Singer and former teen heartthrob Aaron Carter has received harsh criticism for his thin and gaunt face. Netizens instantly jumped to the conclusion that he’s been using drugs or suffering from AIDS. In reality, Aaron is suffering from an eating disorder.

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, he revealed that he was diagnosed with hiatal hernia when he was 19. This condition occurs when the upper part of the stomach pushes up through the diaphragm. This causes heartburn and chest pain from stomach acid, and patients will have trouble swallowing food.

It’s also important to note that hiatal hernia often occurs in people who are over 50 years old. Aaron is only 29 years old, and he said that he has “a stress condition of an 80-year-old man.” He added that he’s also lactose intolerant and dropped approximately 20 pounds since his diagnosis.

“I weigh 135, 140,” he said. “[And] I’m 5’8. [Doctors] said avoid stress. Because I can develop cancer.”

Aaron also tearfully addressed the hate he’s been getting, which contributes to his body image issues. “How would you feel every two seconds, seeing a tweet, ‘You have AIDS. Go die. Oh, look at this meth head. Oh, meth kills. Crack kills,'” he said. “It’s body shaming and it’s the toughest thing to deal with.” He also admitted to getting Voluma fillers to make his face look less gaunt.

Indeed, it’s difficult to live with an eating disorder. But it’s more jarring when people quickly judge you because they don’t understand what’s going on. This is also a reminder that body shaming happens with people of all shapes and sizes, so we should always be mindful of our comments—regardless if they’re celebrities or not.

[Entertainment Tonight]

Photo courtesy of Aaron Carter’s Instagram account

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