Tanya Mosley

This is Fresh Air. I'm Tanya Mosley. And my guest today, Bailey Williams, has written a new book that gives a vivid and at times brutal look at being a woman in the Marine Corps while struggling with disordered eating.

During her three years of service as a military linguist, Williams writes about how she pushed her body to extremes to prove her strength, running for hours a day, starving herself, binging and purging, which caused damage to her body, including her esophagus. William signed up for the Marine Corps at 18, partly to escape her strict Mormon upbringing.

During her three years of service as a military linguist, Williams writes about how she pushed her body to extremes to prove her strength, running for hours a day, starving herself, binging and purging, which caused damage to her body, including her esophagus. William signed up for the Marine Corps at 18, partly to escape her strict Mormon upbringing.

During her three years of service as a military linguist, Williams writes about how she pushed her body to extremes to prove her strength, running for hours a day, starving herself, binging and purging, which caused damage to her body, including her esophagus. William signed up for the Marine Corps at 18, partly to escape her strict Mormon upbringing.

But she'd come to realize the military was similar to her experiences growing up Mormon, a culture of secrecy, especially for enlisted women, who she writes were told to stay quiet about the sexual advances from superiors and fellow servicemen. Williams' story is one that we don't hear often.

But she'd come to realize the military was similar to her experiences growing up Mormon, a culture of secrecy, especially for enlisted women, who she writes were told to stay quiet about the sexual advances from superiors and fellow servicemen. Williams' story is one that we don't hear often.

But she'd come to realize the military was similar to her experiences growing up Mormon, a culture of secrecy, especially for enlisted women, who she writes were told to stay quiet about the sexual advances from superiors and fellow servicemen. Williams' story is one that we don't hear often.

Women only make up about 9% of the Marine Corps, and still, of the five military branches, it has the highest percentage of eating disorders, according to the National Institutes of Health. Bailey Williams is a writer and yoga instructor who lives in Alaska, and her book is called Hollow, a memoir of my body in the Marines. Bailey Williams, welcome to Fresh Air. Thank you so much for having me.

Women only make up about 9% of the Marine Corps, and still, of the five military branches, it has the highest percentage of eating disorders, according to the National Institutes of Health. Bailey Williams is a writer and yoga instructor who lives in Alaska, and her book is called Hollow, a memoir of my body in the Marines. Bailey Williams, welcome to Fresh Air. Thank you so much for having me.

Women only make up about 9% of the Marine Corps, and still, of the five military branches, it has the highest percentage of eating disorders, according to the National Institutes of Health. Bailey Williams is a writer and yoga instructor who lives in Alaska, and her book is called Hollow, a memoir of my body in the Marines. Bailey Williams, welcome to Fresh Air. Thank you so much for having me.

Bailey, let's start off with this really staggering statistic. Why does the Marine Corps, from your view, over-index with people suffering from eating disorders?

Bailey, let's start off with this really staggering statistic. Why does the Marine Corps, from your view, over-index with people suffering from eating disorders?

Bailey, let's start off with this really staggering statistic. Why does the Marine Corps, from your view, over-index with people suffering from eating disorders?

I think it's so interesting you use the word values. Is there a difference between, say, the Marines and the Army and the Navy? Does each of these branches kind of have their own standard for women's bodies?

I think it's so interesting you use the word values. Is there a difference between, say, the Marines and the Army and the Navy? Does each of these branches kind of have their own standard for women's bodies?

I think it's so interesting you use the word values. Is there a difference between, say, the Marines and the Army and the Navy? Does each of these branches kind of have their own standard for women's bodies?

You grew up in West Virginia. When you turned 18, as I mentioned, you dialed up your local Marine Corps recruitment office and signed up basically on the spot. Why were you so eager to join the Marines in particular?

You grew up in West Virginia. When you turned 18, as I mentioned, you dialed up your local Marine Corps recruitment office and signed up basically on the spot. Why were you so eager to join the Marines in particular?

You grew up in West Virginia. When you turned 18, as I mentioned, you dialed up your local Marine Corps recruitment office and signed up basically on the spot. Why were you so eager to join the Marines in particular?

You know, this is really interesting because one of the things that also stood out to me, and I think a lot of people who come from a deeply religious background can understand this, is that you actually grew up trusting men more than you trusted women, including yourself.