The Highlight by LOOKFANTASTIC: Jul/Aug 2022

*Source: Body Dysmorphic Disorder Foundation LF LOCKER ROOM Tanned and toned are two words you might use to describe the cast of TOWIE, whose lifestyle and looks were deemed aspirational by many. Ten years after his debut on the show, personal trainer and mental health advocate Charlie King shares how life in the public eye led to his diagnosis of Muscle Dysmorphia (MD). Commonly known as “Bigorexia”, MD is a type of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), defined by the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Foundation as “a preoccupation with not being sufficiently muscular or lean”. Though one in 50* men suffer from BDD, it remains shrouded in stigma. “Many don’t understand this is a severe anxiety disorder with a high suicide rate (45 times higher than the general population),” explains Kitty Wallace, head of operations at the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Foundation. “It is about a disabling level of anxiety and not about vanity.” “Getting on to TOWIE, a show about the lives of fabulous, sexy people, made me become very Kitty Wallace

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