Alex's Answer

Hi there, and welcome to Ask Alex.  

Thanks so much for reaching out with your question. We know that it can be difficult to talk about our feelings and worries, so well done for getting in touch with us.  

You have asked why you are not losing weight. It sounds like you have tried various things in order to lose weight and that you feel that people pass you around. That sounds like really tough situation for you.  

Childline would be concerned to hear that you are having feelings like that, and it sounds like you are being a little hard on yourself. Perhaps you may find this article useful as it discusses ways to increase your self-esteem: https://www.childline.ie/how-to-deal-with-low-self-esteem/. It seems like you are feeling very down about this, and we are glad that you contacted us as you do not have to experience this on your own. 

You deserve to feel good about yourself and sometimes doing so takes a little work. Try to be kind to yourself in how you speak to and about yourself. It can be helpful to imagine what you would say to a friend in a similar situation.  

You have the right to feel safe, happy and good about yourself. It’s important to talk to others about how you are feeling. You have the right to seek help and support about how you are feeling and the thoughts you are experiencing. You also have a right to professional help, so you might consider talking to your doctor or to a counsellor, to share your feelings and thoughts. You have the right to be listened to and to be heard. It is important for your own mental wellbeing that you get this help and support.  

You might consider contacting Bodywhys (https://www.bodywhys.ie/), an organisation that supports people affected by eating disorders and they may be able to help you understand your relationship with food and your body image. You’ll find plenty of useful information on their website and they may even be able to support you around confiding in a trusted adult so you can get whatever healthcare you may need and deserve. There is also information available around maintaining good mental health and a healthy body image on this website that you might find useful: https://www2.hse.ie/mental-health/. 

If you are finding it hard to talk to those in your life whom you are close to, you are very welcome to chat with the Childline Team through our web chat on www.childline.ie or by phone on 1800 66 66 66. Childline services are free and confidential, and are available 24 hours, 7 days a week.    

Thank you for being so brave and for reaching out to us.  

Take care,   

Alex