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Body Neutrality Workbook to Increase Physical Activity

Body Neutrality Workbook to Increase Physical Activity

Dr. Kayla Nuss, Klein Buendel Scientist, and her research team have published the results of a pilot study on the use of a body neutrality workbook intervention to improve physical activity and motivation in insufficiently active women. The paper has been published online ahead of print in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, a Sage publication.

Nearly half of adult women in the United States do not meet recommended levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), despite well-established health benefits. Sociocultural pressures emphasizing thinness and appearance may promote controlled, appearance-based motivation for physical activity, a motivational orientation that has been associated with less sustained engagement.

This pilot study examined whether a 6-week, self-guided body neutrality workbook intervention was associated with changes in MVPA and psychological mediators of physical activity among insufficiently active adult women. Body neutrality shifts attention away from physical appearance and toward body functionality, self-care, and self-worth independent of body size. The workbook uses daily exercises, journaling, and reflection prompts to foster self-acceptance. Instead of forcing body positivity or loving one’s appearance, the guide teaches the user to view their body as a neutral vessel focused on function and respect.

Twenty participants who did not meet physical activity guidelines at baseline completed pre- and post-intervention assessments of MVPA, motivation, basic psychological needs, body image constructs, and physical intentions and planning. Results indicated a moderate increase in MVPA. Improvements were also observed in autonomy, competence, intrinsic and integrated motivation, body functionality appreciation, body compassion, and physical intentions and planning, alongside reductions in introjected regulation and appearance-based social comparison.

The findings suggest that a body neutrality approach may support more autonomous motivation for physical activity. Although limited by small sample size and lack of a control group, this study provides preliminary evidence that body neutrality-based interventions may represent a promising, scalable strategy to promote both psychological well-being and physical activity engagement among adult women. Research significance, intervention methods, data collection and analysis, and conclusions are detailed in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine paper.

This research was sponsored by Klein Buendel and led by Dr. Kayla Nuss, in collaboration with Ms. Anne Poirier from Shaping Perspective LLC. Shaping Perspectives is a women’s wellness education and coaching company that specializes in body image, body neutrality, intuitive eating, and sustainable health behavior change. Ms. Poirier is a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, Eating Disorder Specialist, and author. She has authored three best-selling books and has three more publishing this year, including the second, expanded edition of her seminal work, The Body Joyful.  

No Weigh!

No Weigh!

Klein Buendel Scientist, Dr. Kayla Nuss, has launched a new research project, funded by the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases. It will test a novel approach to physical activity promotion. The proposed intervention, NoWeigh!, is a mobile app based on a framework called body neutrality. Body neutrality emphasizes gratitude for the body’s function, a neutral attitude about the body’s appearance, and engagement in movement that is enjoyable, rather than weight loss.

Obesity rates are on the rise in the United States. Weight loss has been the primary recommendation for managing comorbidities with obesity, such as elevated blood lipids and glucose, despite ample evidence that weight loss attempts generally lead to weight regain and weight cycling, which are associated with negative mental health outcomes like anxiety and depression. Experts have called for non-weight loss obesity management, by emphasizing health behaviors such as physical activity. An effective method to deliver physical activity interventions is via mobile apps, of which women are the most frequent users. However, most physical activity apps emphasize weight loss.

The goal of the new Phase I SBIR project is to demonstrate the technical merit and feasibility of developing a smartphone mobile app (NoWeigh!) to support physical activity engagement using the tenants of body neutrality and Self-Determination Theory as frameworks. Mobile health (mHealth) approaches using smartphones offer several advantages for dissemination and implementation of health interventions including that they are portable, typically “on,” readily available, affordable, and offer advanced functionality. In addition, ownership of smartphones among adults is high, enabling potentially vast reach and apps have been shown to improve uptake of, and adherence to, healthy lifestyle strategies.

Project Specific Aims

Aim 1: Perform iterative focus groups in adult women (aged ≥18 years) from diverse backgrounds to collect potential-user information to identify barriers, needs and preferences for a body-neutrality physical activity app design.

Aim 2: Design the conceptual model and develop planned components of the NoWeigh! app which will include storyboards and clickable wireframes.

Aim 3: Conduct beta and usability testing on the clickable wireframes prototype of the NoWeigh! app to show feasibility, acceptability and potential for engagement, and finalize the app design.

Successful completion of Phase I SBIR research will provide evidence to support a larger Phase II project to program and test the full-scale NoWeigh! app in a randomized comparative effectiveness trial. The goal is to produce a commercially ready mobile app for physical activity promotion that does not center on weight loss, a cost-effective lifestyle intervention for decreasing disease risk and reducing healthcare costs. This mHealth approach is an ideal medium for physical activity promotion because the reach, portability, and advanced functionality of mHealth devices allows for effective use by a broad range of adult women.

This grant was awarded to Klein Buendel by the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases (DK142209; Dr. Kayla Nuss, Principal Investigator). Dr. Nuss’ research collaborator on this project is Anne Poirier. She is the owner of a body neutrality coaching company and the author of the book, The Body Joyful, a guide to a life based on self-care and compassion. The NoWeigh! app will be designed and programmed by the Creative Team at Klein Buendel.