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| Yes | 44% | 81 votes | Total: 183 votes | |
| No | 56% | 102 votes |
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Add to FavoritesYes, Miss America is a body image role model, since Miss America is a multi-faceted role model encompassing, among other areas, a healthy body image, intellectual pursuits, and talent, not necessarily in that order. A healthy body is a worthy starting point for all other aspects of the role model since our health directly impacts intellectual capacities, our physical prowess, and even our interactions with others. To underestimate body image could potentially undermine all other areas of competition and life in general.
Have you ever noticed that often a good night's rest is more productive than pulling an all-nighter in order to perform well on a test? A good night's rest can enable your body to function optimally and help you achieve both mentally and physically. A rested mind is more alert and clear. Response to stimuli, physiologically and mentally, is quick and accurate when our bodies are healthy. This concept can be expanded to include most activities of daily living. This is solid rationale for Miss America as a role model to include body image as crucial criteria for competition.
Miss America pageant contestants are evaluated on their intelligence as demonstrated through thoughtful and insightful answers to questions posed to them. Generally speaking, if we are unwell and our body is not functioning at its best, even the brightest of us may not perform as well intellectually as we would when healthy.
Can an athlete, such as a ballerina, perform at peak potential if their body is impaired by illness? Would a concert pianist perform as flawlessly when ill as when well? Not likely. Therefore, even in the area of talent competition, Miss America must consider care of her body foremost.
I believe that healthy bodies come in a variety of shapes and sizes based on bone structure and other genetic factors. From what I've seen of Miss America over the years, variations of healthy body images have been at least as numerous as variations of talent among contestants, and should remain so. As one of many criteria evaluated for ranking in the Miss America Pageants, body image is at least as valuable an asset as the other criteria being evaluated by the judges. Consider a Miss America contestant whose bones protrude in a manner which would indicate possible malnutrition. Would not that body image have an impact on viewers as well as the judges? Of course it would! A healthy body image is a vital component of the Miss America role model.
Yes, Miss America is a body image role model.
Learn more about this author, Anna Yarbrough.
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No
When looking for body image role models, Miss America is probably not the place to go. In fact, the competition has a history of contestants using a lot of different kinds of techniques in order to get the so call perfect body type for the competition. The rules are strict, and the judges are even stricter. You don't just have to have the brains in order to compete in the title, but you have to have the perfect measurements in order to pass for a chance. The contest is style on the old fashioned body style, that includes a very tall height, a small waist, a well proportioned body with a more then decent sized bust, and a slimline face that is as flawless as it is attractive, absolutely perfect teeth, the perfect nails that have been well manicured, and smooth skin that has been well taken care of.
What kind of tips can a person expect for a Miss America model to have undertaken to build the perfect manufactured look?
Using the cling wrap trip:
Cling wrap being wrapped around the thighs is a trick to get those thigh muscles morphed into the most perfectly shaped muscles ever. The plastic withdraws the water from the muscle, and helps the muscle to decrease in size. It also helps the leg to stay held in the ideal shape as it is worn for long periods of time - like the Chinese who used to bind their feet in order to help them stay small for the tiny sized four shoe which was the ideal.
Using tricks to make those whites sparkle:
Teeth need to be white, and contestants always used clever tricks to make their whites sparkle. This includes using items like White light in order to bleach their teeth white, and gel or wax on the teeth in order to make them shine. They also go on a no smoking and a no coffee diet months before the contest to ensure their whites do not become stained.
Using plastic surgery in order to make their bodies better:
Their bodies might be great, but plastic surgery makes their bodies better. If you look close you will often find out the ones who have had very subtle surgery in order to make their bodies the best ever. They will never admit it when on the stand, and smiling out their country's heart, but you can place a bet that it has been done, and very subtly.
Using needles to make the muscles tighter, leaner:
Needles are often used in order to promote good health. They may not be filled with the stuff to make those bodies big, or extra strong; but there are chemicals, and natural mixes that will help those bodies get into shape. Inserts are often found anywhere but the classic arms, whose tracks can be seen and are often vulgar to observe. They are place in the more quiet spots of the body, and are just as effective as on the arms. It's the hidden miracle worker for those who want to go to extreme lengths in order to make themselves look great.
Using diets in order to get their stomachs flat:
Yes, the contestant may well diet to get those stomaches as flat as possible. This may include cutting out carbohydrates, or proteins, or sugars, or oils, or fats - or a mixture of all. Extreme fads will get a contestant to merge into bulimia, or even to taking diet pills in order to increase the energy of the body so that breakdown may be quicker. An overdose of diet pills can be very dangerous for the body, and lead to major body breakdown including hair loss.
So the Miss America may not be the contest for the most naturally inspiring. In fact it may be assured that most of the contestants have a little trick up their sleeves.
Learn more about this author, M Pereira.
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