This article appears as part of the Lessons to Learn newsletter.

Over the last academic year, the NSPCC’s Childline service delivered nearly 3,500 counselling sessions focused mainly on disorders related to eating or body image.

Data on the age of the children involved was available for just under 80 percent of those sessions, and shows that nearly two-thirds of those seeking help were aged between twelve and fifteen.

Young people mentioned body image issues as part of broader discussions in nearly 1000 other sessions operated by Childline, with similar instances of children discussing restricting their food intake because of fears about the way they look.

The main topics being raised by those taking part in counselling included worries about weight, binge eating, purging, over-exercising – and the difficulty of accessing support services.

Examples include a fifteen year old boy who said: “I hate my body. I wish it was more muscly, more manly. I go to the gym loads but I still feel uncomfortable in there knowing how small I look to everyone.”

Or a sixteen year old girl who explained: “Seeing other girls’ bodies in PE made me feel so fat besides them. I tried to ask my mum about losing weight and she was a bit dismissive, so I knew I needed to tackle it myself. I put myself on very low calories, which is working, but I have been fainting, feeling really exhausted, and stopped focusing at school. I think I know this isn’t the........

© Herald Scotland