1912's perfect woman weighed 171 and loved chowing down on beefsteak

Society's idea of the perfect woman has changed a lot over the past 100 years. Whereas today rail-thin models are often considered the epitome of beauty, in 1912 a 24-year-old co-ed named Elsie Scheel claimed the prize for being the "most nearly perfect physical specimen of womanhood." In a write-up from the New York Times, the Cornell student was described as 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighed 171 pounds, called beefsteak her favorite food and "doesn't know what fear is." If only the Match.com profiles of today were so enticing. And she had a career plan: When Elsie finished her horticulture studies, she planned on growing vegetables on her father's farm in Long Island. Time to up your game, ladies. [Source]

Click to see more on msnNOW.com, updated 24 hours a day.