Preventing eating and body image problems in children and adolescents using the Health Promoting Schools Framework

This paper outlines the Health Promoting Schools Framework and how it may be implemented in schools for preventing eating and body image problems. Discussion focuses on the efficacy of preventive school-based strategies, and on the safest and most successful interventions. The Framework encompasses three major areas of intervention in the school and community: 1) School curriculum, teaching, and learning; 2) School ethos, environment, and organization; and 3) School-community partnerships and services. Suggested strategies for implementing the Framework are outlined. A case study of how a girls high school adapted the new approach for dealing with the problem of eating and body image problems is presented.