Implementing the Body Project eating disorder prevention program in high schools, colleges, and universities: An...

Eating disorder onset peaks during adolescence, and only 20 % of impacted individuals receive treatment, making prevention in high schools, colleges, and universities a public health priority. The Body Project is the leading evidence-based eating disorder prevention program, showing effectiveness across delivery modalities (peer vs. clinician-led, in-person vs. virtual) and diverse populations. This selective prevention program targets high-risk adolescent girls/women experiencing body image concerns. Over 350 colleges and universities have adopted the Body Project, yet high school implementation is limited. To our knowledge, no papers have examined the most effective strategies for implementing the Body Project in high schools, colleges, and university settings. Co-authored by high school and college peer educators with a Body Project developer, this guide outlines best practices for Body Project implementation by drawing upon existing academic literature, experiences piloting the program in high schools, and collaborations with partners to expand usage in colleges and universities. Findings suggest the most effective strategies include working with community partners, including clubs and peer educator programs, school counselors and clinicians, and community wellness hubs, such as nonprofits. Mission alignment and internal champion identification support implementation. Bottom-up processes (e.g., pilot trials or "super group" formation) or top-down processes (e.g., garnering support from school district administrators) can facilitate broad-scale implementation. Facilitator training is achieved through a train-the-trainer (TTT) model or self-training via the Body Project website. Future research should explore Body Project implementation in hospitals, TTT model feasibility in high schools, and increasing Body Project adoption in high-risk cohorts.