- Title: ISRAEL: Overweight Israeli women compete for the 'Fat and Beautiful' title
- Date: 18th January 2011
- Summary: CONTESTANTS ON STAGE VARIOUS OF FAT AND BEAUTIFUL BEAUTY PAGEANT CONTESTANTS WALKING THE STAGE CROWD WOMAN PLACING TIARA ON HEAD OF TANYA VEIMAN WHO WON THE FAT AND BEAUTIFUL BEAUTY PAGEANT VARIOUS OF VEIMAN AFTER WIN (SOUNDBITE) (Hebrew) TANYA VEIMAN, WINNER OF THE 'FAT AND BEAUTIFUL' BEAUTY PAGEANT SAYING: "What is my massage? you don't have to be so skinny in orde
- Embargoed: 2nd February 2011 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Israel, Israel
- Country: Israel
- Topics: Quirky,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
- Reuters ID: LVA36T40IE7M9SLECDDE5NKB1W64
- Story Text: Scores of beauties strutted down the stage in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba on Saturday (January 15), in what has long ago turned to Israel's "biggest" fashion event.
The annual "Fat and Beautiful" beauty pageant, taking place for the 15th year, proves every time that beauty can be found in various sizes and shapes.
The 21 contestants came from all over Israel, with weights fluctuating between the minimum required entry weight of 80kg (176lbs), to 110kg (242lbs) of some of the larger women.
Participants took the stage with casual wear and evening gowns, with the all-important swimsuit contest conspicuously missing.
Minutes before the show started, contestants to make final preparations in the crowded backstage.
Einav Gonen, who gave her blond her a final touch before going up stage, told Reuters that she chose to participate in the pageant in order to send out a massage.
"I strongly believe in the massage that is going out from here, which is actually a change in what is considered ideal beauty: a bit of a different approach to beauty, acceptance of a different beauty, not only of conventional beauty," said Gonen.
"Being overweight or fat can also take a beautiful and aesthetic form. I strongly encourage that and I'm here to show," she added.
Pageant organiser, model agent Esterika Nagid, was excited ahead of the competition, which she expected to be very tight this year.
"A beautiful woman is all about self confidence. This is why having confidence is very important and then everything works out. You can sometimes see a beautiful skinny lady but if she has no confidence it's worthless. But if a fat lady has confidence and she's ambitious and knows what she wants and walks nicely and all -- it looks just as good and you'll see the girls that are here. Beautiful. The girls this year... it's going to be difficult," she said.
The night's winner was 23-year old Tanya Veiman from the southern Israeli city of Ashdod. The 90kg (198lbs) beauty is a student in her final year, and is single. She was awarded with a diamond ring, a one-year modelling contract with Esterika Nagid's agency, cosmetic products, and a trip abroad.
"You don't have to be so skinny in order to be beautiful women. Be (beautiful) from the inside, love yourselves," Veiman said after her win.
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