More NI children turn to Childline during summer as they struggle with eating disorders and body image issues

​More than 100 children in Northern Ireland reached out for help with body image issues and eating disorders over the last year, a children's charity has said.
By Helen McGurk
Published 18th Jul 2023, 12:09 GMT
​More than 100 children in Northern Ireland reached out for help with body image issues and eating disorders over the last year, according to the NSPCC​More than 100 children in Northern Ireland reached out for help with body image issues and eating disorders over the last year, according to the NSPCC
​More than 100 children in Northern Ireland reached out for help with body image issues and eating disorders over the last year, according to the NSPCC

​Research by the counselling service Childline, which is run by the NSPCC, found this was particularly important during the summer months.

Between April 2022 and March 2023, 4,179 counselling sessions were delivered to children and young people across the UK with worries about body image and eating disorders - including over 100 in Northern Ireland.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The data found that 40 per cent of counselling sessions (1,656) took place between June to September. Common themes that came out of the sessions on body image and eating disorders include: comparisons to friends, siblings, and people on social media; guilt around eating particular ‘bad’ foods or guilt about eating at all; negative comments from family, friends, bullies, and partners about their weight and body often contributes to body image concerns; weight worries linked to lockdown, gaining weight due to lockdown inactivity or stress; not knowing how to manage weight or fitness without going to extremes; cancelling plans due to body image issues

During this year’s summer holiday, Childline is reminding children struggling with these issues that help is available with trained counsellors and online services.

One 16-year-old girl from Northern Ireland who reached out to Childline said: “I’m struggling to talk to someone about my weight and food worries.

“I find myself either super restricting what I eat, or I binge in secret at night. I know I need to tell someone, but I’ve heard my dad say before how stupid eating disorders are, if he just dismisses it, I don’t know what to do next.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Another girl, aged 17, told the service: “I hate that I can change how I look in my pictures online but can’t make that happen in real life. In the mirror I just see flaws that need changing. I’ve changed how I eat, I work out, but I can’t get close to how good I look on Instagram.”

For some during the summer holidays, the prospect of wearing clothes that show their body more can create a pressure to look a certain way or change their appearance.

This can be reinforced as many will spend more time online to keep in touch with their friends – meaning it increases the chance of being exposed to more content that makes them feel negatively about the way they look. Changes to the day-to-day routine over the summer period can also be difficult to cope with for those with an eating disorder.

Kieran Lyons, service head of Childline, said: “Summer can be a really a tough time for anyone who is already dealing with these issues, and it also can be a time which can make others who ordinarily felt happy with their body image begin to feel negatively.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Regardless of your situation or your worries, Childline is here to ensure that no child is left to cope alone with any worry they have."

All children can speak to a trained counsellor over the phone on 0800 1111, via email or on a 121 chat on the Childline website (www.childline.org.uk).

Related topics:Northern IrelandNSPCCInstagram