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Hello

My name is Dr. Jessica Alleva, and for 10+ years I have been researching and teaching about body image. My aim is to develop evidence-based techniques to help people to feel more positively about their body. Imagine if more people could feel comfortable and "at home" in their body, and if body concerns would not hold them back from being their authentic selves and living the life they want to lead. How incredible would that be?

 

Expand Your Horizon was developed by me and my colleagues at Maastricht University in the Netherlands. For the science behind the programme, read on below. To find out more about me and the research team that I work with at Maastricht University, check out www.eetonderzoek.nl.

 

Feel free to email me with any questions and comments you might have.

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Best wishes,

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Dr. Jessica Alleva

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THE SCIENCE BEHIND
EXPAND YOUR HORIZON

According to leading theories in the field of body image science - such as objectification theory (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997) and the developmental theory of embodiment (Piran, 2018) - many people (especially girls and women) learn to view and value their body based predominantly on how it looks, rather than how it feels or what it can do. Moreover, many people learn to see their physical appearance as one of the defining characteristics of who they are as a person. This perspective toward the body and self is called self-objectification, and can contribute to negative body image and other mental health risks (e.g., disordered eating, low self-esteem). 

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Expand Your Horizon tackles the tendency to engage in self-objectification head on. Instead of focusing on and valuing our body for how it looks, Expand Your Horizon asks us to expand our perspective to consider instead what our body is able to do (i.e., our body functionality).

 

Body functionality is often overlooked and taken for granted. By drawing attention to all of the diverse and valuable things our body can do, we can develop a more balanced and healthy perspective toward the body.

 

The idea is that self-objectification should decrease, and positive body image should increase. Through experiments by our team and others around the globe, this appears to be the case. In fact, a recent systematic review identified Expand Your Horizon as the most effective approach for enhancing positive body image (Guest et al., 2019). 

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Note: All bodies are functional in their own, unique way. What is most important is appreciation for what the body is able to do, not "what" the body is able to do, or whether the body is able to do those things "well." 

PDF DOWNLOAD

Click the button below to download a PDF version of Expand Your Horizon, including a one-session version.

 

Expand Your Horizon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. In a nutshell, this means that you may download and distribute the materials, but must retain the reference to our original work (Alleva et al., 2015) and may not use the materials for commercial purposes. Please see this link for more details on the terms of use. 

REFERENCES

Here is a selection of scientific resources related to Expand Your Horizon and to the topics of body functionality, functionality appreciation, positive body image, and self-objectification. 

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  • Alleva, J. M., & Tylka, T. L. (2021). Body functionality: A review of the literature. Body  Image, 36, 149-171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2020.11.006  

  • Alleva, J. M., Karos, K., Meadows, A., Waldén, M. I., Stutterheim, S. E., Lissandrello, F., & Atkinson, M. J. (2021). “What can her body do?” Reducing weight stigma by appreciating another person’s body functionality. PLOS ONE, 16(5), e0251507. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0251507 

  • Alleva, J. M., Medoch, M. M., Priestley, K., Philippi, J. L., Hamaekers, J., Salvino, E. N., ... & Custers, M. (2021). “I appreciate your body, because…” Does promoting positive body image to a friend affect one’s own positive body image?. Body Image, 36, 134-138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2020.11.002

  • Alleva, J. M., Holmqvist Gattario, K., Martijn, C., & Lunde, C. (2019). What can my body do vs. how does it look? Young women and men’s descriptions of their body functionality or physical appearance. Body Image, 31, 71-80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2019.08.008   

  • Alleva, J. M., Diedrichs, P. C., Halliwell, E., Peters, M. L., Dures, E., Stuijfzand, B. G., &   Rumsey, N. (2018). More than my RA: Improving body image in women with rheumatoid arthritis using a functionality-focused intervention programme. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 86, 666-676. https://doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000317 

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  • Alleva, J. M., Diedrichs, P. C., Halliwell, E., Martijn, C., Stuijfzand, B. G., Treneman-Evans, G., & Rumsey, N. (2018). A randomised-controlled trial investigating potential underlying mechanisms of a functionality-based approach to improving women’s body image. Body Image, 25, 85-96.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2018.02.009

