Stacey Solomon suffers with anxiety "a lot" more than she did when she was younger.
The 27-year-old television presenter – who is known for competing on ‘The X Factor’ in 2009 – has admitted she feels there is a lot more pressure thrust upon her to look good, especially from social media, which she didn’t "notice" when she was a teenager.
She told Star magazine: "I feel that [pressure] more now I’m in my 20s than i did when I was a teenager.
"I get a lot of anxiety. I feel like I didn’t notice all this stuff as a teenager. I feel privileged to have grown up without social media and all these stigmas.
"There’s so much pressure on both women and men to look a certain way. Why are so many people having plastic surgery, going on crash diets and over-exercising? It’s insanity."
But the ‘Loose Women’ panellist – who is currently dating Joe Swash – tries not to take any criticism personally and to "ride it out" in a bid to overcome her uneasiness.
Speaking about her coping mechanism, the blonde-haired beauty said: "You have to remember to ride it out and not take it out on yourself physically. I have to accept that it’s happening and come through the other side of it."
And Stacey believes she has a "moral obligation" to positively influence the younger generation, especially her children, as she advises them not to work out just yet as they are too young to develop a fully toned torso.
Stacey, who has sons Zachary, nine, and Leighton, five, said: "I believe you have a moral obligation to quash these stereotypes and let people know it’s not OK. It’s up to us as individuals and people with an influence on social media to not take notice of those comments and call people out.
"My son, Zach, asked me why he doesn’t have muscles and he’s nine. I had to literally go into anatomy and biology and explain what will happen to his body as he gets older and how unhealthy it would be for him to start exercising at his age. "
Stacey Solomon opens up about her battle with anxiety
