Beauty Isn't Pretty

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Recommended: Beauty pageants effects on girls

“Based on statistics about 5,000 child beauty pageants are held every year and about 250,000child contestants are participating” (Occupy Theory). Beauty pageants obtain the purpose of growing skills and confidence for contestants. Over the years, beauty pageants have gone over the top for young contestants because parents will do anything to win even if it means exposing their child. Beauty pageants may bring the physical beauty out of your children but pageantry is only neglecting your child because it brings these negative effects and pageants are only teaching children that the physical beauty will get them anywhere in life.
With parents trying to win every competition, pageants have brought negative effects on contestants. Identified by Zawn Villines, “Body-image distortions,” “low self-esteem,” “poor body image,” and “sexualization” are some potential effects that pageants have on the child’s mind. These effects can harm the children in the long term because it gives the image that beauty can lead to your success. Noted in Occupy Theory, “about six percent of beauty pageant participants have suffered from depression.” With all the pressure of being perfect and beautiful, children consequently feel that they are disappointing their parents for not being too perfect which ultimately leads to depression. With children, depression is hard to seek because their whole life revolves around their parents’ dream of winning a beauty pageants and children aren’t necessarily focused on their wants and desires thus making change in behavior thought to identify. Cited from Villiers, “Crash dieting… teaches children unhealthy approaches to food” is an unhealthy habit that can affect the child in the long. Crash dieting is designed for chi...

... middle of paper ...

...follow their initial purpose and thus create a cruel experience for contestants because their parents push their children to the limit and losing doesn’t help with making their parents proud.

Works Cited

DressProm.net. "The Pros and Cons of Toddler Beauty Pageants." Dimitra Designs. Dress Prom,
18 Nov. 2011. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.
Katsikas, Aina. "Child Beauty Pagents Should Be Banned." Ka Leo Sacred Hearts Academy. KA
Leo Enterprise Design, 15 Oct. 2013. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.
Occupy Theory. "Child Beauty Pageants Statistics." Occupy Theory. Occupytheory.org, 20 Dec.
2013. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.
Potter, Kambra. "Do Children's Beauty Pageants Help or Harm Young Girls?" JMS Reports. San
Diego State University, 13 May 2013. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.
Villines, Zawn. "Beauty Pageants and Children: It's Not Always Pretty." Good Therapy.
GoodTherapy.org, 15 Nov. 2012. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.

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