Body Project

Organisation / Service

headspace Camperdown

The Body Project is a well-established eating disorder prevention program with demonstrated success at reducing eating disorder symptom severity and the risk of onset of eating disorders in young females. It was developed based on evidence that has established body dissatisfaction and shape/weight concerns as key risk factors for developing clinical eating disorders, particularly during adolescence. The program was originally designed for young women to perform a variety of tasks in order to critique a ‘thin beauty ideal’, in order to encourage the reduced pursuit of this ideal, both theoretically and behaviourally. The program has not yet been formally evaluated in an Australian population, nor have the benefits of the treatment for young people of all genders been thoroughly investigated.

headspace Camperdown are investigating the outcomes and feasibility of the Body Project as a brief ED prevention program within the Australian youth mental health service system. 

This pragmatic trial will compare outcomes between a Body Project treatment group and a Treatment-as-usual control group. Primary outcomes include body image concerns, ED symptomatology and general psychological distress, measured pre- and post-treatment, and at one-month follow-up.

National Strategy Standards and Action

Prevention

Standard 5: Prevention programs are evidence-based and accessible, meeting the needs of people from different ages and backgrounds

Action 5.1: Government to fund large-scale dissemination and evaluation of existing evidence-based prevention programs.