beauty

Married At First Sight's Jess has lost weight, but that doesn't mean she has a "revenge body."

If there’s one thing we here at Mamamia can’t stand, it’s fuckboys.

And Married At First Sight viewers were left writhing when they watched Jess being treated like utter shit by her new ‘husband’ after bravely opening up about her body insecurities.

“You’re never going to get over it?” inquired Dave lazily, as though she had merely told him she wasn’t fond of the hotel buffet breakfast.

He went onto label her body confidence issues “disappointing”. And then he broke up with her on national television on their honeymoon, before declining to give her an apology at the group dinner party.

Since filming ended, it appears Jess has been working hard to improve her self-confidence.

While we always thought she was 110 per cent amazing, she has chosen to lose weight.

Dave and Jess on their 'wedding' day. Image via Instagram/Ch 9. 

Jess is obviously really proud of her progress, sharing details about her fitness journey on social media.

In one before and after post she shared a few months back, she remarks how "this is the first time I've ever been able to see how far I've come."

"The left was two years ago where I thought I looked pretty good and the right hand side is about two weeks ago. I've never been able to see my progression until this popped up on Facebook this morning and I'm pretty proud of myself," she wrote.

"It's been a lot of work cutting out a lot of crap and a lot of training but it's also cutting the negative people out of my life that made the biggest change." (I just hope that is partly a subtle jab at Dave.)

The before and after pictures Jess shared. Image via Instagram.

Yet since the media have picked up her photos showing her recent weight-loss, some have been running with a narrative that has been less about her and more about Dave.

She's said to be flaunting her "revenge body". Turning the tables on Dave. Showing him what he's missing. By what? By slimming down into a shape he thought was more desirable?

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That's just insulting.

I was definitely not the only MAFS viewer to be instantly drawn to Jess. Any guy would be lucky to date her. She is a wonderful, bubbly, smart and funny person. She looked beautiful on the show. She still looks beautiful now.

Body image is a complex issue and it's messed up that so many women's confidence is tied to the number they see on the scales. I strongly wish that weren't the case.

But I also don't think there is anything wrong with a woman wanting to focus on themselves after a breakup: be it on their career, their hobby or, as Jess has done, their body.

I'm not here to judge how a person chooses to find their own happiness.

So if Jess is dealing with it in the way she sees best, good on her. She deserves our congratulations. (Post continues after gallery.)

I just hope we all keep in mind that her decision to lose weight was for one person only: herself.

Dave doesn't get any credit for this. He has nothing to do with it. Nor do the rest of us.

What's more, her Instagram post suggests she has been on this health kick for about two years -- i.e. long before MAFS filming started and Dave existed in her life.

The flavour of coverage that both celebrates her weight-loss and insinuates Dave must now regret his decision to dump her is shameful. It risks piling Jess -- who has battled body insecurities -- with even more public pressure to stay thin. It suggests she is now more valuable because she wears a smaller dress size.

And that's absolute bullshit.

This is not her "revenge body". It's just her body.

Let's not forget that Dave was a huge, shallow asshole. And Jess is the unquestionable hero of this season's MAFS - with or without the weight loss.