Let’s call out body shaming for what it is - Nasty, malicious, hurtful and destructive.

I’m all for people owning their bodies and being proud of who they are. In my 30 years working in this industry, appearance has never been my motivation. It’s health and I’m yet to encounter an obese person who is healthy. I’m also yet to meet someone who has become obese by eating too much good, nutritious food.

If weight loss was purely about aesthetics, I completely agree that you should love yourself.

But the fact is adipose tissue, or fat, dramatically increases the risk of suffering heart disease, inflammation and various cancers.

With excessive adipose tissue comes high insulin levels which stops your body using stored fat for fuel. It stays in the reserve tank doing all sorts of damage to your body. You also retain a lot of excess fluid, causing blood pressure to rise, damaging your arteries, raising cholesterol levels and damaging your liver.

Also, let’s not forget that the psychology of obesity. Eating to feel better when depressed or for comfort enters the realm of an eating disorder.

If a client comes to me weighing 10kg more than may be regarded as normal but their body fat percentage is under 30 per cent for a woman and 20 per cent for a man, I consider them healthy. But moving above those ranges poses you at risk for disease.

You could also be at a 'normal' weight but have no muscle tissue because you never exercise. I’d prefer a higher weight on the scales and more muscle. It’s really not always about the scales, just as it’s not about aesthetics.

My fear is that people who are overweight and obese have given up. They’ve tried all sorts of diets, worsening their health and their frame of mind so they just accept this is the way they have to live. The best option then is to embrace and celebrate it because that seems to be the only choice for a happy life.

I appreciate that but it’s a matter of understanding what’s really happening on the inside, not in the mirror and not on the scales. It’s the blood tests we take for each and every client and the tailor-made program for your body. True happiness always comes from feeling good inside because you’re working with your body, honouring it and looking after your health. That’s body positivity.