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 our 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.
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 our 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.
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DESCRIPTION OF THIS WEBSITE
In addition to its description of the Body Project, this website contains empirical publications supporting its effectiveness, copies of the actual facilitator manuals and participant workbooks, training videos, additional documents for conducting groups (e.g., recruitment materials, assessment forms), information regarding training, links to helpful websites, and frequently asked questions (FAQ). The website also contains information about two related interventions we have developed: (1) Project Health, a 6-session dissonance-based group program focused on the prevention of unhealthy weight gain in addition to eating disorder prevention, and (2) Body Project Treatment, an 8-session dissonance-based group for the treatment of eating disorders. A description of these interventions, intervention manuals, and peer-reviewed research supporting these programs is provided. |
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