Researchers from Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi, India carried out the research in collaboration with University of the West of England, UK. (Lewis-Smith et al., 2023)
Why this study matters
Body image dissatisfaction is not just a ‘Western reality’ but affects three quarters of girls and two thirds of boys in India.
Concerns are around weight, height, body hair, and also skin color which is associated with the use of harmful skin lightening products.
A third of Indian adolescents can develop an eating disorder which reinforces the need to develop preventative interventions.
What the researchers did
A randomized controlled trial was conducted among 568 Class 7 students (aged 11–14) in six schools in Delhi.
Confident Me (name of the intervention) consists of five 45-minute interactive sessions, which target risk factors for body dissatisfaction: internalization of appearance ideals, appearance-based comparisons, appearance-based conversations, appearance-based teasing, and media literacy (including social media). This was delivered by four clinical and counselling psychologists.
What the researchers found
There were improvements in body image and self-esteem, along with a reduction in unhealthy thoughts around eating and appearance, and students were less influenced by unrealistic beauty standards. These results were maintained at the three month follow-up.
Limitations: Study included English-speaking students in higher socio-economic schools in an urban part of India. Findings may not be generalizable to the diverse Indian population.
Call for Papers
International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction (Taylor & Francis): The Age of AI Agents: Data Power, Social, Political and Ethical Challenges (July 1 2026)
Educational Psychology Review (Springer Nature): Physical Activity Interventions to Enhance Cognitive and Academic Outcomes in Education (Sept 1 2026)
Training and Education in Professional Psychology (APA): Empirical Brief Reports (no deadline)
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