Hefty beauty wins Miss Chubby contest

Forcoli - Weighing in at 416 pounds, Giovanna Guidoni, is not your average beauty contest winner. But then again, Italy's annual Miss Cicciona competition is not your average beauty contest.

To compete in Miss Cicciona, which roughly translates as Miss Chubby, women have to weigh more than 220 pounds. Men hoping to walk off with the title of Mr Ciccione have to be at least 330 pounds. This year, 40 women and five men vied for the title.

"The idea isn't to make fun," said Gianfranco Lazzereschi, one of the organizers of the festival held in the Tuscan town of Forcoli. "We wanted to show that the media image of perfection -- being stick-thin -- isn't the only way to get recognized."

The 20-year-old Guidoni crushed the competition.

"Last year I came in second, but this year I was the heaviest contestant," she said.

The secret of her success? Guidoni is part-owner of a restaurant, organizers said.

The winner of Mr Ciccione, Fabio Teseo, saw off the competition after tipping the scales at 453 pounds. -- Reuters

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