4/9/2009

Sharon Ng

Mischa Barton shows off her new body.

After news spread that she dropped from a size 12 to a size 6 or 8, Mischa Barton decided to celebrate her new body by posing nude for the cover of the May issue of UK *Cosmopolitan*. She tells the magazine that her breakup with Rooney guitarist Taylor Locke last September led to her weight loss.  
  
She justifies her decision by ranting about body image issues and superficiality.  
  
"Surely there are more important issues than if someone has cellulite?" says the actress, who faced criticism after photos surfaced last year showing that she'd gained a few pounds, MSN Wonderwall reports.  
  
"And I don't understand the point of people looking for bad things," Barton, 23, goes on. "Why bother? I know it's human nature to want to pick on other people, but I find it a little shallow. . . . The only way to be happy and be a more enjoyable person to be around is to embrace what you've got," she says. "Everyone has issues about their body, but I feel confident now. I'm healthy and happy."