Ashley Benson: I'm told to lose weight 'all the time'

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 10 (UPI) -- Ashley Benson is perfectly happy with her body the way it is.

The 26-year-old actress discussed her weight and Hollywood pressure to be thin in the March issue of Health magazine. Benson told the publication she's often told she's "too fat" despite being a size 2.

"I get told all the time to lose weight," the star said. "With my stuff recently, it's been, 'You have to be skin and bones or you're not getting it.' There was a point where it was getting to where a size 2 was great. I'm a size 2, but I think that a size 4 is healthy. I think that all of these sizes are healthy."

"It's come up a few times in the last few years, like, 'You're too fat for this,'" she elaborated. "And I'm just sitting here like, 'Wait, what? Do you want a skeleton?' But I feel good. I don't want to lose 20 pounds, because I don't need to."

Benson previously told Ocean Drive magazine she "cried for 30 minutes" after being told she was too fat for a part. The actress, who started modeling at age 8, said she learned to let criticism roll off her shoulders to avoid damage to her self-esteem.

"A lot of people in this industry hear they need to lose weight more times than they should," she acknowledged. "It does make you stronger, though. Because if you let that affect you, you can't be in this industry -- you'd go crazy."

Benson's interview with Health comes amid continued concern about Hollywood beauty standards. Ashley Graham, a plus-size model who will appear in the new Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, is among the celebrities to advocate curves.

Ashley Benson on the March cover of Health magazine. Photo by Ashley Benson/Twitter

Benson came to fame as Abigail Deveraux on Days of Our Lives, and presently plays Hannah Marin on Pretty Little Liars. The ABC Family series co-stars Troian Bellisario, Lucy Hale and Shay Mitchell, and will return for a seventh season this year.