Woman ‘obsessed’ with losing weight says she’s happier ‘bigger’

British woman Leah Jane was left with excess skin after losing 57kg as a teenager, going down from a size 24 to a size 14.

But after finally having a tummy tuck procedure as an adult which took her to a size 10, the 39-year-old said her happiness was short lived as the op did nothing to help her mental health.

After going under the knife, Leah became obsessed with having surgery and developed an eating disorder and body dysmorphia.

“Not enough people talk about the work you have to do (mentally) to be happy with your body,” she explained on TikTok.

“I understand when people message me and say, I’ve had that surgery that you’ve had and I still hate my body.’”

In a series of videos, the body positive influencer said she “still hated” her body after having plastic surgery, stating that despite losing a lot of weight she “absolutely detested” herself.

“I was always a large girl growing up but once I hit 18, I decided I wanted to lose weight and I did, with diet and calorie counting,” she said.

“I was left with an extreme amount of loose skin, which didn’t help with my body confidence.”

So she went under the knife, having a tummy tuck first then later having a breast lift “because my boobs were below my belly button”.

After that she had surgery on her thighs twice as she had to return for corrective surgery due to complications.

“It was a hard recovery. I had to get it stitched back up a second time because the skin sagged, and again because the scars were dropping,” she said.

“I lost all that weight, I had different cosmetic surgeries to pull me in, but I still wasn’t happy. I hated my body, and I hated how I looked, even though I was skinny.”

Leah now shares her story to help others realise they have to do the work on their mental health before they turn to surgery.

“It’s not all about dieting and plastic surgery, you have to do the work up here to be happy with your body,” she said, pointing to her head.

She went on to say she was able to change how she felt about her body, stating: “I’m happier now more than I ever, ever have been and I’m the biggest I’ve been in a very long time – so just know, if I can do it, you guys can do it.”

Body issues affect almost half of Australians

More than 43 per cent of Australians are highly concerned about their body image, according to recent research by Monash.

Negative body image affects people of all ages, genders and backgrounds, and can lead to risky behaviours such as extreme dieting, excessive exercise, and the pursuit of cosmetic surgery.

Suffering with a negative body image is also the strongest risk factor for developing eating disorders, the most deadly of all mental health conditions.

It can also lead to other mental health conditions including anxiety, depression and substance abuse.