Miss Israel crowned after dropping 65 lbs

Mor Maman, a Beersheba resident who recently slimmed down by 65 lbs (30 kilograms), was crowned Miss Israel 2014 on Tuesday night.

Maman, 18, is the daughter of a former beauty queen. She lost the weight prior to entering the competition.

The newly appointed Israel representative will be inducted into the Israel Air Force in the near future, and currently studies graphic design and runs a popular Facebook weight loss group that encourages healthy dieting. Her Facebook page boasts over 44,000 likes.

“People keep talking to me about it, I still can’t believe it,” Maman told Army Radio.

“For someone who was the fat girl, to become the beauty queen is something inconceivable,” she said.

Maman will succeed 22-year-old Yityish Titi Aynaw, who became the first Ethiopian-born contestant to win the competition last year.