This year, the Miss Universe pageant represented a change. With contestants hailing from all over the globe in a wide range of races, socioeconomic backgrounds, and body sizes the Miss Universe 2023 was notable for its diversity. It was here that Jane Dipika Garrett, Miss Nepal 2023, shattered conventional beauty standards.
Garrett, who has garnered attention even in the international media as a ‘plus size model’, made waves to advocate for body positivity, expressed her mission to represent all women of all shapes and sizes.
Sheynnis Palacios, 23, a television host by profession and graduate in Mass Communication from Nicaragua was crowned as Miss Universe 2023.
She is 5’7” tall and weighs 80 Kgs, and her entry to the top 20 finalists has sparked the inspiring idea worldwide that beauty standards are dynamic and that all shapes and sizes of the human body should be celebrated.
Despite not being the winner, Jane had an indelible mark on the competition as her message of body positivity was strong and unwavering. Her presence caused a stir, both in the pageant community and beyond.
Jane hails from Kathmandu, Nepal. Her father is White American, whereas her mother is of Nepalese descent. A nurse and business developer by profession, she is a supporter of women’s hormonal, mental, and physical health after she experienced depression due to polycystic ovarian syndrome.
She said a lot about her past and her traumas, her mental heath, bullying and the journey of how she became positive toward her bodies and also how she was able to love herself throuhout the journey.
She exclaimed “I was born in the United States — my dad is from Pennsylvania and my mom is Nepali — and grew up there until the age of 10. Then my parents decided to move to Nepal, and I’ve lived there for the past 13 years. I went to an international school and was very isolated. I didn’t have many people skills and struggled with mental health problems. I started self-harming at the age of 16. I starved myself, I had anorexia — it was a really hard time”
But I dealt with a lot of bullying, depression, and anxiety as a child. For a while, that dream just kind of faded into the background.
As during lockdown, I gained 30 pounds and had severe health problems. My partner made me go to the doctor and they found out I had extremely large cysts in my ovaries. I was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and borderline personality disorder, which is directly linked to PCOS. It’s a hormonal imbalance as well as a mental health issue.
I’ve also had a lot of hormonal problems throughout my life, but I didn’t know what was going on for a long time. I always had irregular periods, mood swings, depression, a lot of body hair, and I would gain weight very easily. It made me feel insecure about myself. I would compare myself to other girls and feel like I wasn’t skinny enough. But I would go to the doctor and they would say “Oh, that’s normal.
A year ago I attempted to end my own life, but in the hospital, I reached out to a higher power. He told me I have a purpose in life, that there’s a reason why I’m alive, and I’m here to inspire millions of people around the world to love themselves. Ever since then, I’ve transformed my entire life. It was a breaking point for me.
She found the purpose of her life and even taught the world that all bodies are beautiful in their own way and motivated a lot of young youths and taught them that it’s ok to be a plus size girl and there is no harm loving our bodies and all the bodies are beautiful in their own and all of the people have a purpose in their life in order to change the society and the world.
Tell us Do you think that you have a purpose of your life?