Did you know the average BMI of a beauty contestant? - Crazy facts about Miss America beauty pageants (1920 to 2021)

Updated on November 23, 2021 23:50 PM by siva

Beauty pageants are not just about beautiful faces, perfect smiles, diamond tiaras, and magnificent dresses. There is a lot more to the pageantry tradition. Over time, there have been a lot of changes in the world of beauty pageants. But one thing that remains true even today is the hardwork and dedication of these queens to win that dazzling crown.

We see them all perfect and confident on stage; however, the real struggle is always concealed. Here, I'm letting you in on a few of the pageantry world secrets that people who have never been to these competitions hardly know.

How it actually began

The Miss America pageant started hoping that tourists would extend their stay in Atlantic City after Labour Day in 1920.

The first winner ever!

The first winner of Miss America was Margaret Gorman from Washington D.C. She was 16 years old.

What's in a BMI? A lot!

Did you know that the average BMI of a beauty pageant contestant was 16.9 in 2010? A BMI below 18.1 is usually considered underweight.

No marriage, no children!

I'm pretty sure that everyone knows that Miss America contestants cannot be engaged or married or have children. But did you know that this rule came into existence only after 1949's Miss America contest?

Not everybody wants the fame

Bette Cooper, the winner of Miss America 1937, ran away with her boyfriend after a few hours of knowing the results. She wasn't hoping to win and didn't wish for the fame that comes with it.

They had to prove they're white!

Only from the 1970s, women of colour could compete in Miss America. Before that, contestants had to prove their white lineage.

The only Jew with the title!

In 1945, Bess Myerson crowned Miss America. She was the first and only Jewish woman to win the title. She didn't give in to the pressure of the people to change her name to conceal her identity as a Jew.

Heights of transformation!

This doesn't come as a surprise, but pageant contestants undergo cosmetic surgery and hormone therapies to compete in beauty contests. Girls of even 12 years old are encouraged to go under the knife.

All kinds of themes

Did you know that there are themes apart from the Miss Most Beautiful? Nowadays, you'll find no dearth of strange pageants in the U.S. There are themes like Miss Prettiest Ankles ankles, Miss American Vampire, Miss Subway, etc.

There's a beauty pageant for everyone!

There are beauty pageants for different ethnicities and different sizes, too, like for plus-size women.

The truth behind those tiny waists!

Did you know that the tiny waists of pageant contestants are achieved from slathering hemorrhoid cream and wrapping plastic wraps around them? Apart from exercising, of course!

No child beauty pageants in France!

France does not encourage young girls under 13 to participate in beauty pageants; hence child beauty pageants have been banned there since 2013.

Nothing comes easy!

Did you know that some beauty pageant contestants put mesh on their tongues to avoid eating solid foods? Heights of dedication must say!

The maximum number of winners

California, Ohio, and Oklahoma are truly gifted when it comes to beauty pageants. Why, you ask? They have the maximum number of Miss America winners than any other state in the U.S.

Wondering if you're too old to make the cut?

Fret not! Perhaps, you can still make it to the Miss USA pageant, where the age limit is 26, compared to the age limit for the Miss American pageant, which is 24.