The Full of Beans Podcast

In this episode of the Full of Beans Podcast, I’m joined by Mel Ciavucco, an integrative counsellor, writer and trainer, to talk about weight stigma and the impact it has on eating disorder treatment and recovery.
This conversation explores something that often sits at the heart of eating disorders but is still too often left unspoken: the fear of weight gain, the internalised beliefs people hold about larger bodies, and the ways those beliefs can show up in therapy, treatment, and recovery.
In this episode, we explore:
What weight stigma is and why it matters in eating disorder work
Why fear of fatness is often central to eating disorder distress
How diet culture and anti-fat bias shape treatment and recovery
Why people in larger bodies are often overlooked or misunderstood in services
The harm caused by focusing on weight loss instead of relationship with food
Why “don’t worry, we won’t let you get fat” is so problematic in treatment
The importance of curiosity over reassurance when exploring fear of weight gain
How therapists’ own internalised biases can affect ethical practice
Why body acceptance and safety are crucial for recovery
How self-worth, anger, compassion, and social justice can all play a role in healing
This is such an important conversation about compassion, nuance, and creating a world where recovery feels safer for everybody.
Connect with Us:
Subscribe to the Full of Beans Podcast
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Visit Mel's website or follow her on Instagram @melciavuccocounselling
Content warning: This episode includes discussion of eating disorders, body image, weight stigma, fatphobia, and disordered eating.

Today I’m joined by Dr Charlotte Markey, Professor of Psychology at Rutgers University and a world-leading expert in body image research with over 25 years of research into body image and eating behaviours.
Girls today are facing growing pressures around appearance, and with the rise of social media and the lasting impact of the pandemic, it’s becoming even harder for young people to feel confident and comfortable in their bodies.
Charlotte’s updated book, The Body Image Book for Girls, is designed for ages 9–15 and gives practical, evidence-based tools to help girls understand puberty, navigate social media, challenge body image myths, and build a healthier relationship with their bodies.
If you’re a parent, teacher, clinician, or someone who cares about the pressures young people are growing up with today, this conversation is for you.
Key Takeaways:
Why Charlotte released an updated edition, and what’s changed in recent years
How shame keeps body image struggles hidden, and why open conversations matter
The different body pressures facing girls and boys today
Why body image concerns often linger, even in eating disorder recovery
Social media as a risk factor and how to make your feed safer
Why puberty can be a particularly vulnerable time for girls’ body image
How parents and educators can respond: validate first, ask questions, and seek support early
Timestamps:
00:00: Introduction and Charlotte’s background
03:40: Why the book exists and the importance of early support
12:20: Clinical insights: body image and eating disorder recovery
21:35: Social media, algorithms, and taking breaks
30:10: Puberty and body changes
38:35: Supporting young people: what adults can do
Resources & Links
The Body Image Book series: TheBodyImageBook.com
Connect with Us:
Subscribe to the Full of Beans Podcast
Follow Full of Beans on Instagram
Check out our website
Listen on YouTube
⚠️ Content Note: This episode includes discussion of body dissatisfaction, eating disorders, weight and appearance pressures, puberty, and social media. Please take care when listening.
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, Han is joined by Vanessa Longley, CEO of BEAT, the UK’s eating disorder charity. Vanessa is also a mum to a 21-year-old who is in recovery, and she brings a deeply compassionate perspective on what it’s really like to support someone you love through an eating disorder.
This conversation was recorded during Eating Disorder Awareness Week, where the theme is community, and it really sits at the heart of this conversation. From the fear carers often carry in silence, to the power of ordinary conversations and shared moments, Vanessa shares what helps people keep going through the hardest days.
If you’re supporting someone with an eating disorder and feeling overwhelmed… if you’re in recovery and rebuilding trust with the people around you… or if you care about improving eating disorder support and services, this episode is for you.
Key Takeaways:
Why community can be a powerful protective factor in recovery
What carers often carry behind the scenes, and why they need support too
The instinct to “rescue” and how to support without letting fear lead
Why you don’t need to be an expert in food, you need to be yourself
The importance of ordinary conversations and shared interests
How modelling a future, a life beyond the illness, supports recovery
Why collaboration between charities, clinicians, researchers and lived experience matters
How BEAT supports people with eating disorders and those who care about them
Vanessa’s message: recovery is possible, and asking for help is the first step
Timestamps:
00:00: Introduction and Vanessa’s role at BEAT
04:30: Vanessa’s personal journey and experience as a parent
10:30: Supporting carers and managing fear
19:30: The role of community and finding support
26:00: Supporting someone day-to-day and staying connected
32:00: Collaboration, research, and improving services
44:00: BEAT resources and where to get help
Resources & Links
Visit Beat's Website to find information, phone, webchat, and email support and the helpfinder for eating disorder support in your local area
Connect with Us:
Subscribe to the Full of Beans Podcast
Follow Full of Beans on Instagram
Check out our website
Listen on YouTube
⚠️ Trigger Warning: Mentions of eating disorders, relapse, inpatient care, food restriction, carer stress/anxiety, and mortality risk. Please take care when listening.
If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share the podcast to help us spread awareness.
Sending positive beans your way, Han 💛

