Sailor Brinkley-Cook says being compared to mom Christie Brinkley at young age 'shut down' her self-esteem

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Sailor Brinkley-Cook is opening up about how growing up in the spotlight due to her mother Christie Brinkley's fame played a part in her body dysmorphia and weight struggles.

The 21-year-old penned a raw and honest post on Instagram earlier in the week about her past eating disorder and the insecurities she still faces to achieve a "perfect" and slim figure.

In an interview with "Good Morning America" that aired Friday, Christie's daughter spoke in greater detail about the societal pressures she faced when she was younger, and with which she is still struggling.

SAILOR BRINKLEY-COOK OPENS UP ABOUT EATING DISORDER, BODY DYSMORPHIA STRUGGLES

"I have this awful feeling that, if I'm not skinny, I'm not worth being celebrated," Sailor told "GMA" correspondent Deborah Roberts in the pre-recorded segment from her home. "I've been just having these moments of looking in the mirror and being disgusted with myself for the tiniest little things."

Sailor said she grew up "a little bit overweight" and her body insecurities were only exacerbated when others looked at her "differently."

Roberts suggested it was far from easy for Sailor to grow up and be compared to her supermodel mom.

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"It's just crazy how that can really just shut down your self-esteem becuase you think you want to grow up thinking you're your own person," Sailor said.

Asked if her mom knew of her body dysmorphia and eating disorder when she was younger, Sailor admitted her mom "didn't fully know of the pain that I was going through when I was at my worst."

Roberts, who interviewed Sailor seven years ago, said she was not aware Sailor was "secretly" battling an eating disorder at the time. A resurfaced clip from Roberts' past interview with the budding model showed a lively Sailor happily chatting with the host.

"I remember looking at those photos and feeling so happy with myself because I had a thigh gap in the photos of us walking through the garden," Sailor recalled.

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Today, Sailor is highlighting the importance of learning not to give in to the pressures of society and the desire to look a certain way.

"Life is too short to not celebrate your body," she said in the segment.

Sailor's fame only magnified last year when she stepped in to replace Christie on "Dancing with the Stars" after the 66-year-old star suffered an injury.

Her comments on "GMA" come just days after she confessed to her hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers that, behind the scenes, her life isn't all it appears to be.

"I've been so down on myself recently. Crying about my cellulite, letting the fat on my body ruin my day, getting mad that i'm not as skinny as i once was. The body dysmorphia and left over eating disorder tendencies have been coming in strong," Brinkley-Cook's caption began.

She continued: "As i come into myself as a young woman my body shifts and changes by the month, the 'control' i once felt i had over it has been completely stripped away from me. Hormones, emotions, growing pains."

She vowed to quit comparing herself to others and looking in the mirror with shame.

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"Declaring that I have cellulite, and a stomach that doesn't always look 'pleasant' and I am 100% imperfect human. And I'm proud as hell of my body! If you're out there hating on yourself, stop!! Appreciate yourself. You're body is so magical. That's all," she concluded.