IN APRIL 2017, a photo of Lena Dunham appeared on the cover of US Weekly alongside an article purporting to give an insight into ‘diet tips’ favoured by Hollywood’s elite.

A post shared by Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) on May 7, 2017 at 9:55pm PDT

Having never made any secret of the medical conditions which have plagued her for most of her life, Lena explained that her smaller physique was the result of anxiety, abdominal adhesions, and bladder spasms, among other illnesses.

This week, the 32-year-old actress shared a similar photo to the one that appeared on the cover of US Weekly alongside a more recent image.

In a poignant post, she then highlighted the incongruity that exists between society’s perception and treatment of her former and current size.

Elaborating on the difference between the two images, she begins:

On the left: 138 pounds, complimented all day and propositioned by men and on the cover of a tabloid about diets that work. Also, sick in the tissue and in the head and subsisting only on small amounts of sugar, tons of caffeine and a purse pharmacy. On the right: 162 pounds, happy joyous & free, complimented only by people that matter for reasons that matter, subsisting on a steady flow of fun/healthy snacks and apps and entrees, strong from lifting dogs and spirits.

Two stone heavier, Lena is healthier and happier than in the photo taken in 2017, and yet she admits that the beauty ideals forced upon her by society means she sometimes longs for the body which was little more than a representation of her failing health.

Even this OG body positivity warrior sometimes looks at the left picture longingly, until I remember the impossible pain that brought me there and onto my proverbial knees. As I type I can feel my back fat rolling up under my shoulder blades. I lean in.

While an active social media user, the Girls creator tends to amass less than 50,000 likes a post, however her latest post has racked up almost 500,000 likes since its upload yesterday.

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