Hilary Duff says she is “proud” of her body and is now in a place of peace with the changes it has gone through, as she posed nude on the front cover of Women’s Health magazine.

The actress, 34, said she began to become comfortable with her body after the birth of her second child.

It was this, the mother-of-three explained, which was what made her realise she was “powerful and talented”.

Duff is well known for her work as a child actress in films including Cheaper By The Dozen, A Cinderella Story, and for her character Lizzie McGuire.

Speaking to Women’s Health she discussed the pressures of growing up in the industry and battling an eating disorder at the age of 17, which she described as “horrifying.”

On her decision to appear on the cover of the magazine’s May/June edition, she said: “I’m proud of my body.

“I’m proud that it’s produced three children for me. I’ve gotten to a place of being peaceful with the changes my body has gone through.

She added: “I also want people to know a makeup artist was there putting glow all over my body and someone put me in the most flattering position.”

Duff has three children; Mae, one, Banks, three, and 10-year-old Luca, who she shares with her ex-husband, retired hockey player Mike Comrie.

Asked when she became comfortable with her body she said: “Perhaps after having Banks.

“It was a whole mix of things – of being settled and realising that I’m powerful and talented and smart. All mental things.”

She added: “We bust our ass to get our bodies in shape and to look the best we can.

Hilary Duff MTV TRL UK
Duff is well known for her work as a child actress in films including Cheaper By The Dozen, A Cinderella Story, and her famous character Lizzie McGuire (Anthony Harvey/PA)

“But I want to work on the inside. That’s the most important part of the system.”

Writing on her own social media, Duff admitted that posing naked for the cover of the edition had been “scary,” but that she had had “the best time” doing the all-women shoot.

“I knew doing this would terrify me and I was right,” she wrote on Instagram.

“I felt strong and beautiful and laughed a lot getting into some of these poses without my high waisted mom jeans and oversized whatever I normally wear.

“Thank you to everyone who normalised this day for me and propped me up with compliments and love.”