Exploring ethnicity in body dissatisfaction and the implications for prevention strategies

Body image and eating disorders are a pressing public health concern. Originating in the US, ‘The Body Project’ is a group-based intervention with an evidence-base spanning 20 years. This research explored barriers and facilitators to implementing ‘The Body Project’ in the UK by evaluating its relevance to the UK’s second largest ethnic group: South Asian women and girls.

We gathered mental health professionals’ perspectives on how body image presents in the South Asian group; and spoke with people from a South Asian background to hear their experiences and work collaboratively on modifications to the current programme. We brought together clinical, academic and lived-experience experts to agree what changes are needed to make The Body Project culturally appropriate for the South Asian community.

The insights have been shared with NHS Mental Health Support Teams, government, non-profits and the public so that this intervention can be rolled out in a more culturally inclusive way.

Queen Mary University of London (QMUL)

King’s College London (KCL)

East London Community Eating Disorders Service for Children and Young People