The Truth About Eating Disorders & The Deeper Foundations of Recovery with Leading Sports Dietitian Renee McGregor

Have you or someone you know ever struggled with an eating disorder?
In this heart-felt and insightful episode, Anthea is joined by Renee McGregor, a leading voice in sports nutrition and eating disorder recovery. Together, they share a deeply honest conversation about the realities behind health, performance and the systems that often fail people in the greatest need of care. If this is a theme you’ve wondered about, today’s episode is a critical listen.
Renee shares her own ED recovery journey, and how it shaped her work supporting high-performing individuals struggling with disordered eating, exercise addiction and complex relationships with the body. We’ll explore how trauma and eating disorders are closely linked, and why many behaviours are actually emotional coping mechanisms rather than issues of discipline or control. This foundation becomes critical in knowing how to create truly lasting change.
The conversation also highlights the importance of nervous system regulation, rest and learning to rebuild a healthy food relationship beyond rigid rules.
Together, we’ll unpack the impact of wellness culture in today’s world, the role of social media and body image, and the growing conversation around GLP1 medications and Ozempic. Renee speaks openly about weight stigma, gaps in treatment systems and the need for more compassionate, inclusive approaches to care.
From intuitive eating to autonomy in recovery, this episode challenges common narratives and invites you to form a more nuanced, human approach to health and healing.
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction to Renee McGregor and her work in eating disorders recovery
07:35 Transitioning from NHS work into sports nutrition
17:08 Why eating disorders are so often misunderstood
19:24 Understanding eating disorders as coping and trauma responses
23:40 Gaps in treatment and the limitations within the NHS
27:33 Regulation, addiction patterns, and emotional numbness
34:43 Caffeine, control, and returning to old habits
36:21 How overexercise becomes normalised
41:22 The role of the nervous system and the importance of rest
42:23 Using coffee and other tools for regulation
46:46 Influencers, wellness culture, and harmful messaging
53:18 Social media responsibility and impact
57:13 Living without constant online exposure
58:45 The reality of Ozempic and GLP1 medications
01:00:43 Weight stigma and its link to trauma
01:07:29 Bias, mindfulness, and anti racism in healthcare
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Connect with Renee
Instagram: @‌r_mcgregor
Website: reneemcgregor.com
Connect with Anthea
Instagram: @‌ab_embodiment
Email: ab.mindbodycoach@gmail.com
Website: ab-embodimentcoaching.org