Brazil's expanding waistlines
Barbara Monteiro, winner of the Miss Brazil Plus Size beauty contest
Adriana Santos takes part in the Miss Brazil Plus Size beauty contest in Sao Paulo
IT’S the country that gave us The Girl From Ipanema and supermodel Gisele, but it seems that Brazilian women are developing increasingly bigger waistlines with over 48pc of women in Brazil are now over weight.
Dieticians have attributed the large portion of larger women in the country to changes in the national diet with processed meals now more popular than traditional rice, beans and vegetable dishes.
As a result a growing number of bikini and swimming suits manufacturers have woken up to Brazil's thickening waistline and are reaching out to the ever-expanding ranks of heavy women with new plus-size lines.
Extra-wide bucket seats for the overweight have been installed in Sao Paulo’s metro system, and on yesterday the city hosted Brazil’s first ever Miss Plus Size beauty contest.
Join the Irish Independent WhatsApp channel
Stay up to date with all the latest news
