Chloe Marshall, a 16-year-old beautician in training, is the first size 16 girl to make it to the final round of the Miss England contest. This story caught my eye for mixed reasons.

Katie’s post about the tragic death of a teenage girl who went under the knife for cosmetic breast surgery, and that beastly Miss Bimbo game rewarding tween girls for aspiring to the depths of Paris Hilton, made me kinda sad. When I read about Chloe Marshall, I did like the fact that she’d broken through the stereotype of thin=pretty by defying the ’size negative 1′ beauty pageant standard.

At the same time, would Ms. Marshall still feel as beautiful as she does now if she hadn’t made it through the first round? Beauty pageants, after all, don’t exactly have a reputation for encouraging healthy female values.

Maybe Ms. Marshall’s win is a positive sign for the future of the pageant? We shall see. In the meantime, check out some of these thoughts on the pros and cons of the beauty pageant. You can also and visit Helpguide.org if you or someone you know may be suffering from an eating disorder.