Miss Alabama responds to critics of bikini photo

NEW YORK, Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Katherine Webb was shocked by recent response to a bikini photo she shared on Instagram.

The 25-year-old former Miss Alabama addressed public reaction to the picture Tuesday on Good Morning America. Critics declared the beauty queen too thin after Webb posted the snapshot last week, but she told the morning program she thinks her weight is just fine.

"I was really surprised at the response, just of the amount of disgust and disapproval with the way I looked," she shared. "It's a very sensitive issue for me because I dealt with self-esteem issues growing up. I was tall and thin and lanky."

"I think I was maybe posing in a way that made it look like I was more thin than I really am," she allowed. "To the bullies and to people that want to say negative things, really think about what you're saying. Can you imagine if someone said those things to you?"

Webb also addressed the controversy on Instagram, writing, "To all of you who think I need to gain weight or eat more, I eat just fine ... [and] also suffer from thyroid problems so don't make fun of me or my body when you probably have problems of your own. I rarely react to this kind of stuff, but this really bothers me."

Webb was crowned Miss Alabama in 2012, and appeared as a model in the 2013 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. She gained national attention due to her relationship with then-University of Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron, whom she married in July 2014.