  • Alleva, J. M., Tylka, T. L., & Kroon Van Diest, A. M. (2017). The Functionality Appreciation Scale (FAS): Development and psychometric evaluation in U.S. community women and men. Body Image, 23, 28–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2017.07.008

  • Alleva, J. M., Veldhuis, J., & Martijn, C. (2016). A pilot study investigating whether focusing on body functionality can protect women from the potential negative effects of viewing thin-ideal media images. Body Image, 17, 10-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2016.01.007

  • Alleva, J. M., Martijn, C., van Breukelen, G. J. P., Jansen, A., & Karos, K. (2015). Expand Your Horizon: A programme that improves body image and reduces self-objectification by training women to focus on body functionality. Body Image, 15, 81-89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2015.07.001 

  • Alleva, J. M., Martijn, C., Jansen, A., & Nederkoorn, C. (2014). Body language: Affecting body satisfaction by describing the body in functionality terms. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 38, 181-196. https://doi.org/10.1177/0361684313507897 

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  • Davies, A. E., Burnette, C. B., Ravyts, S. G., & Mazzeo, S. E. (2022). A randomized control trial of Expand Your Horizon: An intervention for women with weight bias internalization. Body Image, 40, 138-145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2021.12.006

  • Dunaev, J., Markey, C. H., & Brochu, P. M. (2018). An attitude of gratitude: The effects of body-focused gratitude on weight bias internalization and body image. Body image, 25, 9-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2018.01.006

  • Fredrickson, B. L., & Roberts, T.-A. (1997). Objectification theory: Toward understanding women’s lived experiences and mental health risks. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 21, 173–206. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-6402.1997.tb00108.x  

  • Guest, E., Halliwell, E., Mathews, A., Alleva, J. M., & Harcourt, D. (2024). More than my Appearance: A pilot evaluation of the Expand Your Horizon online functionality-based writing programme for adults with visible differences. Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine, 12(1). 2349004.

  • Guest, E., Costa, B., Williamson, H., Meyrick, J., Halliwell, E., & Harcourt, D. (2019). The effectiveness of interventions aiming to promote positive body image in adults: A systematic review. Body Image, 30, 10–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2019.04.002

  • Granfield, P., Kemps, E., Yager, Z., Alleva, J. M., & Prichard, I (2023). Enhancing body image in motherhood: A randomised controlled trial of Expand Your Horizon among mothers of young children. Body Image, 47, 101648. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2023.101648 

  • Mulgrew, K. E., Prichard, I., Stalley, N., & Lim, M. S. (2019). Effectiveness of a multi-session positive self, appearance, and functionality program on women’s body satisfaction and response to media. Body Image, 31, 102-111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2019.08.012

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  • Mulgrew, K. E., Stalley, N. L., & Tiggemann, M. (2017). Positive appearance and functionality reflections can improve body satisfaction but do not protect against idealised media exposure. Body Image, 23, 126-134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2017.09.002 

  • Piran, N. (2018). Journeys of embodiment at the intersection of body and culture: The developmental theory of embodiment. Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/C2015-0-04666-4

  • Stern, N. G., & Engeln, R. (2018). Self-compassionate writing exercises increase college women’s body satisfaction. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 42(3), 326-341. https://doi.org/10.1177/0361684318773356 

  • Tylka, T. L., & Piran, N. (2019). Handbook of positive body image and embodiment: Constructs, protective factors, and interventions. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/med-psych/9780190841874.001.0001 

  • Tylka, T. L., & Wood-Barcalow, N. L. (2015b). What is and what is not positive body image? Conceptual foundations and construct definition. Body Image, 14, 118–129.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2015.04.001

  • Wallis, K., Prichard, I., Hart, L., & Yager, Z. (2021). The Body Confident Mums challenge: A feasibility trial and qualitative evaluation of a body acceptance program delivered to mothers using Facebook. BMC Public Health, 21(1), 1052. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-11126-8

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