'I'm a curvy model - and I know I'd have more fans if I didn't flaunt my tummy'

Sophie Hughes is a model who's on a mission to show that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. But she's convinced she'd have a bigger following if she only shared snaps that made her look slimmer.

The Instagram star, from Stockport, has over 55,000 followers thanks to her uplifting content. But she admitted people have become accustomed to seeing certain types of bodies online, the Mirror reports.

She recently shared two pictures of herself side-by-side to prove her point. Sophie was seen posing in pretty, lacy undies but she looked different in each photo.

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In one she posed, stood tall and made her figure look lean. Meanwhile, in the other, she relaxed her body, while posing sideways.

Even though she looked amazing in both pictures, she said people view them in different ways. In the past people have called her "fat" just because she represents women with curvier bodies. When she poses at certain angles, she said people seem to think she suddenly becomes "repulsive", and it's a mindset she wants to help change.

Beauty isn't a size, and Sophie is on a big mission to prove it. She won't stop using her platform to spread this message, even though some people can be cruel.

Writing on Instagram, Sophie said: "We are so deeply conditioned to only accept one type of body as 'healthy' that when I rotate myself 90 degrees I am somehow deemed repulsive. And there's no negative emotion from me, just an exhale, just a deep knowing that we have so much work still to do."

"The image on the left is still the most accepted. The most desirable. The saddest part is it's the image which sells the best, because we're so conditioned to be disgusted by the female body in its natural beauty."

"And if my grid was filled with images like the left, I'd have more followers. That's a FACT. (Granted they'd be all the creepy white dudes who are currently trolling me, but the numbers would be up.)"

"We have work to do and I will continue to do that work until the image on the right is no longer celebrated, no longer deemed brave, no longer shocking. I'll continue to do the work until images like the one on the right no longer demand a caption."I will continue to do the work until women everywhere truly understand that even the models don't look like that in real life, and healthy looks different on everyone. I'll continue to do it until men stop giving us their unsolicited opinions, and realise this corner of the internet is not for them, and I do not exist to meet their needs.

"Shocking I know. I will continue to do the work until we do a collective exhale."

Since she shared the post, it's been liked hundreds of times. Fans told Sophie how beautiful they thought she looked and encouraged her to keep doing what she's doing too.

One person said: "You are so beautiful. You know those comments form those trolls are because of their own insecurities - it has nothing to do with you. Go girl keep shining."

Another wrote: "From woman to woman. What a beautiful mark are you leaving on this planet. I am immensely grateful to you."

A third replied: "Haters will keep on hating, their ignorance is unbelievable, you are a real woman my love so always be proud of who you are and what you have, every curve, roll and scar. You are beautiful on the outside and I'm sure with a beautiful heart on the inside."

Meanwhile, a fourth commented: "And I'm sure every single hater is the vision of a perfect specimen of manhood. Thank you for being you, and helping us be us."