About Me

Hi there! My name is Leslie Goldman, and I am an award-winning Chicago-based health writer, specializing in women's issues. I recently wrote Locker Room Diaries: The Naked Truth About Women, Body Image, and Re-Imagining the "Perfect" Body , and am a regular contributor to Health Magazine, Women's Health, Runner's World, People, the Chicago Tribune, Shape, and more. I earned my Masters degree in Public Health at the University of Illinois-Chicago and Bachelors of Science in Nutritional Sciences at University of Wisconsin-Madison. While writing Locker Room Diaries, I spent five years, often dressed in no more than a towel, talking with women of all shapes and sizes about their bodies, from taut twenty-somethings to heavyset seniors. Using my own stories of body image struggle as a springboard, I asked them what went into shaping not just their bodies but their body image: What were their exercise routines? Which body part did they like the most? The least? Is the locker room a place for female camaraderie or an arena for harsh self-judging? Topics ranged from compulsive workout schedules and daily dates with (argh!) the scale to bikini waxes, body fat measurements, and achieving the elusive "perfect" baby bump. My book was featured on the Today show, in People Magazine, and a bunch of other prominent publications. Recently finishing a five-year stint as a medical writer for the American Medical Association, based in Chicago, I have been touring colleges and universities nationwide with my presentation, Body Image: The Naked Truth. I consider myself open (did I mention the whole interview-in-her-towel thing?), honest, sassy and interactive...and am thrilled to be joining iVillage. Please visit my website to learn more about me.