The Body Project
Why is prevention and early intervention important?
28.8 million people in the United States will struggle with a clinically significant eating disorder at some point in their lives. Prevention and early intervention efforts aimed to increase body acceptance can reduce disordered eating symptoms and help to create an environment that encourages healthy recovery. Numerous studies have linked exposure to prevalent “appearance-ideal” in mass media to body dissatisfaction and disordered eating.
Research has shown when women/girls talk about the appearance-ideal (sometimes referred to as the thin-ideal, beauty-ideal, or cultural-ideal) portrayed in the mass media, and discuss how to challenge pressures to conform to these pressures, it makes them feel better about their bodies.
What is the Body Project?
Backed by two decades of research and evaluation data, the Body Project is a group-based intervention that provides a forum for women and girls to confront unrealistic beauty ideals and engages them in the development of healthy body image through verbal, written, and behavioral exercises. The Body Project was developed by researchers at Stanford University, the University of Texas at Austin, and Oregon Research Institute, and has been delivered to over one million young women around the world. It has repeatedly been shown to effectively reduce body dissatisfaction, negative mood, unhealthy dieting and disordered eating.
How can I participate in a college Body Project training?
Please contact Chris Ann Meno, Ph.D., H.S.P.P. at [email protected] to schedule a (free) meeting to learn more about The Body Project and how you can bring this workshop to your school/organization.
Bio: Chris Ann Meno, Ph.D., H.S.P.P. is a licensed Psychologist in private practice in Bloomington, Indiana with 20 years of experience treating body-image and eating disorders in college-age individuals. For 19 years, Dr. Meno was a Psychologist at Indiana University’s (Bloomington) student counseling center, where she co-led IU’s disordered eating treatment team, the Coalition for Overcoming Problem Eating/Exercise (C.O.P.E.), from 2007-2017. Dr. Meno earned a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2004.
A passion for eating disorder prevention and early-intervention led Dr. Meno to help start The Body Project at IU in 2010. Over the past 15 years, Dr. Meno’s leadership grew IU’s program to 800-1,000 students attending Body Project workshops per year. To date, more than 8,000 IU women have attended workshops and almost 800 IU students have been trained to lead the workshop. Due to the success of IU’s program, Dr. Meno was invited to become a Master Trainer for The Body Project, LLC in 2015. Since that time, Dr. Meno has facilitated Body Project trainings for 19 colleges/universities, or high school and eating disorder recovery professionals.
How can I participate in a high school Body Project training?
Please contact Debra Hopkins, American Council on Exercise Certified Health Coach,
at [email protected] to learn more about The Body Project and how you can participate in a training for high school age girls.
Bio: Debra is the Founder & President of the 501(c)3 Breaking The Chains Foundation (BTCF) as well as an American Council on Exercise (ACE) Certified Health Coach, and writer. She became a leading health and fitness expert/teacher and professional dancer with clients such as Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (RCCL), Sony, Warner Brothers, and other Time Warner Entities, among others. As a guest speaker, Debra has shared her lived experience at the Eating Recovery Center/Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center’s National Virtual Symposium, NAMI Eastside Virtual Educational Forum, National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) Walks, and the Los Angeles International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals (IAEDP) Gala, as well as variety of publications and media platforms including TedX Santa Barbara, Pop Culture, JeJune, Deborah Kobylt Live, LA Voyage, Shout Out LA, On Fire, TZ Element Magazine, among others. Under her leadership, BTCF was the first-ever eating disorder platform to present at the 4th annual Worldwide Women Girl’s Festival at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, California, including Debra being a featured panelist on the Arts & Entertainment Career Mentoring Panel.
Through NEDA, Debra became a Body Project Facilitator in 2018, continuing to become a Body Project Master Trainer. She has taught Body Project facilitator trainings to hundreds of health and wellness professionals, teachers, clinicians, coaches, and college students, as well as Body Project program workshops to high school students. In 2023 – 2024, NEDA invited Debra to run Body Project facilitator trainings for high school educators looking to deliver the program to high school girls.
Please note: This program is a prevention program. If you or a loved one are looking for support for an active eating disorder, please check out our resources here.
