Campaigning for Empathetic & Effective Treatment with Hope Virgo & Suzanne Samaka

In this week's episode, Han is joined by Hope Virgo & Suzanne Samaka. Hope Virgo is an award-winning mental health campaigner and has been involved in several campaigns and projects to improve the support eating disorder patients receive. Suzanne Samaka is a mental health campaigner and the founder of the Honesty About Editing Campaign which supports youth mental health against the challenges of low self-esteem and negative body image caused by edited content on social media.

This week, we discuss:

  • The reason eating disorder campaigning is so important to Hope and Suzanne.
  • The state of eating disorder treatment, palliative care and the ways we are failing eating disorder patients.
  • The goals of the campaigning which Hope and Suzanne are involved in, and the difficulties they are facing.
  • How long we should provide treatment to eating disorder patients and if this should have a maximum duration.
  • How you can get involved in the eating disorder campaigning, and specifically the march on 27th April 2024 at 10:30am!

You can find more information about Hope and Suzanne and their work by following them on Instagram @hopevirgo_ / @protectyouthmentalhealth, Twitter @hopevirgo / @SuzanneSamaka or find more about their campaigns #DumpTheScales Change.org/ HonestyAboutEditing Change.org.

To find out more information regarding the march on 27th April 2024, reach out to Hope on Instagram @hopevirgo_.

Kindly note, that this episode delves into sensitive eating disorder topics. Remember to take care of yourself while listening, and always seek professional help if needed. This podcast is your bridge to insightful discussions, not a substitute for clinical guidance.

Recent Posts

Branded Image with Female Smiling and Title
By Katherine Mc Ivor • October 19, 2026
Veronica shares what it was like supporting two daughters through different eating disorders, how codependency took hold, and what she'd do differently as a carer.
By Hannah Hickinbotham • October 19, 2026
Eating disorder advocate and expert by experience, Tiffany Luxford, shares her anorexia experience to show full eating disorder recovery is possible.
Branded image with male smiling
By Katherine Mc Ivor • October 12, 2026
Researcher Sam Chawner explains what ARFID is, its overlap with autism and ADHD, and what new genetic research reveals about these eating disorder subtypes.
By Hannah Hickinbotham • October 4, 2026
"I live with ARFID... it's part of me, but it isn't the whole me."
By Hannah Hickinbotham • September 27, 2026
Shannon Travers-Spencer on Neurodivergent-Affirming Eating Disorder Care with Shannon
By Hannah Hickinbotham • September 27, 2026
Ella Clarke, eating disorder advocate and expert by experience, shares her story of inpatient treatment, ADHD and anorexia, and how life looks in recovery now.
Show More