Hunter McGrady says switching to plus-size modelling was beneficial for her mental health.

The American fashion star began her career working as a regular model at the age of 15 but after struggling to keep her weight down to be a US size 00 (UK size 4), a requirement of her agency, she made the decision to move into the plus-size part of the industry.

Hunter admits that she ''learned a lot'' about herself and her mental health during that period where she was struggling to have a figure that was not natural for her.

In an interview with StyleCaster, she said: ''I think that was the most transformative few years of my life, because I learned a lot about myself, my mental health, and all of that comes along with it. I was like, you know what? If this is what modelling is going to be, then I don't think I can be a part of this. I don't think that this is something that I can keep up.''

Hunter credits therapy with helping her accept who she is as a woman and embrace her bigger body.

Her career change led to Hunter doing a photo shoot for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 2017, which is something that still makes her proud to this day.

She said: ''Through therapy, and learning who I am, what my body can do and where my body's supposed to be, I was able to slip into what I believe is the body I was meant to be in all along.''

The 26-year-old model now only walks the runway for designers who

promote body positivity and size-inclusivity and although she knows this may cost her some work it is a principle she intends to stick to.

Hunter said: ''I think that the more that we take that stand - and yes, it may suck for the time being, and it may be uncomfortable, and we may miss out on shows that are dreams of ours - but you know, the greater outcome, it's a more positive world for everybody.''