Today I am joined by Jamie Chan. Jamie is a PhD researcher and a doctoral tutor in the School of Psychology at the University of Sussex. Jamie is studying psychological processes underlying women's social class and body image from a social psychological perspective, including cultural differences and discrimination. In this week's episode, we discuss the following:

• Jamie's background & how they got into the body image and social class research in women.

• South Asian women's body image experience regarding acculturation, skin colour and body satisfaction.

• The differences in body image dissatisfaction in women living in the East versus those living in the West, and the role social media has played in this.

• The role of the media in representing different races and cultures on screen, and the white-centric focus in different cultures impact body dissatisfaction.

• How body image research has developed over time to integrate different ethnicities and races into the scope.

• The importance of qualitative studies (e.g. focus groups) to understand the experiences of different cultures and races, without assuming someone's eating disorder will present with specific characteristics based on the group they exist in and instead of only comparing to the experience of white people.

• The importance of understanding someone's identities, environment, biases, and power dynamics in a clinical setting which may impact the information patients share in the therapeutic space.

• The impact social class has on body dissatisfaction, as a result of different factors that affect individuals. To find out more about Jamie and their research, you can find them on Twitter @jamie_chan_. Please note that this podcast discusses eating disorder topics that some individuals may find triggering. Please check in with yourself along the way, and remember this is not a replacement for clinical support and advice.

In this week's podcast, Han is joined by Clare Steedman and Rachael Alder-Byrne. Clare and Rachael are the CEO’s and founders of TEDS – The Eating Disorder Specialists.

Clare and Rachael's approach at TEDS allows them to see their clients as individuals with their own difficulties and recovery journey ahead of them, and use the client's past, present, and future to support clients in moving away from their eating disorder.

In this week's episode, we discuss:

• How TEDS work with their clients to determine what recovery may look like for them, and how they tailor their work together to achieve this.

• Changes that occur in recovery, and how a client's identity, motivations, and values which are centralised around their eating disorder need to be addressed in recovery with the support of a therapist.

• The role of fear and the unknown in holding someone back from eating disorder recovery, and how this can be overcome by trying something different.

• The development of new coping mechanisms rather than leaning into old behaviours, the importance of practice and patience to normalise novel, positive behaviours.

• The psychotherapy tool EMDR and how this process can be used to help clients reprocess trauma that may be holding someone back from eating disorder recovery.

To find out more about Rachael and Clare and their work at TEDS, you can find them on social media @teds_edspecialist or visit https://edspecialists.co.uk/. You can also find the BEAT help finder mentioned in this podcast here: https://helpfinder.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/.

Please note that this podcast discusses eating disorder topics that some individuals may find triggering. Please check in with yourself along the way, and remember this is not a replacement for clinical support and advice.

In this week's episode, Han is joined by Ed Millgate. Ed is a Clinical Scientist with a specific interest in schizophrenia, however, Ed joins us today to step away from his research practice and share his experience of an eating disorder and the interaction his sexuality did, and didn't play a role in its development.

• Ed's personal experience of developing an eating disorder and how this tied into his identity.

• The impact Ed's sexuality had on the development of his eating disorder, and how his body shape supported his identity.

• The pressures which exist in the gay community to conform to particular body types.

• The role of dating apps and how they contribute to body image and self-esteem preoccupation.

• The overlap, yet distinction, between the development of Ed's eating disorder and thoughts regarding his sexuality.

• Elements within a treatment setting that would have retrospectively supported Ed's recovery.

Please note that this podcast discusses eating disorder topics that some individuals may find triggering. Please check in with yourself along the way, and remember this is not a replacement for clinical support and advice.

In this week's episode, Han is joined by Giulia Di Clemente. Giulia is a Senior Counselling Psychologist at the Maudsley Eating Disorder Service in London, where they work with clients to integrate the FREED pathway into their treatment and support other services in adopting the treatment pathway.

• What is the FREED pathway?

• Why the FREED pathway is currently only available for patients aged 18 - 25 years old with an experience of an eating disorder for less than 3 years.

• The role of "emerging adulthood" and how important it is to address this in therapy for those aged 18 - 25 years old.

