It might feel like this summer has barely arrived but Childline counsellors are still expecting one of the biggest worries of the season to be prevalent among children.

Every summer at Childline we see a spike in the number of children contacting us with concerns about body image and eating disorders. In Scotland, nearly 200 children contacted Childline between April 2023 and March 2024 with such worries.

The peak of these calls and messages from young people tend to come in August, so our counsellors are expecting a busy month ahead.

There are several reasons that young people might be struggling with their body image or relationship with food during the summer holidays.

This can include wearing clothing which shows more of their body because of the warmth and heat  making them feel under pressure to look a certain way, lose weight or change their appearance.

The vast majority of counselling sessions on these topics in the past year - 88% across the UK where gender was known - were with girls. Just six per cent were with males and six per cent with young people who identified as trans or non-binary.

We know that the summer holidays can be a particularly difficult time for some young people if they are struggling with body image issues or an eating disorder as it can exacerbate their concerns. The pressure to wear summer clothes, which often show more of the body, can cause a great deal of anxiety.

And children might also find a change to their daily routine difficult to cope with.

Greater exposure to social media can also be a factor as an "idealised’ body and lifestyle can lead to negativity about a young person’s own appearance.

That’s why the NSPCC, the children’s charity which runs the Childline service, is calling on Ofcom to strengthen its approach to the Online Safety Act to ensure companies better protect children from harmful content linked to eating disorders and poor body image concerns.

The Online Safety Act is a reserved piece of legislation, meaning that it will benefit young people across the UK and not just in Scotland.

The charity also is keen to remind people that its Childline service is available 24/7 every day of the year. Young people don’t need to be alone with their worries; our counsellors are here to listen, talk and offer whatever support they need.

All children can speak to a trained counsellor over the phone on 0800 1111, via email or on 121 chat on the Childline website.

Children can also visit the website to find more advice on any concerns or questions they may have on body image and eating disorders. They can also use the service’s moderated message boards to get support from their peers.

Any adults concerned about a child can get advice through our NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000.

Adeniyi Alade is NSPCC Service Head for helplines in Scotland

Agenda is a column for outside contributors. Contact: agenda@theherald.co.uk