West Lothian Love Island star Anton Danyluk has revealed that despite his impressive figure, he has dealt with body insecurity his entire life.
The television star, 28, admitted that he was overweight in his childhood, and suffered bullying at school due to this, reports the Daily Record.
The star reacted to this body-shaming by hitting the gym to build his self-esteem and body muscles. And despite his now chiseled physique, Anton is still anxious about his appearance.
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This is an insecurity he shares with more men than ever before, which is explored in new BBC documentary, Anton Danyluk on Body Shame.
The fitness coach will delve into the ever-evolving problem of body image issues among young men in his new documentary.
While creating the programme, the Blackridge-born star admitted that he may be part of the growing issue due to posting many gym selfies onto his social medias - something he has vowed to change.
Anton, who appeared on the fifth season of ITV show Love Island in 2019, said: "Body image has always been viewed as an issue for women and young girls but it also effects young men and is having a detrimental effect on their mental health.
"I am a case in point. I have battled insecurities about my body all my life. I was a chubby kid and got bullied at school which prompted me to hit the gym in search of the perfect body.
"Since Love Island and being in the public eye my insecurities have got even worse which some people might find surprising.
"That’s why I jumped at the chance to do the documentary because my sole reason for going on Love Island was to create a platform where I could help as many people as possible."
Research has revealed that more than a quarter of teenage boys in Scotland are stressing about their body image - and social media is only amplifying the issue.
In the documentary, which premieres on BBC Scotland on Thursday, May 18 at 10:30pm, Anton meets up with other young men who struggle with body image and how what they see online affects them.
He said: "I talked to pupils at Dalziel High School in Motherwell and was blown away by their honesty about their body insecurities and how social media has a huge part to play.
"When I was growing up Instagram wasn’t a thing and once you got home from school you were away from all the pressures but now thanks to socials there is no escape.
"The pressure is there 24/7 for boys to have the unrealistic perfect body. It’s frightening and I totally get it as I feel the same. It suddenly hit me that instead of helping the situation I have been fuelling the issues.
"I never dreamed that my posts were damaging but now I see they were and since the documentary I have been much more careful about what I am posting."
Anton, who up until six months ago was still entering bodybuilding competitions, added: "My approach now is to be more open and honest and since the show I have been posting more pictures of how I look in everyday life rather than one of me ripped to the bone and shredded.
"Bodybuilding was something I always wanted to do but doing it did not make me happy. I got into fitness to make myself less self conscious rather than more and I feel much better now I have stopped.
"The last six months is the best I have ever felt as I have found a good life/fitness balance. My regime is a lot less strict and I’m not beating myself up about having a drink or eating pizza."
Anton is spending his summer in Spain, and also filmed with personal trainer Aiden Diamond - who dropped a whopping eight stone in his fitness journey.
Anton, who has launched the kids Can Do Crew fitness app with his mum Sherie Ann, said: "Aiden has worked so hard to lose weight and he looks incredible. He asked me to take my top off in the documentary and I started to get anxious as I was the most out of shape I have been on TV.
"Despite having loose skin Aiden was so confident and I realised that was the mindset I needed to have. He really inspired me and since meeting him I have been looking at everything in a different way."
He added: “No matter how good someone looks they still have insecurities. What people post on social media is not real life and I hope other influencers will follow my lead and post less posed pictures.
“There is a male body image crisis and I want to use my platform and do what I can to stop young men feeling insecure about themselves. I understand as I have been there.”
Anton Danyluk on Body Shame is on BBC Scotland on Thursday, May 18 at 10.30pm.
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