It’s no surprise to VL readers that Puerto Rican Miss Universe, Zuleyka Rivera, has issues with weight and her body. Right after her win Jennifer questioned if her fainting spell was just nerves or the result of dangerous dieting. Well question no more. The belleza herself admits that she was extreme dieting.

Los entrenamientos y la dieta que llevaba Zuleyka Rivera antes de convertirse en Miss Universo fueron tan extremos que no podía evitar desmayarse continuamente.

What is even more disturbing is the response Zuleyka received when she started to gain weight after her win.

She recounts how she was criticized by Puerto Rican media who said she was too fat. She felt the criticism was especially unfair because it used white standards of beauty.

Dijo que además es “penoso que comparen a las latinas con las mujeres asiáticas o con las europeas, que tienen una constitución muy delgada. Nosotras las latinas no somos así”, declaró.

According to the Univision.com article, Zuleyka is much healthier and happier now.

Sadly it takes not fainting, but women falling dead for people to pay even a little attention to the disgusting standards of beauty women are expected to meet. Fainting and death aren’t beautiful.

Via / Univision

Image Via / Hone Watson