Hannah Cory
May 26, 2021—Hannah Cory wants to fix the broken systems that perpetuate weight stigma and allow kids to grow up feeling as if something is wrong with their bodies. In a recent interview, she described how her work as a school dietitian in southeastern Michigan inspired her thesis work at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and the Hulu binge that’s been helping her get through her final days as a student.
I’m from a town called Eureka, California. It’s in a very isolated part of the state—where most of the redwood trees are—about five hours north of San Francisco. I had a pretty rural upbringing in a lot of ways, surrounded by cowboys and hippies. It’s beautiful, but growing up there definitely came with some challenges. You’re limited in what you have access to, so you have to figure out ways to have fun. I wound up doing a lot of volunteer work to have something to do. My friends and I once dressed up as cow mascots for a fun run event at a nearby town. It was either do something like that on a Saturday or just drive around.