Melissa Suffield has revealed that she’s lost an unhealthy amount of weight in a very short amount of time due to a mystery illness.

The former EastEnders star, 31, took to Instagram on Wednesday to share her health woes with fans and told how she has felt like ‘pure s**t’ and nauseous for three months.

She shared two lingerie snaps for a before and after comparison showing off the significant weight loss and revealed how it had come about. 

In a voiceover to the clip she said: ‘Do you want to know how I went from this to this in three months? No you really don’t. It’s been hell. I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy. And yet at least once a day I’ve been complimented on my weight loss.

‘I’ve been told how amazing I look and asked how I did it. So you want to know? I’ll tell you. For the record I’ve felt like pure s**t. I have been nauseous for three months now with no reason why. 

‘I’ve spent over £1500 just on medications, supplements and tests. My mental health has taken an absolute beating. 

‘I’ve been medically gaslit, I’ve had to fight to advocate for myself when I was so weak from barely eating and drinking and I’ve solo parented a four-year-old.

‘This is easily the worst I have felt in my entire life and definitely the least healthy I have ever been, but you don’t see that, you see weight loss and you applaud! Anyone who loses the amount of weight I’ve lost in the time frame that I’ve done it in has rarely gone about it in a healthy way.’ 

She captioned the post: ‘Some ✨thoughts✨.’

Her fans were quick to support her in the comments: ‘This post is one of the most powerful things I’ve ever seen on social media. Thanks for sharing ❤ Hope you begin to find some answers soon to help you feel better.’

Another said: ‘It’s awful that you have been going through this illness. And it sucks that we have the weight loss narrative that we do (cheers 1990s!). But what you are doing by sharing this stuff is changing that narrative.’

A third penned: ‘I applaud you for what you have said! And hope you find out the reason very soon!’ 

It comes after earlier this month Melissa took to her Instagram with an empowering message encouraging parents to ‘teach boys too’ when it comes to learning about accepting their bodies. 

She shared a heart-melting clip on her page where she is captured playing and cradling her son River, four.

The mother-of-one was seen giggling with her little one as they lay down on the bed, writing on the clip: ‘Our daughters need us to be the positive body image role models that we needed when we were young. But so do our sons.’

The actress – who is known for making the best use of her Instagram page to share plenty of body-positivity messages, as well as insights into parenthood – accompanied her video with a lengthy caption.

Discussing the pressure of social beauty standards on women, she was quick to point out that ‘our sons are being left out of the conversation’, adding that body image struggle can affect every gender regardless.

Encouraging parents to open the conversation with their kids, Melissa added that boys and men who were raised with a healthy body model will eventually be ‘less critical and judgmental of others’.

‘We need to teach our daughters that their bodies are wonderful, and that they deserve respect, absolutely. They need to grow up without hearing us talk negatively about our own bodies, free of judgement,’ the soap star penned alongside her clip.

‘It is undeniably stacked against women when it comes to impossible beauty standards, trends, and judgements. But our sons are being left out of the conversation.

‘Body image struggles do not discriminate. They can (and do) affect anyone of ANY gender.’

She went on: ‘So it’s just as important to model positive body image for your boys as it is for your girls.

‘Showing them how to care for their bodies, how to listen to them, encouraging them to seek validation from achievements rather than appearance, healthy conversations around food that aren’t rooted in diet culture, and speaking neutrally about bodies around them (if at all!).

‘This can still have a profound impact on the girls too- boys and men who have had healthy body image modelled to them will be less critical and judgmental of others- they’re learned behaviors!’

‘So yes. Teach your girls to protect their self worth. But teach your boys, too. ✨,’ Melissa finished.

She was praised by fans, who rushed to comment below her post empathizing the star, with many sharing their own personal stories. 

‘Also super important that we teach our sons how to respect women’s bodies and not view them as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ based on how they look as society teaches men to judge women based on their size/looks Normalizing non Photoshopped and ‘perfect’ bodies is important for everyone,’ wrote one person.

‘I love that your boy has long hair….so does mine. People always talk about us cutting it….again, something that I don’t really want him to think he needs doing! I like his little surfer boy look,’ said another.

A third agreed and told: ‘My little boy always says… ‘ Mummy I love your big belly’ and he genuinely does. He says it with love not malice.’

‘My boys call my tummy their first home and I love it. Happy Mothers Day!,’ echoed another fan.

Another user shared their own experience and said: ‘Love this both my boys climb all over me, they love me not what size I am.’

‘This is one of the most powerful and amazing posts I’ve ever seen!! My 9 year old kisses my very wobbly tummy!!,’ gushed another one.

Melissa, who played Lucy Beale in the BBC soap of six years until 2010, welcomed her son River in March 2020.