I was watching the "Today Show" on NBC this morning. A college student has decided to point to Barbie as a reason for the body issues some girls (and boys) have. She has created a life size Barbie to show how unrealistic her body measurements would be for a real person.

Exactly!

Barbie is not meant to be a real person. She is a doll. Anyone that looks to Barbie as an example for how they should look has issues much larger than the inflated balloons this student used on her Barbie model.

I am very sorry for people with eating disorders but blaming Barbie is not constructive. Look to real examples - like the actresses and models out there - who promote unhealthy body images. Or the parents that tell their small children they are too fat and encourage them to go on diets.

I love Barbie but I never wanted to be her. As Mattel pointed out in the response to the segment, Barbie is 11.5 inches tall and weighs 7.5 ounces. She is not and has never been designed to be realistic.

Linda
4-18-11