The Body Positive is a nonprofit organization working to end the harmful consequences of negative body image, including eating disorders and related mental health challenges. Through its research-supported Be Body Positive Model, the organization provides education, curricula, facilitator training, and practical tools that help youth and adults develop body appreciation, self-compassion, and sustainable self-care behaviors.
The Body Positive is a nonprofit organization founded in 1996 by Connie Sobczak and Elizabeth Scott, LCSW, CEDS-S. Its mission is to end the harmful consequences of negative body image that can contribute to eating disorders, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and other mental health challenges.
The organization developed the Be Body Positive Model, built around five evidence-based Competencies that help people develop a more positive relationship with their bodies, food, exercise, and self-care. Its work includes curricula and training for schools, professional training for treatment providers, courses for individuals, facilitator education, and body image resources.
The Body Positive develops and delivers education centered on its five competencies: Reclaim Health, Practice Intuitive Self-Care, Cultivate Self-Love, Declare Your Own Authentic Beauty, and Build Community.
Its work includes:
The Body Positive programs are designed for educational, community, and clinical contexts rather than as a replacement for individualized medical or mental-health treatment.
The organization’s programs are intended to benefit young people and adults affected by body dissatisfaction, appearance-based pressures, or difficult relationships with food, movement, and self-care.
Educators and student leaders can use the model in school or youth-organization settings. Treatment providers may incorporate the competencies into their work with clients. Individuals and families can also access learning resources for personal reflection and healthier self-care practices. The stated aim is to foster self-compassion, body respect, critical thinking about appearance-based messages, and supportive community connection.
A gift can help make body-image education and facilitator training more accessible, particularly where schools, youth organizations, or community participants have limited resources. The organization specifically asks supporters to contribute to its scholarship fund for workshops and leadership trainings.
For donors who want to support The Body Positive, the rationale is both practical and values-based: funding can extend education that addresses body dissatisfaction and encourages self-care skills in settings where young people and adults learn, work, and seek support. Before making a The Body Positive donation, consider confirming any current scholarship, program, or unrestricted-fund priorities directly with the organization.
The Body Positive reports that it has trained more than 4,000 Be Body Positive Leaders since 1996, including educators, students, and treatment professionals, and that these leaders have reached more than 1.1 million people across 26 countries and 45 U.S. states. These figures are organization-reported.
Its research page summarizes findings from program evaluations. It reports that Cornell group participants showed improvements in body appreciation and self-compassion, alongside reductions in body-image dissatisfaction and reported eating-disorder symptoms, with outcomes assessed after the intervention and at three months. The organization also reports that 92% of participants in a 2021 Philadelphia public middle- and high-school study said they felt more content in their bodies and had greater self-esteem after five weeks.
These reported findings provide context for The Body Positive impact, but donors should review the underlying research and distinguish participant self-reports from independently replicated outcomes.
The Body Positive has operated since 1996 and became an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2012 after previously working with a fiscal sponsor. It publicly provides information about its history, leadership, programs, research, and organizational work.
Its educational model has been studied by researchers at multiple universities, and its professional education programs include continuing education opportunities for eligible mental health professionals and registered dietitians.
