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BABYLON & BEYOND

Pageant looks at beauty within

Forget about backless evening gowns. Don’t even think of a swimsuit competition. Two hundred Saudi girls are instead polishing their virtue in preparation for Saturday’s launch of the only beauty contest in the staunchly conservative kingdom.

The Saudi pageant, open to those ages 15 to 25, focuses entirely on “inner beauty.”

This is keeping in line with the strict Islamic beliefs and traditions of a country where women are forbidden to drive, and appear in public draped in a black robe with a headscarf and often with their faces completely covered.

The aim of the Saudi beauty contest, which will crown the winner “Miss Beautiful Morals,” is to highlight women’s commitment to the values of Islam and not her physical attributes, according to a report by the Associated Press.

The winner will get $2,600, and the runners-up $1,300 each.

For the next 10 weeks, contestants will be observed by female judges who will inquire about their devotion to their parents, their personalities and inner strengths. The winner will be announced in July.

The organizer of the contest, Khadra Mubarak, told the AP:

“The idea of the pageant is to measure the contestants’ commitment to Islamic morals.... It’s an alternative to the calls for decadence in the other beauty contests that only take into account a woman’s body and looks. . . .

“The winner won’t necessarily be pretty. . . . We care about the beauty of the soul and the morals.”

This is the second time the contest is being held in Saudi Arabia.

-- Raed Rafei in Beirut

From: Babylon & Beyond: Observations from Iraq, Iran, Israel, the Arab world and beyond

For more, go to latimes.com/babylon

BOOSTER SHOTS

Not all women hate their bodies

Overweight and obese women being treated at an inner-city family-planning clinic apparently don’t assess their physical characteristics in quite the same way that medical professionals do. They tend to like their bodies.

In a study published in the May issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, most overweight and obese women underestimated their body size when comparing silhouettes of body shapes -- and some of them chose heavy silhouettes as their personal ideal.

Previous research had found ethnic differences in whether or not people see themselves as overweight or obese. And this study confirms that African American and Hispanic women are especially likely to underestimate their body size. (The few white women in the study overestimated their body size.)

The researchers, from Temple University, are understandably chagrined by all of this. They point out that the health risks of being overweight mean women ignore reality at their own peril. And they say the findings show the need for more education about the negative effects of “excessive body size.”

It’s true. Of course it is, but . . . Physical self-appreciation among women is so very rare. Here’s hoping that the education doesn’t actually do damage.

-- Tami Dennis

From: Booster Shots: Oddities, musings and some news from the world of health

For more, go to latimes.com/technology/booster_shots/

FABULOUS FORUM

Kobe tops LeBron in jersey sales

Is Kobe Bryant willing to give Lakers fans the jersey off his own back? Maybe not, but you can join everybody else and buy one. Kobe Bryant is arguably the most loved and most hated player in the NBA. This season, he regained his place as the most worn.

Last year Bryant slipped to second on the list of most popular NBA jerseys, despite winning his first MVP award. He was temporarily displaced by Kevin Garnett, who guided his Boston Celtics to a championship over Bryant’s Lakers. Garnett fell to fourth this year as Bryant returned to the top of the list. LeBron James was second and Chris Paul was third.

As usual, Bryant helped carry the Lakers to a winning performance. The team’s merchandise outsold all others in 2008-09. It’s a familiar place for the Lakers, who have been the top seller for six of the past seven seasons. They were edged out last year by the Celtics.

The results are based on sales at the NBA Store in New York City and NBAStore.com, measured from the start of the season through the end of April. The league periodically reveals regional statistics, and over the years Bryant has dominated in important markets such as Europe and China (even outselling local hero Yao Ming).

-- Adam Rose

From: The Fabulous Forum: The who, what, where, when, why -- and why not -- of L.A. Sports

For more, go to latimes.com/fabulousforum

L.A. UNLEASHED

Giant spiders invade a town

It sounds like a remake of the campy horror movie, “Eight Legged Freaks.”

But this is scarier, because it’s really happening.

According to a Times of London story, giant venomous spiders have recently invaded the town of Bowen, Australia, startling and shocking residents just because of their size.

The spiders are eastern tarantulas, also called bird-eating spiders or whistling spiders because of the noise they make when aggravated.

The influx is believed to have been caused by recent heavy rains, which have pushed the spiders out of their natural habitats.

The arachnids can grow to be up to 2 1/2 inches long with a leg span of 6 inches, or larger than a man’s palm.

While not deadly to humans, the spider’s venom has been known to kill dogs and cats.

Deadly or not, I don’t think I’d want to find one of these wandering about my home or garden. And I thought potato bugs were creepy.

-- Kelly Burgess

From: L.A. Unleashed: All things animal in Southern California and beyond

For more, go to latimes.com/unleashed