(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Nick Carter insists he looks younger than his friends because of his exciting childhood.

The 31-year-old is best known as one of the lead vocalists of pop group Backstreet Boys. Nick, who went on to release a solo album called Now Or Never during the band's hiatus, says that despite doubting his music career during his younger years, he now appreciates the positive effect it had on his life.

"I used to have that feeling [of missing out on a childhood]. I used to live in the past, trying to figure out who I was. I regretted things. My friends went to high school and had their proms and everything, whereas I only came home for a short time and then had to fly off again. I used to be a kind of a roving soul," he explained in an interview with German website unikosmos.de. "But when I look back I can see how happy I am. All my friends look older than me and are not as healthy as I am. Plus I am urban because I have travelled the world. I like my life."

Nick was "woken up" by a life-threatening medical diagnosis. The singer says he re-assessed his life from then on.

"I had a near death experience or at least I was near to death. My doctor said to me that I had a cardiomyopathy. That's a heart which is weakened by drugs and alcohol. And when a doctor tells you something like this you just wake up," he revealed.

Nick's life has radically changed since. The blonde-haired performer has moulded his lifestyle and diet in order to maintain a good level of health.

"I eat differently, I go to the gym all the time, and I look into new possibilities of improving my diet and my health. That's my new thing: working out. I love to work out," he explained.

Nick is happy with his current lifestyle and can see the benefits of healthier living. The American star owes his "change" to the doctor who pointed out the error of his ways.

"I think clearer, business wise I'm more productive, I look better. When I look into the mirror I like what I see. It was a mental change, too. I used to have a negative mental state and I had to see that and become a better person. When my cardiac disease appeared I had to leave my path and become a whole new person. Because everything I had done up until that point had been wrong," he explained. (C) Cover Media