Former EastEnders star Melissa Suffield has inspired fans with a very honest Instagram post. The ex Lucy Beale star showed off her "belly overhang" in the empowering update this week, as she encouraged followers not to feel ashamed about their appearance.
The 29-year-old mum regularly tries to promote body positivity to her 37,000 fans on the social media site and wants people to be proud of their bodies, whatever shape or size.
She advocates for "body neutrality" – a middle-of-the-road approach between body positivity and body negativity – with one of her latest posts on the platform having documented her thoughts on people having an overhanging tummy.
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Melissa shared snaps of herself this morning, posing in black underwear – with her stomach on full display in the two photos. Alongside the photos, she wrote in the post: "A reminder that belly overhang affects LOADS of us, pregnancy related or not. It affects people of all shapes and sizes."
Melissa – who had son River in 2020 – said: "Sometimes it's fat, sometimes it's skin, sometimes it's as a result of a scar, sometimes it's temporary, ALWAYS it's beautiful."
She added: "It doesn't have to be something you're ashamed of, it doesn't necessarily mean you're unhealthy, and you're more certainly not alone."
The post – an advert for underwear brand Curvy – prompted open and honest responses from Melissa's fans.
One wrote: "Yes I'm still learning to love mine. You look beautiful". Another said: "I am proud of what my body has been through to bring two beautiful babies into the world."
Another said in the comments section of the social media post: "Beautiful mama.
"Belly hang over here, even before my c-sections and when I ran at an international level."
