Zara McDermott has hit back at critics who have raised concerns about her three stone weight loss.
The 23-year-old former Love Island star took to Instagram last night to post two pictures side-by-side showing differences to her body after 17 months of weight loss.
Comparing an image of herself in a bikini from June 2019 to a more recent snap, Zara, who was 10st 7lbs last year, said she "could not believe how far she's come" since she started focusing on her health.
"The first pic of me was a girl who never exercised and ate whatever she wanted," she wrote.
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"She wasn't unhappy or insecure about her weight, but she knew that she needed to start exercising, eating more fruits and veggies and making wiser choices in order to be healthier."
Zara added she has since gone from being a size 10 to a size 6, and now weighs around 7st 7lbs.
With Zara relatively tall at 5ft 6ins, many expressed concern about her sharp drop in weight, with some trolls even going as far as calling her "anorexic."
Now, the Made in Chelsea favourite has hit back at the criticism.
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Taking to her Instagram Story, Zara wrote: "So I've just woken up to a few messages saying I am getting abuse online about my weight loss.
"I never actually saw any abuse because I don't have Twitter - I think it's the most vile and toxic place on the internet, but anyway. I'm trending on Twitter.
"So I just had a quick look and I just want to make something very clear. I think it's entirely unfair to call me 'anorexic.' In my opinion, it's the same as calling someone morbidly obese. That's a serious accusation of an eating disorder I do not have."
She continued: "I understand that for anyone recovering from an eating disorder, any post about weight loss could be triggering. But my journey has been done incredibly healthily.
"I have always been quite tall and naturally slim. When I was a teen I struggled to put on weight and I was eating a huge amount back in 2019...I'm talking probably 3000 calories a day.
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"I was a size 10, which is not an unhealthy weight at all, but for my body type, height and the fact I've had a fast metabolism and always been naturally petite, it was a huge change."
This is not the first time Zara has been in the centre of controversy.
The X Factor singer previously faced criticism after she admitted she had cheated on her boyfriend Sam Thompson in the most recent series of Made In Chelsea. The pair have since reunited.
Featured Image Credit: Instagram: Zara_McDermottTopics: Life News, Zara Mcdermott, Celebrity News, Health