The Full of Beans Podcast

In this week's episode of Full of Beans, we are joined by Dr. Hannah Lewis, a Postdoctoral Researcher at Queen Mary University of London. Hannah’s work sits at the vital intersection of eating disorder prevention and school-based body image interventions.
We step inside the halls of Westminster to discuss a recent Eating Disorder & Education Roundtable convened by the APPG on Eating Disorders and the Dump the Scales campaign.
Key Discussion Points
Inside Parliament: What actually happens at an APPG roundtable? We break down the meeting between researchers, MPs, and stakeholders to push for better school resources.
The Evidence is Ready: We have over 20 years of research supporting cognitive dissonance-based interventions (such as the Body Project), yet they are still not standard in the UK curriculum.
What the Science Says: A look at why "media literacy" alone isn’t enough to prevent eating disorders and why we need more active, group-based challenges to appearance ideals.
Prevention vs. Treatment: Clarifying that prevention isn't about asking teachers to "treat" disorders; it’s about addressing risk factors like body dissatisfaction, perfectionism, and appearance anxiety.
The 2017 Training Gap: Why a major hurdle remains the lack of specific body image and eating disorder training for Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) during their qualification.
The "Sick Enough" Threshold: Discussing how clinical barriers are moving into schools, often preventing young people from getting help until they reach a crisis point.
Diversity & Intersectionality: Why "standard" interventions can fail marginalised groups. We discuss the Brown is Beautiful project and the need to adapt the Body Project for South Asian girls.
Current School Programmes: Routine weighing in PE lessons, calorie counting as a maths exercise, the policing of "high sugary foods" in lunchboxes and weight loss adverts at school are policies we can change.
Neurodiversity & ARFID: Acknowledging that not all eating disorders are driven by body image. We explore the link between Autism, ADHD, and sensory-based eating struggles.
The Future: Moving toward an open letter to Parliament and ensuring the outcome of these discussions leads to tangible policy action.
Connect with Us:
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Follow The Brown is Beautiful Project on Instagram (@thebrownisbeautifulproject)
⚠️ Content Note: This episode includes discussion of eating disorder prevention, body dissatisfaction, and mental health policy. Please look after yourself as you listen.
If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share to help us spread awareness.
Sending positive beans your way, Han 💛

In this week’s episode of Full of Beans, I’m joined by Joshua Hills, a nutritionist, sports therapist, and author of You Can Eat That, whose work challenges diet culture and helps people feel calmer, more flexible, and more themselves around food.
Joshua shares how growing up alongside his mum’s experience of anorexia shaped the way he understands food, connection, and recovery.
In this episode, we discuss:
Joshua’s experience of growing up with a parent with anorexia
How his mum’s relationship with food shaped his interest in nutrition
Why food is about more than nutrients, and also about connection and enjoyment
The difference between helpful nutrition habits and more disordered patterns
Why the same behaviour can feel supportive for one person, but unhelpful for another
Emotional eating, and why it is not always something to fear
Building an “emotional toolbox” rather than relying on one coping strategy
How to start making changes around food without going all-or-nothing
Why balance looks different for everyone
Joshua’s new book, You Can Eat That
Connect with Us:
Subscribe to the Full of Beans Podcast
Follow Full of Beans on Instagram
Check out our website
Listen on YouTube
Connect with Joshua via Instagram or email [email protected]
⚠️ Content Note: This episode includes discussion of eating disorders, anorexia and disordered eating. Please look after yourself as you listen.
If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share to help us spread awareness.
Sending positive beans your way, Han 💛

In this week’s episode of Full of Beans, I’m joined by Jacqui Russon, an occupational therapist and accredited DBT therapist, to explore the overlap between eating disorders and addiction.
We talk about the obsessive thinking, shame, rigidity, and emotional pain that can sit beneath both, and what this means for recovery.
In this episode, we discuss:
The similarities and differences between eating disorders and addiction
Why neither are simply a “choice”
Obsessive thoughts, rigidity, and compensatory behaviours
The role of shame, guilt, and emotional avoidance
Why understanding the function of behaviours matters
Developing safer, more supportive coping strategies
Anger, boundaries, and finding your voice in recovery
What occupational therapy actually is (and why it matters)
Why recovery needs to involve real-life practice, not just talking
Connect with Us:
Subscribe to the Full of Beans Podcast
Follow Full of Beans on Instagram
Check out our website
Listen on YouTube
Connect with Jacqui via Purpose People or the Nightingale Hospital
⚠️ Content Note: This episode includes discussion of eating disorders, addiction and trauma. Please look after yourself as you listen.
If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share to help us spread awareness.
Sending positive beans your way, Han 💛

In this episode, Hannah is joined by Judy Krasna, Executive Director of F.E.A.S.T. (Families Empowered and Supporting Treatment for Eating Disorders). Judy is a writer and eating disorder advocate based in Israel, and after volunteering for F.E.A.S.T. in multiple capacities, she became the organisation's Executive Director in February 2021.
Judy joins Hannah for a deeply moving and insightful conversation about what it means to be a parent supporting a child through an eating disorder: the isolation, the guilt, the exhaustion, and the incredible power of love and community. Judy also shares her own personal journey, including the tragic loss of her daughter Gavriella, who passed away in 2020 after a 13-year battle with anorexia nervosa.
This one is raw, honest, and so important. We hope it brings comfort and clarity to any parent or loved one who needs it.
In this episode, we talk about:
What F.E.A.S.T. is and how it supports families across the world
Why eating disorders can be so isolating for parents and carers
The damaging impact of parent blame in treatment
Why families should be seen as part of the solution, not the problem
The long-term impact of trauma on parents supporting a loved one
How eating disorders can distort trust, self-trust, and family relationships
Why support systems are so important in recovery
The challenge of balancing protection with independence
What Judy wants parents at breaking point to know
Judy's incredibly honest reflections on losing her daughter, Gavriella
Connect with Us:
Subscribe to the Full of Beans Podcast
Follow Full of Beans on Instagram
Check out our website
Listen on YouTube
Connect with FEAST via their website (feast-ed.org/)
⚠️ Content Note: This episode includes discussion of eating disorders and suicide. Please look after yourself as you listen.
If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share to help us spread awareness.
Sending positive beans your way, Han 💛

In this episode, I'm joined by Mel Nelson, a qualified counsellor, Senior Counsellor at an eating disorder charity (SWEDA), and autism-informed practitioner, to discuss the intersection of undiagnosed neurodiversity, compulsive exercise, and eating disorder behaviours.
Mel spent over 25 years working in the dance and fitness industry before retraining as a counsellor, and she brings together a really rare combination of lived experience and professional expertise. We got into some really honest territory in this one, and I think so many of you are going to hear yourselves in this conversation.
In this episode, we cover:
Why bulimia stays hidden for so long (and the shame that keeps it that way)
The "fitting in" feeling and why it can make an eating disorder so hard to spot
How neurodivergence and eating disorders can look so similar from the outside
Why routine isn't always just a neurodivergent thing (and how to tell the difference)
What compulsive exercise and purging have more in common than people realise
The late diagnosis that changed everything, and why it's never too late
Why recovery sometimes has to start with the smallest of changes
Connect with Us:
Subscribe to the Full of Beans Podcast
Follow Full of Beans on Instagram
Check out our website
Listen on YouTube
Connect with Mel via her website (newday-counselling.co.uk) or Instagram (@newday_counselling)
⚠️ Content Note: This episode includes discussion of eating disorders, compulsive exercise, bulimia, depression, and neurodivergence. Please look after yourself as you listen.
If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share to help us spread awareness.
Sending positive beans your way, Han 💛