Mexican beauty rips pageant organisers over weight issue

Organisers of the Nuestra Belleza Mexico contest demanded that she lose a few kilos, but they never provided a nutritionist or any other assistance to ensure the weight loss, the beauty queen said in a press conference Monday in the northern city of Monterrey.

"I want to make it clear that I did not have a specific nutritionist, that it was the coach himself, Luis Rangel, who sent us the diet via e-mail, which consisted of the same food during the whole month," said De la Vega, who was accompanied by her mother and her attorney, Roberto Flores.

Rangel demanded that she eat "the same thing, without changes", the beauty queen said, adding that an "adequate nutrition plan should be specific for each day of the week and should also be supervised to make the necessary adjustments".

De la Vega said her goal was to regain the right to represent Mexico at the Miss World contest and that she had spoken with the organisers.

Nuestra Belleza Mexico announced over the weekend that it was stripping De la Vega of the right to represent the country because she had "failed to fulfill her obligations".

A replacement will be sent to represent Mexico at Miss World 2011, Nuestra Belleza Mexico said.

Evaluations were done "to verify the performance of Miss De la Vega" and it was learned that "she failed to fulfill the recommendations made and goals agreed to for her preparation", Nuestra Belleza Mexico said.

The name of the young woman who will represent Mexico at Miss World 2011, which will take place Nov 6 in London, will be released soon, the pageant organisers said.