Mothers have long complained about Barbie's unrealistic, unattainable figure, but one college student managed to take things a step further. Galia Slayen, a young woman who formerly battled Anorexia, created a life-sized Barbie doll, made to scale. Along with the shocking image of the doll, Slayen provides us with some interesting statistics. Barbie dolls are intended for girls aged from three to twelve, and as a woman, her measurements would be 39 inches at the bust, 18 inches at the waist, and 33 inches at the hips. Her shoes would be a size 3. Further, she tells us that "at 5'9 " tall and weighing 110 lbs, Barbie would have a BMI of 16.24 and fit the weight criteria for anorexia. She likely would not menstruate " (Slayen). For reference, a BMI of less than 18.5 is officially classified as underweight. Not only that, but she tells us that with such proportions, Barbie would not be able to stand on her own two feet. She would be forced to walk on her hands and knees. This is a rather disturbing image, not to mention frighteningly inhuman. On top of all this, Slayen ends by informing us of Slumber Party Barbie, who was released in 1965 and came with a scale that read 110 pounds, as well as a book bearing the title "How To Lose Weight". " .
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Inside, it instructs, "Don't eat" (Slayen). Ideally, a slumber party doll would come with a pajama set, maybe a robe and a teddy bear. The fact that she was sold with a scale and a poor guide to weight loss speaks volumes. .
We won't place all of the blame on Barbie, though. This October, a book geared towards children from four to eight years old was released. It is entitled, "Maggie Goes On A Diet". The book's synopsis reads, "Maggie has so much potential that has been hiding under her extra weight. This inspiring story is about a 14-year-old who goes on a diet and is transformed from being overweight and insecure to a normal sized teen who becomes the school soccer star.