A beauty queen has been accused of using her baby son to "body shame" women.

A former beauty queen has been accused of body shaming after she shared a photo of her baby son’s bare bottom on Instagram, while stating it’s the “only time butt dimples are cute”.

The image shows Katherine Webb, a former Miss Alabama, holding her eight-month-old son Tripp in her arms, while she takes the photo in the bathroom mirror.

The only time butt dimples are cute ???????????? #bathtimebaby

A photo posted by Katherine Webb-McCarron (@_katherinewebb) on Jan 26, 2017 at 12:53pm PST

“The only time butt dimples are cute #bathtimebaby,” she captioned the image.

The post received hundreds of comments and prompted a heated debate on the social media site, with many Instagram users accusing the 27-year-old model of body shaming.

One user wrote: “many people have butt dimples that’s nothing to be ashamed of. Every body is beautiful. Stop encouraging body shaming!”

Other users disagreed and thought that the model, and wife of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback AJ McCarron, had just made a harmless cheeky little joke.

One person commented: “I heard people were being salty on here so even though I don’t follow you I just wanted to say ignore them. I took the same pic of both my girls bc they’re just delicious little beings at this stage! Go give that adorable little man of yours some extra kisses.”

“I don’t get the issue… cmon people, don’t you have anything else better to do?” added another.

The post came just days after plus size model and body activist, Ashley Graham, posted a photo of her thighs to Instagram, captioning the image: “I workout. I do my best to eat well. I love the skin I’m in. And I’m not ashamed of a few lumps, bumps or cellulite…and you shouldn’t be either. #beautybeyondsize #lovetheskinyourein”.

I workout. I do my best to eat well. I love the skin I’m in. And I’m not ashamed of a few lumps, bumps or cellulite.. and you shouldn’t be either. #beautybeyondsize #lovetheskinyourein

A photo posted by A S H L E Y G R A H A M (@theashleygraham) on Jan 25, 2017 at 6:41pm PST

Graham’s post received thousands of comments, with many thanking the model for her empowering message.

One person commented: “I am thin and have lumps and bumps just like those I have hidden my whole life. So glad you are doing exactly what you are doing. You really are a beauty inside and out”.

“There’s real beauty in a woman who accepts herself. Thank you for posting this, truly,” added another.

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Since the birth of Tripp, Webb has been documenting her post-baby weight loss progress on Instagram, and says pregnancy gave her a new appreciation for her body.

“I gained 44 lbs. during my pregnancy, so this post isn’t meant to be ‘humble,’’ she wrote in June. “Say what you want, but I feel great about myself even with the extra cellulite on my butt and stretch marks, so shoot me if I felt banging for once in this bikini.”