Dillon has also been involved with many non-profit organizations, and is an advocate for eating disorder awareness and treatment, sustainability, global poverty reduction, and social justice.
[7] A documentary that Dillon watched at age 12 influenced her to lose an unhealthy amount of weight and triggered an eating disorder which lasted seven years.
[7] Dillon graduated from La Jolla Country Day School and was accepted in the University of California, Berkeley.
[7] In her early years of modeling, she worked with photographers such as Richard Avedon and Peter Lindbergh and appeared in campaigns for Bergdorf Goodman, Chanel, Christian Dior, L'Oreal, and Missoni.
[13][14][15] Dillon also walked for designers including Alberta Ferretti, Emporio Armani, Fendi, and Salvatore Ferragamo in the Autumn/Winter 1993 season.
Glamour featured Dillon in an editorial "The Comeback Kid" in November 1996, which was the second appearance of a plus-size model in the magazine.
[15] She became a Lane Bryant Venezia Jeans V Girl in 1998, along with Mia Tyler, Sophie Dahl, basketball player Kym Hampton, and former MTV news reporter Abbie Kearse.
[20] Richard Avedon photographed her for an advertising campaign for Avenue in 1999, where she appeared as different types of women, including Aphrodite.
[23] In November 2001, Dillon appeared in a Vogue Paris editorial photographed by David Armstrong and styled by Carine Roitfeld.
[25][26] Dillon was a featured guest during season 3 of the US network show America's Next Top Model, talking to contestants about body image and self-esteem.
[12] In February 2006, Dillon appeared in an editorial for French Vogue photographed by Mario Testino and styled by Carine Roitfeld.
[2] She appeared in US Vogue for a second time in the April 2010 Shape Issue, photographed by Patrick Demarchelier, and interviewed by Sally Singer.
[32][33] Dillon enrolled in the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas, at age 28, and graduated with a degree in political science.
[3] She then enrolled in Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, and received a Master's degree in Public Administration and International Development.
[3] Dillon has founded several charities including ECHO Prosocial Gallery, Curves for Change and the Komera Project.