About this episode

Andrea Stroud shares her 40-year struggle with anorexia and the journey towards recovery, offering hope to others facing similar challenges.

Have you ever thought you've spent too long ill with an eating disorder, that there's just no way you can recover from an eating disorder? If that's you, this episode is for you. This week on the Full of Beans Podcast , I'm joined by Andrea Stroud, mum to Joshua, Jacob and Tommy who has lived with anorexia, in secret, for over 40 years. Andrea hopes that by sharing her story and the reality of living with an eating disorder and its impact on family life, she can give others hope that it’s never too late to recover. We also talk about years of missed red flags from medical professionals, the moment Andrea said "I am actually quite unwell," and what has made eating disorder recovery feel different this time around. In this episode, we explore: How growing up in a weight-focused family left Andrea feeling different from everyone around her How gymnastics, dance and athletics brought an early focus on appearance and comparison The missed red flags across years of medical appointments, from gynaecology to gastroenterology How dismissal by healthcare professionals reinforced the belief of not being sick enough The study day that finally gave Andrea permission to say she was actually…

People in this episode

Host: Hannah Hickinbotham

Guest: Andrea Stroud

Topics covered

• eating disorders

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• ED Prevention in Schools: Inside the Parliamentary Roundtable with Dr. Hannah Lewis · April 27, 2026 · 46 min
• You Can Eat That: What Growing Up Around Anorexia Taught Me About Food with Joshua Hills · April 22, 2026 · 48 min

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