Melissa McCarthy has used her latest cover interview to speak out on positive body image and why we need to start fostering a culture of embracing and celebrating difference - for our own happiness and for that of our daughters' generation.

Speaking to Redbook magazine about the scrutiny women face for their body shape and how it's perpetuated by mainstream media, she muses:

"With women, there's this constant weird cultural thing where we're always supposed to be comparing ourselves with one another. Who wore it best? Whose butt's better? Instead, how about if everyone wins? How intensely boring would it be if we were all the same?" 

A mother of two, McCarthy also emphasised how she hopes her daughters Vivian, 8, and Georgette, 6 will never have to experience scrutiny for their body shape:

"Give me your best punch in the face, and I'll take that punch, rather than have my kid feel bad about herself."

Getting to the root of things she explains: "There's an epidemic in our country of girls and women feeling bad about themselves based on what 0.5 percent of the human race looks like. It starts very young."

"My message is that as long as everybody's healthy, enjoy and embrace whatever body type you have."

The 45-year-old, who stars in the all-female Ghostbusters line-up, is hoping to help women of all shapes and sizes celebrate and feel comfortable in themselves with her clothing line.

"A good portion of women in America are size 14 and higher," she explained. "I just try to make clothing that'll make all women feel really good."

And McCarthy thinks that feeling comfortable in what your wearing is just as important as feeling comfortable in your own skin. 

"When I feel good about my clothes, I'm more patient with my kids. I don't beep at the guy in his car texting in front of me. I look at the world a little differently. The small happy moments add up. A little bit of joy goes a long way."