Support for children in Northern Ireland for body image issues and eating disorders peaked in August last year during the school holidays.

Childline is now expecting an increase in contact with children dealing with these issues during the same period.

New data from the NSPCC service revealed that it provided 4,229 counselling sessions on these problems to young people across the UK from April 2023 to March 2024.

Findings indicate that girls were the biggest consumers of counselling services, with 88 per cent of sessions being held with females, compared to 6 per cent with males and 6 per cent with individuals identifying as trans or non-binary.

Body image concerns and dysfunctional eating behaviours often stem from comparisons with friends or social media influences, guilt about eating certain ‘bad’ foods, and the inability to control weight or fitness.

Some children expressed the desire to undergo cosmetic and surgical alterations to their bodies and opted out of social activities due to these insecurities.

Kieran Lyons, service head of Childline, said: "Regardless of their situation or worries, Childline wants to remind all young people that our trained counsellors are here for them, and that no child should feel like they are alone with any concerns they have.”

NSPCC is urging Ofcom to ensure companies protect children from harmful content related to eating disorders and body image.