A FORMER firefighter, who says he overcame a binge eating addiction, is drawing on his own experiences to give free help and advice to others.

Aaron Harlow-Stephenson from Aykley Heads, Co Durham, spent his teenage years, hoarding and then devouring crisps, ready meals and chocolate.

Overweight and bullied by his peers, the 21-year-old started a fitness regime and turned his life around – now he is helping people of all ages do the same.

Mr Harlow-Stephenson now creates personalised diet and fitness plans for everyone from housebound pensioners to teenagers, free of charge and distributes them via his Facebook page.

He has gained more than 83,000 followers on social media site Instagram and to date has created upwards of 300 plans.

The response to his bespoke fitness programmes and healthy eating regimes has seen him create plans for a pensioner with arthritis and a teenage boy who wanted to build his strength and his confidence.

He said: "People have been surprised that I am doing this for free, but with so many people at home and comfort eating, I wanted to try and find a way to help them with them physical and their mental health."

Mr Harlow-Stephenson said his own problems began with secret eating.

By the time he was 16, he weighed 147 kilos - more than 23st.

Thanks to after-school rugby and a strict diet, he lost an incredible 10st, dropping to 14st.

He then went on to transform his physique through his job as a firefighter and his daily five-hour long workouts to become a competitive bodybuilder.

He has since taken a different career path to become an ambulance clinical care assistant but maintains a balanced diet of protein and carbohydrates to complement his training regime.

His bodybuilding photos have won him tens of thousands of followers, but the former Durham Johnston Comprehensive School pupil knows that the benefits of fitness will always far exceed social media likes.

He added: "When you get fitter, healthier and stronger physically, you become fitter, healthier and stronger mentally.

“And the great thing is that, as long as you really want to do it, you really are never too old to change your life.

"If I can, I will help anyone at all who contacts me."

So far some of the things the fitness guru has helped people tackle include ‘love handles’ and sugar cravings.

Both free free of charge through his Facebook page.

For information about the plans or to contact Mr Harlow-Stephenson visit: facebook.com/azzahstephenson