ANTON DANYLUK ON BODY SHAME

Anton Danyluk, the ripped reality star from Lanarkshire, has battled body insecurity all his life. As an overweight kid, he faced body-shaming and bullying. He reacted by hitting the gym to build muscle and confidence. But despite his toned body, he is still anxious about his appearance – and he is not alone. More than a quarter of teenage boys in Scotland stress about their body image, and social media is making the problem worse.

Now Anton wonders if he is part of the issue, as he peppers his socials with muscly selfies and gym shots. Is he both hiding his insecurities and making boys believe in an unrealistic ideal body? He meets young men who struggle with their body image to understand how they are affected by what they see online, and compares their experiences of body-shaming with his own. In a frank, personal journey, he examines his time on reality TV and speaks to mental health experts as he questions how the media obsession with ‘ripped physiques’ affects Scotland’s young men.