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There's a narrative about black women's self-esteem and self-image that portrays us as preternaturally confident. But this misrecognition appears to be born of the strong black woman myth. Many of us have difficult relationships to our bodies and food.



22-year-old Jenna Lahori binges and purges. She says she's uncomfortable with her weight and envies the bodies of Beyonce and Rihanna, but she uses food to self-soothe. She explains, "It helps me feel better but immediately afterward, I'm in a much worse place than I was before."



Watch Jenna's story below:











Kimberly Foster is the founder and editor of For Harriet. Email or Follow @KimberlyNFoster