How Ed Sheeran overcame ‘body image’ issues

Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran has revealed that he, too, had struggled with body image and insecurities about his weight.

When he was just starting in the music industry, Ed looked at the likes of Justin Bieber and Harry Styles and felt the pressure to look the same way. “I was like, ‘They’re so photogenic, and they have got six packs,’” he related in a recent podcast by musician George Ezra.

“I had zero insecurities before I became a singer— and I was born with ginger hair. I didn’t care. I would have a beer belly, wouldn’t wash and wear scraggly clothes. But as soon as you’re in the public eye and people start picking holes in you, you start thinking things are bad for you. Like, ‘Am I fat?’” the “Perfect” singer added.

At one point, the British singer-songwriter revealed, he used to follow a no-carb diet and drank only tonic water with vodka. But he now leads a healthier lifestyle. “Eat what you want and exercise every day,” he said. —ALLAN POLICARPIO