From Eating Disorder Patient to Peer Researcher with Anna Carnegie
“I feel like I definitely wouldn't be able to do the job that I do or do it as well if I didn't have my own personal experience of an eating disorder.”
In this week's episode, Hannah is joined by Anna Carnegie. Anna is a Research Fellow at KCL, where she coordinates the Eating Disorders Clinical Research Network (or "EDCRN") and lends support to the UK Eating Disorders Genetics Initiative (or "EDGI UK").
Alongside her academic role, Anna brings her own lived experience of OCD, anorexia, and long-term recovery. She now uses that experience to shape research, advocate for better funding, and push for eating disorder studies that truly centre the people they’re supposed to help.
This week, we discuss:
- The huge funding gap in eating disorder research and why it matters
- What EDCRN and EDGI UK are, and how they’re trying to answer basic questions about “what works”
- Genetics, metabolism, and why there is no single “eating disorder gene”
- The emotional burden and boundaries of working as a peer researcher
- Anna’s journey through OCD, anorexia, and treatment in Ireland and the UK
- How lived experience can shape research design, language, and priorities
- The life-changing impact of an NHS admission that focused on life goals, not just weight
- Why one-size-fits-all treatment doesn’t work and the need for truly individualised care
Timestamps:
- 00:00 – Introducing Anna and her roles at King’s, EDCRN & EDGI UK
- 04:00 – The reality of underfunding in eating disorder research
- 08:30 – Lived experience, stigma, and language in research settings
- 14:00 – Peer research, boundaries, and “naming the elephant in the room”
- 20:00 – Anna’s story: OCD in childhood, anorexia in adolescence, and treatment in Dublin
- 37:00 – What EDCRN does and why standardised outcome data is so important
- 42:00 – Genetics, vulnerability, the “jar” analogy, and prevention
- 46:00 – One-size-fits-all treatment, neurodiversity, and hopes for the future of ED care
Resources & Links
- Connect with Anna on X (@Anna_Carnegie)
- Connect with Anna on Blue Sky (@annacarnegie.bsky.social)
- Find out more about EDCRN
- Find out more about EDGI UK or email edgi@kcl.ac.uk
Connect with Us:
- Subscribe to the Full of Beans Podcast here
- Follow Full of Beans on Instagram here
- Check out our website here
⚠️ Trigger Warning: Mentions of eating disorders and OCD. 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 💛
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