Barbie has certainly contributed to the unrealistic “ideal body” image that children have been brought up with. However, the problem with this culture goes beyond the doll’s body, according to Brenda Murphy, a senior lecturer in gender studies.

Barbie, now in her late 50s, has a new look… or looks, as she comes in all sizes and colours – from original and petite to tall and curvy – something that has been applauded because it provides children with toys promoting a healthy body image.

Asked whether this change had come 50 years too late, Dr Murphy noted that from a capitalist perspective, the manufacturers of Barbie, Mattel, would not have suffered financial losses had they taken on board the feedback and criticism over the past decades. Mattel finally paid attention when consumers started voting with their wallets and Barbie sales dropped by more than a fifth since 2012.

From a consumer’s perspective, change should have come earlier too, Dr Murphy noted.

Generations of young girls and boys have played with, or been exposed to, the doll that no human being could ever look like. At the same time they have been bombarded with unrealistic images of the female body in the media and through advertising, where most bodies have been adjusted through surgical intervention or digital enhancement.

Many of the body images we expose girls and boys to do not, in fact, exist in the real world.

“This is awful as girls get the message that they are valued by how they look, but they can never achieve that ‘ideal look’.

“Meanwhile, boys get the message that this fantastical image of girls is desirable. However, in real life and meaningful relationships, girls and women don’t look like this.”

These scenarios contribute to young girls feeling devalued and experiencing depression and poor self-esteem.

“Barbie has been part of, but is not wholly to blame for the ‘ideal’ and unrealistic body culture we are raising children in.

“It’s a broader problem that requires more than just a relaunch of the Barbie body,” she added.

Although offering various versions of Barbie will not solve all problems relating to the unrealistic ‘ideal’ body image, it will provide some diversification and variety that has, until now, been missing.

Dr Murphy’s concerns about body image were reiterated by Natalie Pace, an occupational therapist at Dar Kenn Għal Saħħtek, a residential facility that provides treatment for eating disorders and weight behavioural problems.

The concept of body image is tackled at the residence by occupational therapists, who focus on self-esteem and the link between the two.

Meanwhile, during their psychology sessions, residents are introduced to techniques to bridge the gap between distorted body images and reality.

Ms Pace noted that the bombardment of images of the ‘ideal’ female figure, size and look from an early age often had an impact on girls. This included comparing themselves to unreal images or ideas, such as Barbie and altered photos of celebrities.

The idea that all girls supposedly have one particular look could often lead many girls to feel inadequate or not part of the ‘norm’, resulting in low self-esteem.

“Low self-esteem is a common factor among our patients – they often feel very negative about not only their body image but also about their abilities and skills,” she added.

The idea of a perfect shape, style, body and face often increased stress and feelings of inadequacy.

The concept of happiness was often linked to the idea of the perfect body, and this could have a very negative impact on the mood, self-esteem, worth and overall general happiness of the residents, Ms Pace added.

In a Barbie world...

• Her creator, Ruth Handler based Barbie’s body on a German doll called Lilli, a prostitute gag gift handed out at bachelor parties.

• When Handler introduced Barbie (named after her daughter Barbara) in 1959 at the New York Toy Fair her male competitors laughed her out of the room: nobody, they insisted, would want to play with a doll with breasts.

• The brand does $1 billion in sales across more than 150 countries annually, but sales plummeted 20 per cent from 2012 to 2014 and continued to fall last year.

• 92 per cent of American girls aged three to 12 have owned a Barbie.

• In 1963, Barbie comes with a book titled How to Lose Weight, that recommends “don’t eat”.

• In 1992, Mattel is blasted for a new talking Barbie that utters the phrase “math class is tough”. It offers new dolls to those offended.

• The dominance of Frozen’s Elsa spells trouble for Mattel. In 2014, its rival Hasbro wins the rights, long held by Mattel, to produce the lucrative line of Disney Princess dolls, worth about $500 million per year.

• In 2015, Barbie introduces 23 new dolls with eight different skin tones, 14 facial structures, 22 hairstyles, 23 hair colours and 818 eye colours.

• This year, for the first time in its 57-year history Barbie comes in three new body shapes – curvy, tall and petite; an endeavour kept so secret it was codenamed Project Dawn.

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