The 380-pound star of TLC's new reality series My Big Fat Fabulous Life has revealed details about the 'shame and darkness and depression' that she suffered for ten years after a medical condition caused her to gain over 200 pounds in a matter of months.

Speaking at the Television Critics Association winter press tour earlier this week, where she was promoting her upcoming series, Whitney Thore, 30, from Greensboro, North Carolina, explained that, while she is now able to embrace her larger size, her obesity initially caused her more than a decade of emotional suffering.

'I lived in so much shame and darkness and depression for over a decade that I wasted 10 years of my life, and it wasn’t until I finally learned that I had to love myself regardless,' the former cheerleader said.

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'So much shame and darkness': Whitney Thore, 30, spoke candidly about her struggle to come to terms with her obesity at the Television Critics Association winter press tour earlier this week

Family affair: Whitney's new TLC reality series My Big Fat Fabulous Life also stars her parents, Glenn (far left) and Barbara (far right) Thore, and her close friend Tal Fish (right)

'I have to claim my joy and my happiness, because there are people out there who don’t want me to be happy, but I have one life.'

Whitney hopes that her upcoming reality series will help her to change the way in which society views obesity - and enable other larger people to embrace their own body image.

'Obesity in America is such an issue that no one wants to talk about, and it’s filled with so much shame that even my family and my friends, nobody said anything.

'And I was too ashamed to say anything, so if we could speak a little bit more candidly about obesity, which is something that I hope My Big Fat Fabulous Life will accomplish.'

She added: 'I think that fat prejudice is one of the last socially acceptable prejudices that we have in America, and I think that’s really a shame because if you want to pursue a life of happiness and health, you can’t do it when you hate yourself.

Dance it out: While the former cheerleader no longer dances herself, she teaches movement classes for other men and women

TLC initially approached Whitney to take part in the reality series after a video of her dancing to a song by popstar Jason Derulo on YouTube hit headlines around the world; to date it has received more than six million views.

But behind the entertaining footage, which sees Whitney showcase a variety of energetic and spirited dance moves, the new reality show also documents the dance instructor's emotional journey to find happiness in herself.

At the age of 19, Whitney was a normal-sized prom queen in high school but began gaining weight rapidly in college.

At age 23 she was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, a hormonal issue that can result in weight gain and difficulty in taking it off.

It was a challenging time emotionally, she said. Whitney gave up dancing, one of her favorite activities, because she was concerned about how she looked and what people would say about her.

The pursuit of happiness: Whitney has now learned to embrace her size rather than wasting time hating herself

She heard plenty of remarks, and still does.

But Whitney decided not to let others rule her life and as a sign of her new-found confidence, she posted the video of herself dancing to Derulo's hit single 'Talk Dirty To Me' online.

Now Whitney is enjoying a whirlwind promotional tour for My Big Fat Fabulous Life, which also features her parents and her friend, Tal Fish.

She's not only dancing again, but is instead teaching a class in dancing. In one scene from the show, she talks tearfully to her students about how she overcame a reluctance to put herself out there in that way.

'People are either inspired by the fact that I'm dancing or they're very put off,' she said.