Developing and Evaluating a Universal Primary School Body Image Program: An Uncontrolled Pilot Study of Butterfly Body Bright

Body image develops during childhood, yet few universal programs address body dissatisfaction and disordered eating risk across the primary school years. This paper describes the development of Butterfly Body Bright, which is, to our knowledge, a world-first whole-of-school program promoting positive body image and healthy relationships with eating and physical activity across all primary school years. We also describe an uncontrolled pilot study that evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and impact of components of the program, namely, online staff training and three teacher-led lessons. Lessons targeted appearance-based teasing, media literacy, body gratitude, and self-compassion. Participants were 12 teachers and 114 Grade 4 to 6 children in Australia, who received one of three Body Bright lessons. Significant pre- to immediate post-program improvements emerged in state body satisfaction, body appreciation, confidence managing appearance-based teasing, and help-seeking intentions. Specific lessons improved media literacy and appearance comparison and, at a 3-to-7-week follow-up, trait body appreciation. Boys showed improvement in state body satisfaction, confidence managing appearance-based teasing, and appreciation of body functionality. Girls showed improvement in state body satisfaction and media literacy. Butterfly Body Bright showed some promising preliminary results, with small to large effects, and was deemed feasible and acceptable by teachers, supporting the need for a randomized controlled trial.