Lena Dunham posts nude selfie to promote body positivity

'I spent so many years loving my body but thinking it wasn't lovable by others'

(Getty Images)

Lena Dunham worked wonders for the body positivity movement through her wildly successful TV series Girls, where she showed that actually, most women’s bodies don’t look like Victoria’s Secret models. And that's OK.

She unashamedly showed off her body, encourage normal women to feel like they needn’t hide their own.

But Dunham - like many women - has revealed her relationship with her body is constantly evolving.

The actress and writer has now shared a nude photo on Instagram, with just a few strategically placed emojis probably saving the snap from being removed by the photo-sharing social network.

“Just wanted to share that one of the reasons @eatingboys has inspired me so much is because of the way she mixes her humor and sexuality,” Dunham wrote.

She goes on to explain that for a long time, although she never hid her body, she only ever thought of it as a way to create comedy, not something people could love.

“I spent so many years loving my body but thinking it wasn't lovable by others - its sole purpose was to be fodder for jokes. I performed the insult so no one else could.

“I don't regret any of it - that's my art and that was my truth - but now, at age 31, having been through hell and back with my health and other people's perceptions of my physicality, I feel deeply comfortable with the idea that this pear-shaped pot of honey is equally good for making people laugh and laying out like a Suicide Girl circa 2004. Love it all.”

Dunham has spoken publicly of her battle with endometriosis, which is a condition where tissue that behaves like the lining of the womb (endometrium) is found in other parts of the body.

She was rushed from the Met Gala to hospital earlier this year, and even had to cancel her Lenny Letter tour due to health concerns.

But Dunham’s fans have responded incredibly positively to her latest post:

“You look amazing!! Pear shape, whatever! Everyone looks better than they even realize to those they impact as positively as you have us!” wrote one.

“I don't know if you will ever read this but I just want to say a big ‘thank you’ for everything that you're doing,” added another.

“You are incredibly inspiring and the love and respect you are giving to yourself is so refreshing and you are inspiring me, helping me and teaching me that it is ok to love myself.”