Kate Winslet has urged women in their 40s to embrace their bodies.

The 47-year-old actress insists she feels better than ever after deciding to embrace ageing and she's hoping to encourage others not to worry about the changes of middle age - insisting women are "more powerful, more sexy" when they hit their mid-40s.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's 'Woman's Hour', she explained: "I'm 47, there are bits that don't do what you want them to do anymore. There's something kind of fab about going: 'Oh well, that's just the way it is, isn't it?'

"But I think women come into their 40s, certainly mid-40s, thinking: 'Oh well, this is the beginning of the decline and things start to change and fade and slide in directions that I don't want them to go in anymore.' And I've just decided no."

The mum-of-three added: "We become more woman, more powerful, more sexy. We grow into ourselves more, we have the opportunity to speak and speak our mind and not be afraid of what people think of us, not care what we look like quite so much. I think it's amazing. Let's go girls, let's just be in our power. Why not? Life's too flipping short."

The 'Titanic' star went on to insist there are more important things in life than striving to look good - as she's now dedicated to issues she passionate about.

Kate added: "That's certainly something that I feel is a shift in this time in my life. I care passionately about highlighting issues that need to be talked about that perhaps people find hard to talk about. And not shying away from truly looking like a hot mess a lot of the time. I mean, who puts on make-up while they're doing the school run? I don't."