Sam Smith has opened up about their body image issues since they were a teen, admitting that Christmas is a particularly difficult time. Posting a picture of their bare chest on Instagram, [Smith](http://Sam Smith Is Reportedly Asking Friends And Family To Use ‘They’ Rather Than ‘He’ When It Comes To The Singer’s Pronouns) wrote a lengthy caption explaining their struggles.
‘Christmas time is upon us,’ the caption began. ‘This time of the year always triggers tricky body issues with me. I love me some mince pies and all the trimmings, and I always find I gain a bit of weight during this time.
‘I’m writing this out to you all, but also writing this for myself,’ Smith continued. ‘Let’s make sure we remind our bodies during this time that no matter what weight we are, we are deserving of love and acceptance. Let’s love our fluctuating bodies. Look in that mirror and shower that reflection with Christmas kindness. Be super soft. It’s an everyday struggle for me. You aren’t alone.’
Smith’s photo has highlighted an issue many face around this time of year, with charity Beat Eating Disorders keeping their helpline open on the 24th, 25th and 26th of December because of the particularly high demand.
UK research suggests between 1.25 and 3.4million people in the UK are affected by an eating disorder, with 40% suffering from bulimia nervosa. Beat has 13 tips on their website for tackling eating disorders and body image issues at Christmas, which you can find here.
Christmas and New Year are a time where a lot of the focus is around food, eating together, there’s a lot of it around,’ Beat Director of Services, Caroline Price, said in a statement. ‘The pressure of watching each other eat or straying from a structured eating plan can also be of concern. A simple move to changing to buffet-style serving rather than a sit down family meal could make things easier”.
‘There are some things that you might be able to do as a family to make the Christmas period easier for someone with an eating disorder to deal with,’ she continued. ‘Planning is hugely important – talk about what you are going to do on Christmas Day and the period thereafter and when and how food will be involved. Once meals are over put food away and find activities that don’t revolve around food, for example play games or find a good film to watch.’
To find out more about Beat, click here.
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[Sam Smith Is Reportedly Asking Friends And Family To Use ‘They’ Rather Than ‘He’ When It Comes To The Singer’s Pronouns](http://Sam Smith Is Reportedly Asking Friends And Family To Use ‘They’ Rather Than ‘He’ When It Comes To The Singer’s Pronouns)