#144: Turning Recovery Into Advocacy : Interview with Johanna Kandel of National Alliance for Eating Disorders

In this episode, Johanna Kandel, founder of the National Alliance for Eating Disorders, joins Julie Church, RDN, Co-Founder of Opal: Food+Body Wisdom, for an honest and inspiring conversation. Johanna shares how her own eating disorder recovery led her to create a nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to care, support, and education in the eating disorder field.

Listeners will hear more about the Alliance's impactful support groups, recent policy shifts shaping treatment access, and ways to get involved in advocacy (see links below).  Johanna's grounded presence and humble passion bring recovery to life in a conversation filled with hope, insight, and practical ways to support healing for yourself and others. 

Find Johanna:

The Alliance for Eating Disorders: https://www.allianceforeatingdisorders.com/team/

Here book:  https://www.harpercollins.com/products/life-beyond-your-eating-disorder-johanna-s-kandel?variant=39308848562210

Advocate with your local lawmakers for The Nutrition CARE Act and/or Kids Online Safety Act:

https://eatingdisorderscoalition.org/email-your-legislators/

Register for Eating Disorder Coalition Advocacy Day on April 15, 2026 (virtual or in person in Washington DC):

https://secure.everyaction.com/KEt8EKlzMUq5DoFK-CouzQ2

Connect with Opal: 

www.opalfoodandbody.com

@opalfoodandbody

@Opal.Movement

Thank you to our team...

Editing by David Bazzi

Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/

Sound engineering by Ayesha Ubayatilaka at Jack Straw Studios