Chessie King, influencer, self-proclaimed “best friend and big sister”, doula in training and social media sensation, has been dealing with bloating for years.

“I’ve suffered with bloating since I was 17 and it made me feel really self-conscious,” King says. She used to spend hours thinking about how to hide her bloated stomach. “I would wrap myself up in a towel if I was in a bikini, trying to suck it in and hold it in. I think I just made it worse,” she told us.

Now, King is all about embracing the bloat. On Instagram, she proudly posts images of her natural body. “I have shown everything. My spots, my bloating, my rolls and my second bottom. Hopefully, someone can look and go: ‘Well, Chessie’s got it, so I can embrace it.’”

She went on: “Just let your body do what it needs to do. Get the jeans off! Unzip those jeans, let loose! Wear a floaty thing. People are not going to love you for your flat tummy; people are not going to remember you because you had abs.

“Don’t let your mind bully your body. Celebrate all of the wonderful things that it does for us. Make best friends with your body because it’s your home for the rest of your life.”

“Why you shouldn’t be ashamed of bloating”: Chessie King on learning to love her tummy