• The research and outcomes which have been demonstrated using the FREED model and how this can improve treatment outcomes for all patients.

• The concept of "duration of untreated eating disorder" and the impact that FREED has had on this, including awareness and education for medical professionals.

• How the FREED pathway works to make the treatment approach more individualised for patients within their therapy.

• How the FREED pathway is using social media both to increase awareness of eating disorders, reach out to individuals who may not realise they have an eating disorder, and to promote recovery.

• Guilia's role as a FREED clinician and what it means to be a FREED champion.

• The role of diagnoses in treatment and the pros/cons of these from a clinician's perspective.

• How to get involved as a service with FREED, and the hopes of expansion in the future.

To find out more about the FREED pathway and how you can get involved, please visit https://freedfromed.co.uk/ for more information.

Please note that this podcast discusses eating disorder topics that some individuals may find triggering. Please check in with yourself along the way, and remember this is not a replacement for clinical support and advice.

In this week's podcast, Han is joined Andy Jones. Andy has personal experience of anorexia nervosa and is an advocate for sharing his mental health experience and reducing the stigma associated with eating disorders, particularly age. In this week's episode, we discuss:

• Andy's personal experience of how his eating disorder developed.

• The importance of mental health campaigning to Andy, and why he wants to share his story to support the lives of others.

• Why it is not as simple as "just recover" despite the impact Andy's anorexia is having on his life, family, and relationships.

• The impact anorexia has, and how weight loss becomes the priority and only focus of someone's life.

• The spark that keeps Andy going, however small the step, and how he navigates recovery with his loved ones despite the difficulty and his struggles.

To find out more about Andy and to hear about his mental health advocacy, you can find him on Twitter @mynameisAndyJ.

Please note that this podcast discusses eating disorder topics and active anorexia in detail which some individuals may find triggering. Please check in with yourself along the way, and remember this is not a replacement for clinical support and advice.

In this week's episode, Han is joined by Toni Rudd. Toni is a binge eating and food freedom dietitian who works with women who yo-yo diet to stop bingeing, to eat without restriction, and to find food freedom.

In this week's podcast, we discuss:

• Toni's work as a non-diet dietitian, and how she came into this area of work.

• What the term "non-diet" means, the impact this can have on someone's life, and how someone can step into this approach after years of dieting.

• The impact of long-term dieting, on both your physical and mental health.

• What the term "yo-yo dieting" means, the consequences of this approach.

• Tips from Toni on how to step away from dieting, despite our society that praises weight loss and restriction.

• Toni's view of what she has gained through saying goodbye to dieting.

To find out more about Toni, you can find them on Instagram at @the.binge.dietitian or go to https://www.thebingedietitian.com/.

Please note that this podcast discusses eating disorder topics that some individuals may find triggering. Please check in with yourself along the way, and remember this is not a replacement for clinical support and advice.

In this week's episode, Han is joined by Lindsey Depledge, the Chief Product Officer, and Co-Founder of Beanbag Health. Beanbag Health is a digital app which uses evidence-based CBT-E to support individuals struggling with eating and body image issues to achieve life-long recovery. Lindsey has used her background in behavioural science, health, and education technology, to develop Beanbag Health which is the topic of discussion today. In this week's episode, we discuss the following:

• What Beanbag Health is and how it helps people.

• Where the idea behind the Beanbag Health app comes from, based on the co-founder's experience and requirements they noticed weren't being met.

• Where the Beanbag Health app can fit into someone's treatment for an eating disorder.

• What CBT-E is, why it's suitable for app use, and how it can support someone in their recovery.

• How the Beanbag Health app navigates tracking things like weight, meals, behaviours and emotions in a pro-recovery manner without numbers.

To learn more about the Beanbag Health app, please visit https://www.beanbaghealth.com/ or @beanbaghealth on Instagram!

Please note that this podcast discusses eating disorder topics that some individuals may find triggering. Please check in with yourself along the way, and remember this is not a replacement for clinical support and advice.

In this week's podcast, Han is joined by Associate Professor Gemma Sharp. Gemma is an Associate Professor of Research at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia and leads the Body Image & Eating Disorders Research Group. Gemma is also a Senior Clinical Psychologist at the Statewide Women's Mental Health Service at Alfred Health, which has specialist eating disorder treatment facilities. In this week's episode, we discuss the following:

• Gemma's personal development within her career and how she came to researching social media, body image and eating disorders.

