From efficacy to effectiveness to broad implementation: Evolution of the Body Project.
2017/07/20 by Carolyn Black Becker, Carolyn B. Becker, Eric Stice · 170 citations
Medicine · Nursing · Psychology · #Diversity and Impact of Dance #Eating Disorders and Behaviors #Implementation research #Intervention (counseling) #MEDLINE #Medicine #Mental health #Nursing #Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet #Political science #PsycINFO #Psychiatry #Psychological intervention #Psychology #Public health
paper · doi:10.1037/ccp0000204
published in Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 85(8), 767-782 (American Psychological Association)
openalex publication_date 2017/07/20 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: At the turn of the millennium, eating disorders (EDs) prevention was largely nonexistent. No program had reduced future onset of EDs in even a single trial, and most had not reduced ED symptoms. Sixteen years later, the ED prevention field has translated basic risk factor research into interventions, with demonstrated efficacy and effectiveness in reducing ED risk factors and symptoms, as well as future ED onset in some trials. This article reviews the aforementioned progress focusing on a model intervention (i.e., the Body Project [BP]). METHOD: The article is a qualitative review of the existing BP literature. RESULTS: Although clinical psychology has struggled with bridging the research practice gap and translating efficacy and effectiveness research into clinical implementation, researchers, clinicians, and community stakeholders working with the BP have made significant progress in addressing barriers to scalability, large-scale implementation, and sustainability, reaching 3.5 million girls and young women in 125 countries. CONCLUSION: The successful evolution of the BP from basic research to traversing the efficacy-to-effectiveness-to-dissemination/implementation continuum has yielded significant public health impact and is thus a fitting case for this special issue commemorating the 125th anniversary of the American Psychological Association. The BP example may help others broadly implement efficacious interventions for other mental health problems. (PsycINFO Database Record
Citations
Cited by
- Using Science, Advocacy, and a Global Village to Change Body Image and Prevent Eating Disorders: An Invited Narrative Review of the Body Project
- Adaptation and implementation of body project as a universal body image program in Mexico and Latin America
- Expert peer facilitation of the EVERYbody Project: A randomized‐controlled evaluation of a diversity‐focused, dissonance‐based, universal body image program for college students
- Altered Processing and Integration of Multisensory Bodily Representations and Signals in Eating Disorders: A Possible Path Toward the Understanding of Their Underlying Causes. [europepmc]
- Thin-ideal internalization: How much is too much? [europepmc]
- Self-objectification and eating disorder pathology in an ethnically diverse sample of adult women: cross-sectional and short-term longitudinal associations. [europepmc]
- A controlled trial of a dissonance-based eating disorders prevention program with Brazilian girls. [europepmc]
- Tailoring a dissonance-based body image intervention for adult women in a proof of concept trial: The Women's Body Initiative. [europepmc]
- Body appreciation and body appearance pressure in Norwegian university students comparing exercise science students and other students. [europepmc]
- The Body Confident Mums challenge: a feasibility trial and qualitative evaluation of a body acceptance program delivered to mothers using Facebook. [europepmc]
- Psychological Resilience in Young Female Athletes. [europepmc]
- New developments in cognitive-behavioural therapy for eating disorders (CBT-ED). [europepmc]
- Asynchronous Online Focus Groups for Health Research: Case Study and Lessons Learned. [europepmc]
- The prevalence and risk factors of screen-based disordered eating among university students: a global systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression. [europepmc]
- Eating disorder psychopathology and negative affect in Iranian college students: a network analysis. [europepmc]
- A framework for conceptualising early intervention for eating disorders. [europepmc]
- Risk factors for eating disorders: findings from a rapid review. [europepmc]
- Evaluating the Efficacy of a Social Media-Based Intervention (Warna-Warni Waktu) to Improve Body Image Among Young Indonesian Women: Parallel Randomized Controlled Trial. [europepmc]
- Profiles of experienced and internalized weight-based stigma in college students across the weight spectrum: Associations with eating disorder, depression, and anxiety symptoms. [europepmc]
- The Transdiagnostic Intervention for Sleep and Circadian Dysfunction (TranS-C) for serious mental illness in community mental health part 2: study protocol for a hybrid type 2 effectiveness-implementation cluster-randomized trial using train-the-trainer. [europepmc]
- What is needed for eating disorder prevention for transgender and gender diverse young adults? Findings from asynchronous online focus groups. [europepmc]
- Cultural adaptation of an integrated eating disorders prevention and healthy weight management program. [europepmc]
- The Longitudinal Associations of Body Dissatisfaction with Health and Wellness Behaviors in Midlife and Older Women. [europepmc]
- An Umbrella Review of Body Image Concerns, Disordered Eating, and Eating Disorders in Elite Athletes. [europepmc]
- Comparing Population-General and Sport-Specific Correlates of Disordered Eating Amongst Elite Athletes: A Cross-Sectional Study. [europepmc]
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of eating disorder preventative interventions in schools. [europepmc]
- Eating Attitudes and Characteristics of Physical Activity Practitioners and Athletes in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. [europepmc]
- Self-Guided Psychological Interventions for the Treatment and Prevention of Eating Disorders: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. [europepmc]
Related