Barbie 's Role Models Represent The Unobtainable Physique

1811 WordsJul 13, 20168 Pages
Growing up, I played with Barbie. Barbie had her own house, car and airplane. She had clothes and shoes for every occasion. She was independent and successful. She was tall, blonde and beautiful. She was everything I hoped to be as an adult. Barbie continues to be a role model for many little girls today. Little boys have their own role model, G.I. Joe. He is strong, a warrior, the good guy. Unfortunately, these iconic role models represent the unobtainable physique. Their body shapes are unrealistic. Perceiving these toys as physical role models has become detrimental to the health of children because when they fail to size up, or down, to these figures, serious illnesses, disease and even death can occur. Children are…show more content…
However, these measurements are based upon a woman with a height of 6’1”. When I was a child, some 40 years ago, the average height of a woman was approximately 5’3.5”, as determined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That average height has not changed much through the decades. Today, it is approximately 5’4” (Ogden, 10). It should be noted, the average weight for a woman with a height of 5’4” ranges from 115 to 140 pounds, well above Barbie’s weight of 100 pounds at 6’1”. The average weight for a woman of Barbie’s height of 6’1” ranges from 145 to 190 pounds. Table 1. Barbie doll Real Life Measurements Barbie doll real life measurements Type of doll Modern Vintage Body shape: Super-skinny type of hourglass (explanation) Dress size: 0 0 Breasts-Waist-Hips: 32-22-33″ (81-56-84cm) 35-22-32″ (89-56-81cm) Bra size: 30B 32C Cup size: B C Height: 6’1″ (185 cm) 6’1″ (185 cm) Weight: Both about 100 lbs (45 kg) Natural breasts or implants? Could be natural (how do we know this?) Source: Barbie doll. Body Measurements. The South Shore Eating Disorders Collaborative (SSEDC), through the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA), contradicted these findings and created the "Get Real Barbie" campaign based upon the writings of Margo Maine, Ph.D. They utilized Barbie’s measurements and related them to a human woman. Based upon a height of 5’9”, which is still well above the average, Barbie would have a waist of 18”,
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