Development and implementation of the body logic program for adolescents: A two-stage prevention program for eating disorders Original Research Article

It has been hypothesized that targeting adolescents who are at risk for developing eating disorders may result in more effective prevention efforts. The Body Logic Program is a two-stage prevention program, which included a school-based intervention component for all students within the school setting, as well as a more intensive intervention for students identified as at risk for developing eating disorders. The efficacy of the program was tested using a controlled treatment outcome design. Participants were 157 female and 130 male sixth and seventh graders from two private schools (School 1: n = 122; School 2: n = 165). The school-based intervention led to decreases in scores for students in School 1 on the Fear of Fatness scale of the Multiaxial Assessment of Eating Disorder Symptoms (MAEDS) for all female participants, as well as female participants identified as at risk, and the Avoidance of Forbidden Foods scale of the MAEDS (all females), which were maintained at 10.5-week follow-up. Efforts to attract the students identified as at risk for eating disorders (n = 55) and their parents for participation in the intensive family-based intervention proved unsuccessful. No significant effects for the intervention were noted for male participants, but baseline scores for boys were quite low, which limits the conclusions that can be drawn.