From Married At First Sight Australia to social media stardom, Martha Kalifatidis boasts more than 630,000 Instagram followers who hang on her every word. So it makes sense the reality TV star often takes to doing Q&As on her page, to answer all of their burning questions.
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In her most recent Q&A on Instagram, Martha spoke candidly about body image issues when one follower said they had recently gained weight and wanted to know how the 33-year-old star was so confident.
“I’ve gained weight too,” Martha wrote back. “But please know your body does not define you.
“The dumbest thing is we compare ourselves to what we see online which isn’t even real,” she continued, saying every image we see is “so edited that we’re programmed to think it’s normal when it’s not.”
Martha continued on to single out the Kardashian/Jenner family, saying “as much as I love them, I think they have set a horrible standard of beauty and a sick trend when it comes to body modification.
“Social media is also a very toxic place for self esteem and confidence! I’m definitely not confident all the time but I do my best to accept my body for what it is,” she finished off the message.
When a second fan asked for “tips” for feeling good in a “perfect body pressure” world, Martha shared a recent Photoshop fail by Kim Kardashian where she had altered her body.
“Perfect bodies aren’t perfect!” she wrote.
Of course, stars in the spotlight regularly cop criticism over their weight or body image online and Martha isn’t the only one calling out the “toxic” nature of it all.
Celebrity MasterChef contestant Tilly Ramsay called out a radio commentator in 2021, when he criticised her appearance as she performed on the UK’s Strictly Come Dancing.
He called Tilly a “chubby little thing,” adding, “probably her dad’s cooking, I should imagine.”
She responded with a lengthy statement, saying she wouldn’t tolerate comments about her weight.
“I try not to read and listen to comments and negativity. However, recently being called out on a national radio station by a 67-year-old man is a step too far,” Tilly wrote.
“Steve please feel free to voice your opinions, however I draw the line at commenting on my appearance. It’s such a shame that someone is trying to make such a positive experience negative.
“This isn’t the first and definitely won’t be the last comment made about my appearance. But please remember that words can hurt and at the end of the day I am only 19.
“I understand that being in the public eye obviously comes with its own repercussions and I’ve been aware of this from a young age. However, I won’t tolerate people that think it’s OK to publicly comment and scrutinise anyone’s weight and appearance.”
If you or someone you know has been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, help is always available. Call The Butterfly Foundation’s national helpline on 1800 33 4673 or visit their website.
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