Sunny Leone says 'I hated showing my legs when I was younger', reveals how she embraced body positivity

Actor Sunny Leone shares her journey towards embracing body positivity, healthy eating and an active lifestyle for her overall wellness.

Getting older is also about getting wiser, and making peace with the insecurities you once had about yourself. For actor Sunny Leone, one of the things she has learnt to love about herself that she once tried to hide, has to do with her legs!

Sunny Leone shares her body positivity story.(Sunny Leone)

In an interview to HT Lifestyle, Sunny Leone reveals: "When I was younger, I hated my legs. I think it's because I was a lighter-skinned Indian girl going to an all-white, predominantly white school with other girls who had lighter hair. And I had dark, Punjabi, dark, thick hair. And I hated showing my legs."

What led to body positivity?

"As I got older, I realized that, 'Hey, this is not so bad.' And I actually enjoy wearing shorts or a little skirt. That was one thing that I definitely hid. But now, I don't. I'm very comfortable with my body," explains Sunny, who has been nonchalant about flaunting her legs in her famous songs Baby Doll and Pink Lips.

At 44, Sunny Leone is enjoying life with her husband and their three children Nisha, Noah and Asher. Her skin glows owing to her healthy diet and skincare habits.

With ageing becoming less of a taboo in beauty conversations, we asked Sunny about her take on using cosmetic treatments to maintain skin health and confidence.

Here's what she says: "As far as anti-aging goes, most people are always trying to fight the clock. It's about when you look in the mirror as you age, do you like what you see? And if you don't, then I am very liberal... I think if you want to change something, change something. If something makes you feel good - injections, fillers, certain lasers, procedures, tightening, fixing, cutting, sewing it back together, you should definitely do what makes you happy."

However, she has a word of caution.

"Just make sure that you do your research with the proper doctor, because I have learned the hard way that if you are not comfortable with a doctor, the results can be horrendous and fixing that can take a lot of time. So, make sure you know who you're going to and you trust them," she adds.

But as someone constantly in the public eye, how does she protect her sense of self-worth from the expectations of 'looking perfect'?

Sunny has a simple formula: "I just make sure that I feel good. I try my best to eat good or eat clean and healthy. Certain things you put in your body definitely show on the outward."

Meat is one of those things for Sunny Leone, who is a supporter of People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

"I think that the amount of hormones and preservatives and things that go into meat products or animal products, is something that's not good for me and I will not go down that route. Eating clean and exercising is definitely a good way to begin your path towards feeling good or whatever your perfect is," she says.