Distorting reality for children: Body size proportions of Barbie and Ken dolls
✍ Scribed by Brownell, Kelly D. ;Napolitano, Melissa A.
- Publisher
- Wiley (John Wiley & Sons)
- Year
- 1995
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 382 KB
- Volume
- 18
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0276-3478
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
Using hip measurements as a constant, calculations were made to determine the changes necessary for a young, healthy adult woman and man to attain the same body proportions as Barbie and Ken dolls, respectively. Among the changes necessary were for the female to increase 24 in. in height, 5 in. in the chest, and 3.2 in. in neck length, while decreasing 6 in. in the waist, and for the male to increase 20 in. in height, 11 in. in the chest, and 7.9 in. in neck circumference. Like adults, children are exposed to highly unrealistic ideals for shape and weight. 0 1995 by lohn Wiley & Sons, Inc.
With the prevalence of eating and weight disorders on the rise (Brownell & Fairburn, 1995, dissatisfaction with weight and shape is an issue of great concern. The "normative discontent" with shape and weight in women (Striegel-Moore, Silberstein, & Rodin, 1986) is thought to be due in part to unrealistic ideals fostered by the media, advertisers, the fashion and weight loss industries, etc. (Cash & Pruzinsky, 1990).
Most research in this area has focused on the impact of body ideals on adults. Examples are the original report by and later data by Wiseman, Gray, Mosimann, and Ahrens (1992) showing how Miss America contestants have fallen increasingly below the healthy weights of adult females. Less attention has been paid to the exposure of children to ideals for shape and weight. This study was designed to examine body proportions in popular dolls, Barbie and Ken, to determine the extent to which they vary from the proportions of young, healthy adults.