• The importance of peer support and clinical support for eating disorders and body image concerns.

• The impact that social media can have on our eating and exercise behaviours e.g. what I eat in a day.

• The role that social media influences could have in promoting positive eating and exercise behaviours, and how researchers, clinicians, and influences can do this together in an accessible way through science communication.

• How image-based platforms, editing photos, the use of filters, and the increase in "selfies" have altered our perception of self and the impact this has had on desires seen in domestic surgeries.

• The impact that social media has on our perception of our own bodies and BMI, and how we can work to increase the diversity of body types on social media.

• Characteristics that Gemma has noticed may make someone more susceptible to the negative consequences of social media.

• Gemma's tips for navigating social media to make it a positive space that provides a pleasurable experience, rather than making you feel worse.

• How clinicians can promote the use of social media through digital mental health initiatives, and how novel technology like AI can support this.

To learn more about Gemma's research, you can find her on Twitter @gemmasharp11 or search "Gemma Sharp Monash University" on Google. Please note that this podcast discusses eating disorder topics that some individuals may find triggering. Please check in with yourself along the way, and remember this is not a replacement for clinical support and advice.

In this weeks episode, Han is joined by Marcus Kain. Marcus is a Nutrition Coach who helps individuals to beat binge eating and to create a rewarding relationship with food and exercise. In this weeks episode, we discuss:

• Marcus' work as a coach and how this career path developed for him.

• The common traps that people fall into when engaging in a new fitness regime or dietary pattern, and the importance of intention.

• How Marcus works with his clients to step away from bingeing behaviours.

• How to know you are eating "enough" when recovering from restrictive behaviours.

• How Marcus supports his clients to challenge damaging beliefs, and how to reprogram these to achieve a better relationship with food, body and exercise.

• The importance of self-compassion, and what it really means.

• Marcus' experience of binge eating, using food as a coping mechanism and how he stepped away from this reliance.

• Stress management tips to reduce binge eating behaviours including prevention, the company you keep, focus on your physiology (e.g. breath).

You can find out more from Marcus on social media @mkaincoaching, or listen to his podcast Strong Not Starving! Marcus' website: https://www.mkaincoaching.com/Strong Not Starving links: https://www.mkaincoaching.com/strong-not-starving

Please note that this podcast discusses eating disorders and disordered eating behaviours. Please tread lightly and check in with yourself along the way. Note that this podcast should not be used as a replacement for clinical advice.

In this weeks podcast, Han is joined by Courtney McLean. Courtney is a PhD candidate at Monash University, where they are conducting research to determine the association between veganism, vegetarianism, and eating disorders. Courtney is also developing a validated, novel eating disorder tool for these individuals who present in eating disorder clinical settings engaging in vegan and vegetarian dietary patterns. In this weeks podcast, we discuss:

• Where Courtney's motivation and insight for beginning her PhD research on the relationship between eating disorders, veganism and vegetarianism.

• Exploring your intentions as to why you are engaging in a vegan/vegetarian diet, and if this is positive towards your recovery.

• The importance of respecting someone's values and exploring the impact eating meat may have on their recovery.

• The quantity and portion sizes required in order to meet nutritional requirements.

• How current questionnaires and screening tools for eating disorders are not adaptable to vegans and vegetarians.

• The hope for research surrounding veganism and vegetarianism in eating disorders, including prevalence rates and cognitive traits.

To find out more about Courtney and the research they are conducting, you can find them on Twitter @CourtneyPMcLean.

You can also find the Royal College of Psychiatry Consensus statement on considerations for treating vegan patients with eating disorders here: https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/docs/default-source/members/faculties/eating-disorders/vegan-patients-eating-disorders-mar19.pdf?sfvrsn=be96d428_2

Please note that this podcast discusses vegan and vegetarian dietary patterns and eating disorders. This podcast is not aimed to criticise vegan and vegetarian lifestyles but to explore the impact of these diets during eating disorder recovery. Please tread lightly, check in with yourself, and do not replace clinical advice and support with this podcast.