Today I'm joined by Dr Courtney Raspin, a Chartered Counselling Psychologist and Clinical Director of Altum Health, a specialist eating disorders and mental health clinic in London. Courtney has over 25 years of clinical experience, including a decade in one of the NHS's largest eating disorder services.
She's just co-authored a book called The Weight Loss Prescription with psychiatrist Dr Max Pemberton (available 26th Feb!) - a book about the psychology of GLP-1 weight loss medications like Wegovy and Mounjaro. Given her background in eating disorders, Courtney has a nuanced perspective on weight loss medications, which I think is really important to hear.
If you’re in eating disorder recovery and feeling unsettled by the rise of GLP-1 medications… if you’ve noticed feelings of jealousy, confusion or fear around them… or if you’re trying to understand where health support ends and diet culture begins, this conversation is for you.
Key Takeaways:
How Courtney’s work in eating disorders shaped her approach to weight management
The warning signs of high drive for thinness
Why weight loss doesn’t automatically improve body image
The difference between body neutrality and body positivity
Why GLP-1 medications aren’t inherently harmful
The risks of unregulated access, online prescribing, and counterfeit medication
The various causes of “food noise” and why GLP-1 medications may help
What psychological support in weight management actually involves
Courtney’s guidance on GLP-1s and eating disorder recovery
Timestamps:
00:00 Courtney’s journey into weight management
05:00 Body neutrality and realistic body image work
08:30 Understanding GLP-1s: benefits, risks and misconceptions
12:00 Food noise and why context matters
16:00 The psychological work behind lasting change
21:00 Health vs the thin ideal
27:00 Tensions within the ED field and professional responses
31:30 What to consider before starting GLP-1s
34:30 Courtney’s book and final advice
Resources & Links
Follow @drcourtneyraspin on Instagram
Connect with Us:
Subscribe to the Full of Beans Podcast
Follow Full of Beans on Instagram
Check out our website
Listen on YouTube
⚠️ Trigger Warning: Mentions of eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia, binge eating), restriction, weight loss, GLP-1 medications, and body image. Please take care when listening.
If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share the podcast to help us spread awareness.
Sending positive beans your way, Han 💛

In this episode of Full of Beans, Han is joined by Jo Read, a mum to two daughters, ARFID advocate and 1/3 of 3 Mums 1 Mission ARFID. Jo's youngest daughter, Ethel, is diagnosed with ARFID and is awaiting an autism assessment. Since supporting Ethel through her sensory-based eating difficulties, Jo has poured her energy into raising awareness, because when you’re living it, ARFID can feel unbelievably isolating.
If you’re a parent or carer navigating food fears, sensory sensitivities, “helpful” comments that aren’t helpful, and the constant planning that comes with ARFID, this one is for you. You’re not doing it wrong. You’re responding to a very real, very complex need.
Key Takeaways:
The reality of ARFID as a genuine fear that can override hunger
Sensory sensitivities (texture, smell, predictability) are at the core of ARFID
Why consistency and familiarity make certain foods feel safer
The limits of BMI as a marker of health in children with arfid
How sensory overload at mealtimes can increase food avoidance
The impact of ARFID on family life, routines, siblings and social plans
Why “just stop feeding them” advice doesn’t work for ARFID
The value of community, advocacy and finding people who understand
How progress in ARID can look small but still be meaningful
Timestamps:
00:00 Jo’s story and Ethel’s ARFID diagnosis
02:20 Early Signs of ARFID
05:30 BMI and Nutrition
10:50 Safe foods, Predictability and Super Senses
14:10 The Sensory Overload of Eating
17:00 Family Impact: Days Out, Siblilngs, Friends
20:20 Social Judgement and Support
29:00 Looking Ahead and Slow Progress
Resources & Links
Follow @eff_and_arfid on Instagram
Listen to the 3Mums1Mission ARFID Podcast
Connect with Us:
Subscribe to the Full of Beans Podcast
Follow Full of Beans on Instagram
Check out our website
Listen on YouTube
⚠️ Trigger Warning: Mentions of eating disorders, ARFID. Please take care when listening.
If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share the podcast to help us spread awareness.
Sending positive beans your way, Han 💛