Body dissatisfaction and eating disorders are rising sharply in low- and middle-income countries as global media spreads unrealistic appearance ideals. This project will test a culturally tailored intervention to build resilience against these pressures in over 3,000 participants across six countries, starting in Nicaragua and Colombia. Most body image research has focused on wealthy, Western populations, leaving a critical gap in understanding how these issues manifest in diverse cultural settings undergoing rapid economic change. The problem is compounded by a surge in risky appearance-altering behaviours, such as unregulated skin-whitening pills, which are poorly studied in these contexts. If successful, this work could provide scalable, evidence-based educational programmes that schools and community groups can adopt to reduce eating disorder risk and harmful appearance practices. It would also establish a theoretical framework for body image interventions that respect local cultural norms, potentially influencing public health policy in regions where such resources are currently absent. The project is applied and intervention-focused, with direct implications for mental health and community well-being.
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Body dissatisfaction and related outcomes such as eating disorders are rapidly increasing in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), likely driven by increased exposure to globalized media containing unrealistic appearance ideals. High-risk or invasive appearance-altering behaviours, such as unregulated pills claiming to whiten skin or change body shape, are also increasing globally. There is thus an urgent need for scalable, evidence-based, and culturally appropriate approaches for building resilience against appearance pressures and their outcomes across diverse contexts. Existing body image intervention research, however, focuses on high-income, mostly Western populations, largely excluding LMICs. BIRes will establish an evidence base and theoretical framework for body image education in LMICs, through the delivery and systematic evaluation of a culturally-tailored intervention in multiple LMIC populations undergoing rapid economic and social change. This project innovatively develops our understanding of body dissatisfaction and ED risk across the diverse cultural settings in which these occur by reversing the typical focus on urban, middle-class samples. It also ensures strong cultural grounding by integrating controlled cross-cultural studies with locally-led participatory-action research. I will initially focus on two economically and ethnically diverse regions in the Caribbean Coasts of Nicaragua and Colombia, then extend into broader Latin America and Africa to finally encompass over 3000 participants in 6 countries. I have built a diverse and multinational team that is ideally positioned to capitalise on this urgent window of opportunity, and will build on pilot work in 3 countries, and established relationships with local governmental and educational stakeholders, to deliver this large and ambitious project to create new theory and practice in body image resilience, and achieve positive impact for individuals and communities across the globe.
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