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Gemma Collins, the star of The Only Way Is Essex, has revealed the four medical conditions that make it hard for her to lose weight and how she embraces her plus-sized body.
In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, the 42-year-old reality TV personality said she suffers from an underactive thyroid, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), metabolic syndrome and low iron levels.
These conditions affect her metabolism, hormones, blood sugar and energy levels, making it difficult for her to shed pounds despite trying various diets.
She said: "I've always loved myself. To be honest, I've never looked at myself and thought, 'Oh, I'm disgusting'. I mean, there's always b******t I could do with losing a bit of weight.
"But as I say, you know, I'm not going to spend my life being unhappy. I've got four things going against me before I've even started with PCOS, the underactive thyroid, and the metabolic syndrome.
"You know, it's all these things, but I'm constantly at a negative before I'm at a positive. I don't let it get me down.
"This is me. You know Hugh Jackman, The Greatest Showman. It's such a powerful song. This is me. And I don't think anyone would want a boring, miserable GC."
Gemma, who recently took part in The Full Monty, a charity show that raises awareness for cancer, said she is not ashamed of her curves and enjoys indulging in her favourite foods, such as garlic king prawns.
She said she has considered other options to help her lose weight, such as diet pills or surgery, but she is too scared of the potential risks and side effects.
She said: "Lots of people have these gastric bands, you know, and they look totally transformed like, unbelievable.
"But I just don't want to go down that route. I don't want to be taking pills. I don't want to be having surgery. I don't want to be losing my hair. I don't want to be fragile."
Gemma, who has been in the spotlight since 2011, said she has faced criticism and trolling for her weight, but she has learned to ignore the haters and focus on the positive feedback from her fans.
She said: "I get a lot of love and support from the public. I get so many messages from people saying, 'You inspire me, you make me feel good about myself, you make me laugh'.
"That's what I'm here for. I'm here to entertain people and make them happy. And if I can do that by being myself, then that's amazing."
