The summer holidays can be an exciting time for young people. However, these months can also be a challenging time for many reasons, especially for children experiencing body image concerns and/or eating problems.
According to new information from Childline, roughly 40% of counselling and support sessions around body image and eating difficulties take place between June and September.
There are several factors which can make the summer a more difficult time for young people, for instance, some children feel worried about summer clothing and the pressure of looking a certain way. Children may also be spending more time online than normal, where they may view content that makes them feel upset with how they look. For some young people, having a change in daily routine can also trigger or exacerbate eating or body image concerns.
Trained counsellors at Childline are here to support children and ensure that no child must cope alone during this tough time.
At the NSPCC Child Protection in Sport Unit, we also understand that eating problems and body image concerns are something that impact many young people in sport. We’ve put together a list of our resources around this topic to allow you to best support children and young people through the summer months:
Webinars
Eating disorders and disordered eating in sport
Podcasts
Body image, weight management, and disordered eating in sport – a CPSU podcast series
Written content
Balancing training with looking after the body – part of our guidance on safeguarding talented and elite athletes