Social media can be a great place for health and fitness inspiration, with thousands of people proudly sharing their weight loss stories and before-and-after photos. However the posts can also prove disheartening to people who struggle with insecurities and may feel inadequate if their own bodies don't compare.
To tackle the issue, a number of body positive bloggers and social media users have shared their own fake before-and-after photos, to show how their body can appear drastically different even in photos taken just a few moments apart.
Milly Clark shared this fake transformation photo on Instagram
Among them is Milly Clark, a new mother from the UK, who has quickly clocked up over 55,000 likes after sharing a side-by-side Instagram photo of herself wearing a pair of black tights in two different ways.
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In the left hand photo, Milly has pulled the control-top tights up to her waist, creating the illusion of a tiny waist and flat stomach. However in the second photo, she wore the same tights low-slung around her hips to expose her stomach.
"Same girl, same day, same time. Not a before and after. Not a weight loss transformation. Not a diet company promotion," Milly captioned the post. "I am comfortable with my body in both. Neither is less or more worthy. Neither makes me more or less of a human being. Neither invites degrading comments and neither invites sleazy words."
The new mum struggles with body dysmorphia
Milly continued to say that the images had helped her to cope with her body dysmorphia and to "rationalise" negative thoughts about her appearance.
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"Don't compare, just live for you. There is no one on this planet who's like you and that's pretty damn amazing don't ya think. The world doesn't need another copy, it needs you," she wrote. "We are worthy, valid and powerful beyond measure. (If you don't pull your tights up as high as possible are you really human?)"
The post has resonated with Milly's followers, with one writing: "You're amazing and you're making a big difference!" Another added: "So much love for this."
