In the United States alone, 2.5 million females compete in Beauty Pageants every year. (Harden, Beauty) A beauty pageant is a competition that is based solely on physical attributes but also contains personality, talent, and question and answer segments. Beauty Pageants are seen by some as a path of boosting one’s self esteem and creating connections for contestants in hopes of advancing their careers, through popularity and promotions. (OccupyTheory) Many also say that through pageants one can learn public speaking, interview, and leadership skills. In that, pageants have misled women and girls as to what is considered beautiful. With media being a major component in how people view themselves, beauty pageants do not benefit girls and women
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Since being thin is a must for competitors, many of them spend hours training rigorously to get their body to the standard. Sometimes eating disorders occur when trying to achieve the “perfect” body goes too far. In a study released in September 2003, 131 female beauty pageant contestants from 43 states partook in an anonymous study. 26% reported they have been diagnosed to have an eating disorder, 48.5% reported they wanted to be slimmer, and 57% were currently trying to lose weight. (Thompson and Hammond) A report released by Miss America also compared the BMI of beauty contestants in 1930 to those competing in 2010. (Harden, Beauty) In 1930 the average BMI was 20.8 while in 2010 it was 18.9, but according to CDC the national average BMI in 2010 was around 26.5. (Renee) These statistics show how demanding beauty pageants have become in the means of women feeling the need to change their body, and actually doing it to the point of unhealthiness. Being in a pageant can not only be taxing on your physical health but your mental health as well. The stress and pressure of continuously being judged for your appearance takes a great psychological toll. Not every female who enters a beauty pageant wins, those who lose may feel as if they are not good enough; this can ultimately lead to a change in how females acknowledge their self-worth. According to CDC, 6% of people who compete in beauty pageants suffer from depression, which is essentially 150,000 females. (Renee) Pageants cause women to strive to reach the unattainable and if failed they can feel empty and
Since being thin is a must for competitors, many of them spend hours training rigorously to get their body to the standard. Sometimes eating disorders occur when trying to achieve the “perfect” body goes too far. In a study released in September 2003, 131 female beauty pageant contestants from 43 states partook in an anonymous study. 26% reported they have been diagnosed to have an eating disorder, 48.5% reported they wanted to be slimmer, and 57% were currently trying to lose weight. (Thompson and Hammond) A report released by Miss America also compared the BMI of beauty contestants in 1930 to those competing in 2010. (Harden, Beauty) In 1930 the average BMI was 20.8 while in 2010 it was 18.9, but according to CDC the national average BMI in 2010 was around 26.5. (Renee) These statistics show how demanding beauty pageants have become in the means of women feeling the need to change their body, and actually doing it to the point of unhealthiness. Being in a pageant can not only be taxing on your physical health but your mental health as well. The stress and pressure of continuously being judged for your appearance takes a great psychological toll. Not every female who enters a beauty pageant wins, those who lose may feel as if they are not good enough; this can ultimately lead to a change in how females acknowledge their self-worth. According to CDC, 6% of people who compete in beauty pageants suffer from depression, which is essentially 150,000 females. (Renee) Pageants cause women to strive to reach the unattainable and if failed they can feel empty and