Eva is an openly out Trans+ Woman of colour who speaks out about social injustice and campaigns for change that benefits all. She is an incredible activist, writer, and TEDx speaker, focusing on transgender rights, intersectionality, and mental health and has become a powerful voice within the LGBTQIA+ community. Eva has had an Eating Disorder since her teens. It’s taken her a long time to get suitable and adequate support and is now coming to terms with the intersections of her identity and how they’ve impacted her Eating Disorder. Eva will be discussing: - Bodily Autonomy - Discrimination - Medical Gatekeeping - The Need for Unity

Sam is a multi‑award‑winning researcher at Cardiff University whose work combines lived ‑experience co‑production with cutting‑edge data science to uncover the causes of ARFID and improve how it is recognised and supported. He works closely with individuals with ARFID, families, and clinicians to drive urgently needed research that ensures ARFID is understood, taken seriously, and met with better clinical care. Sam will be discussing: - ARFID research - The prevalence of ARFID - The range of medical and mental health consequences of ARFID - Risk factors and causes of ARFID

Molly Forbes is the Founder and Executive Director of The Body Happy Organisation CIC, a UK non-profit working with schools and communities to build cultures of body respect and prevent body shame early. She is an award-winning author of Body Happy Kids and Every Body, and a long-standing campaigner for prevention-focused approaches to eating disorders. Molly supports the work of Dump the Scales and contributes practice-based insight from schools to national policy conversations. Her work focuses on prevention, media literacy and creating environments where children and young people can celebrate, respect and accept ALL bodies - especially their own. Molly will be discussing: - The role of culture building - The importance of culture change - Body respect - How schools and youth settings can build positive environments - Importance of cross-sector prevention and collaboration - Challenging weight stigma and narratives around food, bodies and ‘health’

Kae Spencer is a psychotherapist and somatic practitioner specialising in body image and the complicated relationships people can develop with food and their bodies, which can sometimes manifest as eating disorders. Her work is informed not only by her clinical practice but also by a close understanding of how deeply these struggles can shape a person’s life. In her therapy room she witnesses the often invisible suffering these illnesses cause. She sits with people who have spent years, sometimes decades, battling relentless thoughts about food, weight and self-worth before they are able to access meaningful support. Many have gathered the courage to ask for help, only to be told they are “not sick enough” because their BMI does not meet the threshold for treatment. Kae is passionate about challenging a system that places numbers above people. She believes we must change the cultural conversation around bodies so that people are supported before years of their lives are quietly taken by these illnesses. As a Black therapist, she is also committed to ensuring that eating disorder awareness and care includes communities that have historically been overlooked or dismissed. Kae will be discussing: - BMI as a gatekeeper to treatment - The term “Sick Enough” - The hidden suffering of Bulimia and Binge-Eating Disorder - Cultural messages around bodies - The harm of “Weight-Loss” talk - The need for early-intervention and education - The impact of discrimination and bias

Shan is a lived-experience content creator. In 2021, whilst struggling with a relapse of an eating disorder that took over their life, they realised that there were not many spaces online they felt safe in, seen in or understood in.So instead of suffering in silence, I decided to become the space I myself desperately needed & began sharing my journey on TikTok & Instagram Shan continued to share the ups and downs of their journey with anorexia, new chronic illness diagnoses, a formal autism diagnosis, the impact of grief on recovery, sexuality & gender identity, the triumphs of recovery and everything else in between. Shan will be discussing: - Autism and Eating Disorders - Sexuality and Gender Identity - Overlooked intersections in healthcare and NICE guidelines - The label of being “Too Complex” - Treatment Pathways - Lack of support, diagnostic acknowledgment & understanding - Disparities in treatment

Zelah is a 25-year-old trans man and popular content creator who has been openly sharing his transition journey over the past two and a half years. He recently made history as the first transgender man to appear on the ITV version of Big Brother, further amplifying his voice and visibility. He is now building an online personal training business focused on supporting and empowering others within his community. Zelah will be discussing: - Lived-Experience of Bulimia Nervosa - The links between Gender Identity (and it’s repression) and the development of an Eating Disorder

Richard is the Member of Parliament for Isle of Wight West and co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Eating Disorders. He has been invaluable in his support of Dump the Scales CIC and has reaffirmed his commitment to working across party lines to ensure that eating disorders are treated with the seriousness they deserve, and that no one is left to navigate this illness alone. Richard will be discussing: - The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Eating Disorders - The Political Landscape - Personal Reflections

Andrea has lived with anorexia for over 40 years, much of that time in silence as she didn't believe she was “sick enough”. After a difficult experience with treatment years ago, she believed recovery wasn’t possible. Her son Joshua changed that. Through his work at Joshua Hills Nutrition, he shared with her how much he had quietly understood about his mum's illness while growing up. Most importantly, he gave her hope, hope that a better life was out there. Andrea will be discussing: - Living with eating disorder thoughts that feel so ingrained and automatic - The impact on loved ones, especially your children - Why recovery is possible at any age

Lucy is Alfie’s mum and an advocate raising awareness of ARFID and the gaps in support across all ages, particularly for children and families, including those who are also autistic. Since losing Alfie, she has been speaking out to push for change so no other family has to experience what they did. Lucy will be discussing: - Child Loss - Alfie’s journey - The impact of not being heard or supported - How Autism was overlooked - How ARFID impacted Alfie - How our support network helped where healthcare systems failed - The aftermath of Alfie’s passing, including inquest proceedings

