In the mirror: Functional appreciated bodies (IM FAB). Testing an easily disseminable body dissatisfaction...

Body functionality refers to a focus on what the body can do. Mirror exposure (ME) involves systematically looking at oneself in the mirror. Body functionality and ME interventions improve body image. In the Mirror: Functional Appreciated Bodies (IM FAB) is a digitally-deliverable micro-intervention that incorporates body functionality and ME. The current study adds to previous work by rigorously examining key body image outcomes with a randomized control study design with three groups. The present study compared 3-week (1) functionality-based ME and functionality-based text prompts ("Functionality"), to (2) non-functionality-based ME and non-body related gratitude text prompts ("Active Comparator") or (3) self-report measures only ("Assessment Only"). Measures of body image, eating disorder symptoms, body checking, body image avoidance, body appreciation and functional appreciation were administered at baseline (T1), post-intervention (T2), one- (T3) and four-month (T4) follow-ups. Analyses included 287 female-identifying undergraduates at two institutions with M(SD)_AGE = 19.8(1.4) years. Using multilevel modeling, the Functionality condition demonstrated significant improvements relative to the Active Comparator condition in functionality appreciation at T2 (β = -0.38) and T4 (β = -0.24), body appreciation at T2 (β = -0.28), and eating disorder symptoms at T2 (β = 3.80). Further, the Functionality condition exhibited significant improvements compared to the Assessment Only condition in functional appreciation at T2 (β = -0.28), appearance evaluation at T3 (β = -0.21) and T4 (β = -0.21), and body checking at T3 (β = 5.54). No other comparisons were consistently significantly different. The functionality-focused ME in this study may improve positive body image.