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Delta Burke went from a very shy youngster to a household name as the persnickety Suzanne Sugarbaker on the hit TV show "Designing Women." Along the way, she overcame a lifelong battle with eating disorders to become a proud plus-size designer and model, inspiring women everywhere to accept their bodies just the way they are.
You might say that Delta Burke, who was born in Orlando, Florida, in July 1956, is the ultimate Southern beauty queen. Her mother and grandmother — Burke calls them the two most influential people in her life — encouraged her love of playing dress-up and make-believe, and enrolled her in modeling school to boost the shy girl's confidence. The tactic worked, and Burke came out of her shell with a vengeance. She joined a local theater troupe and began entering every beauty contest she could, and eventually she became the youngest winner ever of the Miss Florida pageant at age 17.
But even at this early age, the pressure to succeed started to take a toll. In the months before the Miss America pageant, Burke began to gain weight. In an effort to reshape her full-figured curves, she began popping diet pills, paving the way for a lifelong battle with eating disorders.
Burke travels extensively to meet with and provide inspiration
to her admirers, helping to make their dreams come true.
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