceptance intervention designed to help high school and college-age women resist cultural pressures to conform to the thin-ideal standard of female beauty. The conceptual basis for the intervention is that when girls and young women voluntarily argue against the thin ideal in group-based verbal, written, and behavioral exercises, they will believe less in this ideal, which will lead to decreases in eating disorder risk factors and symptoms.
Consistent with this expectation, randomized prevention trials conducted by eight independent labs have found the Body Project reduces thin-ideal internalization, body dissatisfaction, negative mood, unhealthy dieting, and eating disorder symptoms. The intervention also has been found to reduce future onset of threshold and subthreshold eating disorders. In addition, some studies have found that the Body Project reduces risk for future obesity, reduces mental health treatment utilization, and improves psychosocial functioning. To the researchers’ knowledge, no other prevention program has produced prevention effects for eating disorder symptoms in trials conducted by independent labs or shown superior effects relative to alternative active interventions. The intervention has received support when delivered by research-trained staff, real-world providers, and even undergraduate peer leaders.
Intended Audience
Adolescent girls 14-18 years.
Implementation
The Body Project is delivered to groups of 6-10 participants in four 1-hour sessions by one or two facilitators. Participants complete a series of verbal, behavioral, and written activities in which they collectively explore the negative effects of pursuing the unrealistic appearance ideal espoused for women in U.S. culture. These activities are designed to reduce pursuit of the beauty ideal, which in turn aims to reduce body dissatisfaction, unhealthy dieting, negative affect, eating disorder symptoms, risk for future onset of eating disorders, and the harmful effects of social media use.
Outcomes
- Reduce pursuit of the thin beauty ideal
- Promote body acceptance
- Reduce current eating disorder symptoms
- Prevent eating disorders
Evidence
This program is recognized by the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare and is well-supported by research evidence.
Additional Resources
- Explore the Body Project’s website
- Learn about body dysmorphic disorder in kids and teens
- Check out an article about body image during childhood
- Read more about eating disorders among children and adolescents