Baroness Kate Parminter is a current member of the House of Lords. Her daughter has lived experience with an Eating Disorder which drove her passion for change through her role within the government, bringing the issue to the House of Lords. Baroness Parminter will be discussing: - Personal perspective as a mum of someone affect by an eating disorder - Professional perspective within her role in the House of Lords - Legislation and the importance of including those with lived-experience

Hannah Whitfield is an autistic creative activist, writer, speaker and founder of Legally Detained - a lived-experience-led platform transforming survival into power through art, activism and unapologetic storytelling. She has lived experience of ARFID and long-term eating disorders, alongside Complex Trauma and Neurodivergence (Autism, ADHD, PDA). Her work challenges weight stigma, medical gaslighting, and the systemic failures within eating disorders and mental health services. Through theatre, writing, public speaking and digital activism, Hannah advocates for care without conditions - care that does not depend on weight, compliance, or “looking unwell enough.” She has worked with organisations including Mind, the National Autistic Society, Beat, and the PDA Society, and is committed to ensuring marginalised voices are not just included - but heard. Hannah will be discussing: - Systemic Discrimination - Neurodiversity and Eating Disorders - Policy Failures - Survival as Resistance - ARFID

Lesley and Neal are the parents of Megan Davison who took her own life at 27 as a result of ineffective treatment for T1DE (Type 1 Diabetes and Disordered Eating) in August 2017. They have been campaigning to improve care for T1DE sufferers ever since. They will be discussing: - T1DE (Type 1 Diabetes and Disordered Eating - Lack of Understanding - Lack of Communication - Lack of Interdepartmental Co-Operation

Hope Virgo is the Founding Director of the Dump the Scales campaign. Her idea for #DumpTheScales was first written on the back of a napkin one evening after Hope had made a commitment in a talk to tackle the issues around BMI and diagnosis. Since the launch of the campaign, she has managed to build a huge amount of momentum, helped put eating disorders on the political agenda and brought some very difficult conversations out into the open. Hope is also an author and a multi-award winning advocate for people with eating disorders. She is also a recognised media spokesperson, having appeared on various platforms including BBC Newsnight, The Lorraine Show Victoria Derbyshire, Good Morning Britain, Sky News and BBC News. Hope will be discussing: - The National Crisis - Systemic Neglect - Need for Urgent Action - Updates from Dump the Scales and the All Party-Parliamentary Group for Eating Disorders - Next Steps

Dr Stella Kozmér holds research positions at the University of Oxford and the University of Exeter. Her research specialises in improving the identification and clinical management of binge-type eating disorders, such as binge eating disorder and bulimia nervosa, within primary care settings. As an academic of Eastern European background with lived experience of binge eating disorder, Dr Kozmér bridges the gap between clinical research and patient advocacy. Her mission is to ensure that binge eating disorder and bulimia are recognised across all body types and cultural backgrounds, advocating for diverse identification and treatment pathways and systemic policy reform through collaborative partnerships with clinicians and the lived experience community. Stella will be discussing: - Binge Eating Disorder and Bulimia Nervosa research - The prevalence of Binge Eating Disorder and Bulimia Nervosa - Current practice used in primary care to identify them - Why are we not identifying and managing Binge Eating Disorder and Bulimia Nervosa in primary care? - What can we do about it?

Sophie is a final-year dual field nursing student and the lead of Eating Disorder Informed, a campaign centred on embedding safeguarding measures within gym and fitness environments for those at risk of or struggling with disordered eating and compulsive exercise. Her work is rooted in her lived experience of an eating disorder and years spent as a competitive athlete. She is driven by a strong sense of justice and a real heart for people, determined that those in hard places see their worth and know their value. Having navigated recovery within today’s culture, where disordered routines are normalised and praised, Sophie launched ED Informed to call attention to the risks too often overlooked in an industry that prides itself on health and wellbeing. In 2025, she was named Campaigner of the Year by Rethink Mental Illness, and continues to use her experience in healthcare, sport, and education to push for change across policy and practice. Sophie will be discussing: - Finding a voice through lived experience - Challenges of diet and fitness culture - Intersection of disordered eating and compulsive exercise - Opportunities for early intervention and prevention within the fitness industry - Creating change across policy and practice

Carrie Carlisle is a newspaper columnist with a background in broadcast and print media. She studied at the Royal Central School of Speech & Drama. Carrie has a BA (Hons), a PG Dip and MA. Her early working life was spent as a university lecturer and teacher. In 2010, Carrie began working as a TV Presenter. She first specialized in Lifestyle and Interactive Television, before moving into Sports Coverage, where she predominantly covered NFL. Carrie has stepped back from Broadcasting to concentrate on working alongside her husband. She remains a football correspondent for the ABC Sports Show on BENTV, covering EFL, CAF, FIFA Women’s World Cup, and AFCON. As well as the weekly Newspaper column she has written for the Trinity Mirror Group for the past seven years, Carrie is a regular freelance contributor to several U.K. online and print publications. Carrie is the author of several eBooks and appears regularly on Radio and Television as an Alcohol Harm Reduction Expert Carrie will be discussing: - Personal Reflections - Lived-Experience of Orthorexia