Demi Lovato posts unedited photo to Instagram celebrating cellulite

The star shared an unedited photo on her Instagram. Photo / Instagram

Celebrities on Instagram can sometimes look too good to be true — something singer Demi Lovato is trying to change.

The former Disney star, 27, has shared an unedited bikini photo with her fans, admitting it was her "biggest fear" to share an unedited swimwear photo with her 73.5 million followers on Instagram.

"I'm just literally sooooo tired of being ashamed of my body, editing it (yes the other bikini pics were edited — and I hate that I did that but it's the truth) so that others think I'm THEIR idea of what beautiful is, but it's just not me," she wrote.

Demi said she now wants to honour a body "that has fought through so much" and wants her new chapter in life to be "about being authentic to who I am".

The singer, who almost died of an accidental drug overdose last year and has battled an eating disorder in the past, said she was no longer stressing her body with "a strenuous workout schedule before 14 hour days" of work, news.com.au reports.

She also said she used to be "terrified" of eating cake and once had watermelon with just whipped cream and candles for her birthday.

Demi ended her post by saying that while she wasn't "stoked on my appearance" she was "appreciative of it and sometimes that's the best I can do".

"I hope to inspire someone to appreciate their body today too," Demi added.

View this post on Instagram

This is my biggest fear. A photo of me in a bikini unedited. And guess what, it’s CELLULIT!!!! I’m just literally sooooo tired of being ashamed of my body, editing it (yes the other bikini pics were edited - and I hate that I did that but it’s the truth) so that others think I’m THEIR idea of what beautiful is, but it’s just not me. This is what I got. I want this new chapter in my life to be about being authentic to who I am rather than trying to meet someone else’s standards. So here’s me, unashamed, unafraid and proud to own a body that has fought through so much and will continue to amaze me when I hopefully give birth one day. It’s such a great feeling to be back in tv/film while not stressing myself with a strenuous workout schedule before 14 hour days, or depriving myself from a real birthday cake rather than opting for watermelon & whip cream with candles because I was terrified of REAL cake and was miserable on some crazy diet shit. Anyway, here’s me, RAW, REAL! And I love me. And you should love you too! Now back to the studio.. I’m working on an anthem.. 🙏🏼🙌🏼🤷🏻‍♀️ also. Just so everyone’s clear.. I’m not stoked on my appearance BUT I am appreciative of it and sometimes that’s the best I can do. I hope to inspire someone to appreciate their body today too. 💗 #nationalcelulliteday #celluLIT 🔥🔥🔥

A post shared by Demi Lovato (@ddlovato) on Sep 5, 2019 at 5:30pm PDT

Demi's fans praised her brave decision to share an unedited photo, with followers describing it in the comments as "beautiful" and "inspiring".

Posting on her Instagram story afterwards Demi wrote she was "literally shaking still" but thanked people for their kind messages.

"That was so hard for me to post. But wow … so blown away by the love and support … let's be the change we want to see!!!"

Since overcoming bulimia Demi has championed body positivity, hitting back at an article in April that said she had a "fuller figure".

On her Instagram story Demi wrote that while she wasn't "triggered" by the headline she wasn't happy about it.

"I'm angry that people think it's okay to write headlines about people's body shapes," she said.

"Especially a woman who has been so open abut being in recovery from an eating disorder. I'm not upset for myself but for anyone else easily influenced by the diet culture."

In 2016 Demi told American Way magazine she had began bingeing and purging at just nine years old.

The singer said her body image issues eventually led to drug and alcohol abuse.

"I lived fast and I was going to die young," she told the magazine. "I didn't think I would make it to 21."

Demi completed a stint in rehab at age 18 for drugs, self-harm and an eating disorder before recovering in 2012.

She relapsed last year and nearly died of a drug overdose but has since vowed to "keep fighting" her addictions.