One study showed that 91% of college women are on a diet to lose weight. In another, 60–80% of young women are dieting despite the majority of them being an “average” weight.

I had the opportunity to speak to HackHer413, an all women, non binary online hackathon designed to increase technology skills, network and innovate, about how to connect with their own true voice and presence in their emerging career.

With these statistics in mind, I knew the majority of the women in my workshop were critical of their body size and were either actively trying to change it or wanted to. And, I also knew, in their minds, they believed they were doing the right thing. They had heard plenty of messages that they needed to have a thin body and dieting is the answer.