Weight and eating problems — under 16s

The following script is for young people concerned about their weight or body image.

People come in all different shapes and sizes. and your weight and body shape will continually change as you grow. It's particularly important to have a varied, healthy diet to ensure that your body develops properly during your young and teenage years.

Sensible eating is always better than dieting. If you lose a lot of weight suddenly you are more likely to put it all on again. To control your weight, eat a balanced diet with lots of fruit and vegetables; bread and pasta are also good for you and try to cut down on fatty and sugary foods.

Taking regular exercise can really help to keep your weight balanced, why not try walking to school or take up swimming which is an excellent way to stay fit and healthy as well.

If your weight is causing you problems and making you unhappy you can talk to your doctor or the nurse at the surgery, they can help you work out a healthy eating plan.

Here are some organisations that can help.

The Eating Disorders Association provides advice and support for anyone with an eating disorder. You can call their Youthline on 0845 634 7650 (Mondays to Fridays 4pm-6.30pm). They have lots of useful information on their website at www.edauk.com.

There's useful information on healthy eating is available from NHS Direct on 0845 46 47. They have a website at www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk.

The National Centre for Eating Disorders provides information, advice and counselling for anyone with an eating disorder, including compulsive dieters, obesity, anorexia, bulimia and binge eating. They also offer help and support to family and friends. Call 01372 46 94 93 (Mondays to Fridays 10am-5pm) or check out their website at www.eating-disorders.org.uk.

If you are being bullied because of your weight, you can talk to the Anti-Bullying Campaign. They offer advice and support to children who are being bullied, and to parents. You can speak to them in confidence on 020 7378 1446 (Mondays to Fridays 10am-4pm).

You can get details of advice and counselling services for young people in your area from Youth Access. Call them on 020 8772 9900 (Mondays to Fridays 9am-1pm and 2pm-5pm).

If you are under 18 and would like to speak to someone about any worries or concerns, call ChildLine free on 0800 11 11 (24 hours a day). Lines can be busy, so you may need to redial if you don’t get through first time round. For more information, visit their website at www.childline.org.uk.

The Channel 4 Health website has a food magazine at www.channel4.com/health/microsites/H/health/magazine/food/index.html with lots of information about body image and weight problems. You can also ask confidential questions online in the 'Just Ask' section at www.channel4.com/health/microsites/H/health/magazine/justask.html.

This message has been prepared and is updated regularly by Programme Support at Channel 4.