Aaron Carter reveals why he looks so gaunt, it’s not meth

Singer Aaron Carter was in the headlines this week for a Georgia DUI arrest for marijuana use. His gaunt appearance raised alarms, however, and many speculated that perhaps he’s also been using harder drugs that can lead to rapid weight loss like meth or other stimulants. Carter spoke to ET about his appearance, and says he’s never touched meth in his life, but revealed that he is going through something quite tough.

Aaron told the media outlet that he’s “sorry” he looks like a meth-head because he’s never tried meth in his life. He says his weight loss is due to an eating disorder related to his hiatal hernia, which is a condition where part of the stomach pushes up through the diaphragm muscle. Sometimes they can lead to excessive heartburn and abdominal pain.

Aaron said his doctors told him to avoid stress because he’s at a larger risk for cancer, which is why he sometimes shuts down his social media. “How would you feel every two seconds, seeing a tweet, ‘You have AIDS. Go die. Oh, look at this meth head. Oh, meth kills. Crack kills,'” he asked. “It’s body shaming and it’s the toughest thing to deal with.”

Just last year Aaron looked thin but healthy during an interview with The Business Insider. In 2011 Aaron checked into rehab to deal with “emotional and spiritual issues.”

Since Aaron’s arrest, there’s been a spotlight not only on Aaaron, but on the turmoil within his famous family. His brother Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys did not reach other to Aaron directly after his arrest, but instead tweeted support. “Nick made no efforts to call me, and he knows how to reach me,” Aaron told ET. “I don’t need Nick’s help. I don’t need that. I don’t need help. What I need is for people to understand that I’m human and I make mistakes just like every other human in this world.”