Childline is expecting a rise in contacts from kids concerned about body image and eating disorders over the summer.

Last year, the charity provided more than 4,000 counselling sessions to children struggling with these issues, peaking in August.

New data from the NSPCC service reveals that between April 2023 and March 2024, it delivered 4,229 counselling sessions about these problems.

The most significant month for contacts was August, an indicator of a potential rise this summer season.

Of the counselling sessions where the participant's gender was known, 88 per cent were with females, 6 per cent with males, and 6 per cent with young individuals who identified as trans or non-binary.

Some of the common themes in these sessions were comparing themselves to their friends, siblings and people on social media, guilt around eating 'bad' foods or eating in general, and a desire for cosmetic and surgical changes amongst other concerns.

Among the children who shared their harsh experiences was a 14-year-old girl from Wales, who said: "I got a voice note off a girl at my school saying I’m ugly and that nobody will ever love me.

"I could hear her friends laughing in the background too – it was horrible."

An 18-year-old woman also from Wales revealed: "I’ve always been insecure about my skin and how dark I am.

"I’m Asian and in our society, darker skin is seen as ugly and all that.

"I’ve always wanted to have lighter skin, and I hate that I’m even saying that, but it’s true."

Childline understands the summer holiday can be a particularly tricky time for children struggling with their body image or their relationship with food.

Additionally, children grappling with eating disorders might find changes in their regular day-to-day and eating habits a challenging situation.

Supporting this data, an NHS survey in 2023 revealed 27.9 per cent of 11- to 16-year-olds thought they were fat even when others commented they appeared thin.

Kieran Lyons, service Head of Childline, said: "Seeing a spike in contacts about body image issues and eating disorders in August shows us that the summer holidays can be a particularly tough time for some young people."

He added: "Regardless of their situation or worries, Childline wants to remind all young people that our trained counsellors are here for them "

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.