Study shows how ideal Miss Universe body has become more and more unattainable over time
Every year, thousands of young women from 90 countries vie for the title (and the glittery crown) of Miss Universe. The pageant, which started as a marketing competition by Californian company Catalina Swimwear in 1952, has evolved over the last 63 years into an annual tradition celebrating intelligence, poise and of course, beauty.
But beauty isn’t constant. And as U.K.-based Superdrug Online Doctor found, the perfect woman’s body has changed drastically since the 1950s. Full coverage swimsuits and fuller figures gave way to skimpier outfits revealing more of their body, including their thinning frame. However, upon closer inspection, they found that Ms Universes’ bodies weren’t the only ones changing – but the public’s was too.
The health site tracked the evolution of Miss Universe winners’ bodies based on available height and weight data. They then compared them to the average height and weight of women between 20 and 29 in the United States according to info from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
The results showed that not only were the genetically-blessed Miss Universes taller and lighter than the average women, the height and weight gap between the two was increasing every year.
The study plotted Miss Universes’ BMIs against that of an average woman over time.
As the BMI of Miss Universe winners fell over the years, the BMI of the average young woman has steadily risen.
1990 mark a turning points for both groups - the BMI of an average American woman moved from normal to overweight while the BMI for Miss Universe winners dipped into the underweight range.
Related: Eighth grader pens powerful response to BMI question on school test
Although BMI was never meant to be an accurate measure of health, the widening gap still gives the researchers insight into how the bodies of the two groups are changing, and with it, some worrying implications.
“The growing disparity between the average BMI for a woman and Miss Universe’s BMI is representative of two worrisome trends: firstly the rise in obesity, and secondly a falling BMI amongst Miss Universe contestants that could be representative of the pressure placed on pageant participants,” states the study.
Looking at weight, the average weight of past winners paints a similar picture. Previous winners had an average weight that hovered around 55kg (122 pounds) but the weight of an average woman has risen by more than 30 kg.
Interesting enough, the weight of an average woman in the U.S. was below that of crowned Miss Universes in the ‘50s and most of the '60s.
Between the three measurements, height is the one where women have the least control over. Despite this, the height of Miss Universes has increased by four inches over the years while the average woman’s height hardly budges from the 64-inch mark (5'4") — something that the researchers worry will give young women “unattainable ideas of beauty.”
“Even without the pressures of Miss Universe – the societal pressures of the ideal body have fueled a steady increase in new cases of eating disorders, body dissatisfaction, depression, and other issues,” reads the study. “By exposing how unattainable – and unhealthy – today’s appearance standards are, we hope to encourage people to reconsider the true meaning of beauty, and strive for strong and healthy bodies.”
What are your thoughts on how the body of Miss Universe is changing each year? Let us know by tweeting to @YahooStyleCA.
