In 2009, TLC aired a reality TV show titled Toddlers and Tiaras. It was instantly a hit with home viewers and brought major controversy over child beauty pageants. The show focused mainly on Glitz Pageants; which requires all contestants to compete with make-up, spray tans, acrylic nails and revealing costumes. Many, such as I were entertained with the pint size Barbie dolls; however after a couple episodes of controlling stage moms and toddler melt downs, the truth about beauty pageants is revealed. The television show revealed glitz beauty pageants as nothing less than objectification and exploitation of young girls and their families. Beauty pageants are detrimental to child’s overall well-being and development in a way that is hazardous…show more content… An estimated 250,000 children take part in child beauty pageants every year, and according to Forbes Magazine the number is steadily rising because of shows like Toddlers and Tiaras and Here Comes Honey Boo Boo (Salinas, 2011). Glitz beauty pageants demand flashy costumes, professional photographs, stage coaching, as well as dance and voice lessons. Fox Business reported parents spending over $3,500 on a single pageant and 45% of all pageant families are $10,000 to $60,000 in credit card debt (Sandberg, 2011). Dorothy Poteat, director of Southern Elite Pageants, states in an interview with Fox Business, “The reason the price tag can become so heavy is the gear. With glitz, anything goes! The very low end of the spectrum is between $400 to $500, minimum, per glitz pageant. The midrange is $1,500, but I’ve seen parents drop $3,500 or more in preparations for one big day,"(Sandberg, 2011). It's not hard to see how a single contest can easily surpass any average family's budget and why this industry isn’t going anywhere any time…show more content… The primping process begins early in the morning and children are expected to be awake and alert until crowning; which in most cases may take all day. Many little girls are kept awake with the aid of energy drinks, soda, and candy. Parents are exposing their children to unhealthy eating habits as well as inhalation of fumes found in hair spray, self-tanning solution, make-up and acrylic nails or nail polish. Travis Stork said in an interview with Parenthood Magazine, “Hair spray contains chemicals that can act as hormone disruptors, and has been linked to stunted growth and even lung cancer. The make-up and hairspray used during competitions are detrimental to their delicate skin and physical growth. These little girls are forced to grow up way too fast” (Reese, 2012). If ingesting and inhaling chemicals isn’t enough, contestants are forced to wear high heels and according to the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society; high heels push the body's weight forward, causing lower back pain and prevents the proper development of the feet which can make wearing other types of shoes uncomfortable (Saxon, 2010). Beauty pageants demand physical perfection on and off the stage; these types of physical demands on children harm them not only physically but emotionally