What if Barbie Were Fat…

My mind has been wandering for over a week now and I wanted to share my thoughts on the recent wanderings.

About a week ago, I was babysitting a friend of friend’s two little girls. And most little girls love to play dolls, so Barbies were in short order. I was helping dress one of the Barbies, when the youngest replied “I hope one day I’m pretty as Barbie and I skinniest like her too.” It wasn’t the comment that shocked me; it was the age of the one making the comment. She’s only 3!!

I couldn’t believe, nor wanted to believe, that someone as young as 3 would know what skinny even meant or would be thinking of their future appearance in terms of skinny and fat. I looked at Barbie and thought, “Man I wish I could have her always perfect hair. Then I wouldn’t have to do my hair in the morning. I really wish I had her unrealistic body (sarcasm).”

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Because that’s what her body is….very unrealistic. Barbie is not an image anyone can have, but yet some young girls are hoping to be skinny like Barbie. If Barbie were real life her said measurements would be: 5’9″, 110 pounds, with a 16 inch waist (uh….that’s really, really tiny), 29 inch hips, and a 32 inch bust (source).

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I played dolls as a young child, but I didn’t think of them as fat or skinny. Sure I thought they were pretty, especially when dressed in the right ball gown, but never wished I would be skinny like Barbie. I honestly didn’t know the difference between skinny or overweight.

Maybe it wasn’t fair I grew up with healthy, skinny parents and family members. But I was surrounded by friends parent’s and teachers who weren’t skinny like my family, and I never once thought of them as overweight. It never crossed my mind as a young girl. Especially not when I was 3.

As I drove home that night, I decided my daughters aren’t playing with Barbie’s. I don’t want them to have a negative perception of body weight and image. I don’t want them to be concerned with their body image and striving for something unattainable.

Then I reminded myself I played with Barbie and never had those ideas or thoughts. There was one difference though, I didn’t watch TV. Here lies the problem.

Media today is half the problem. The children shows on TV now are very different than when I was young. Most the images you see are of stylish, skinny characters always wanting to look their best and be pretty. Our children see it everyday. Barbie has become way more scandalous now then she was in my youth, and her image is all over TV in commercials and shows. I didn’t see any of this.

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Have you ever noticed that baby dolls are more chunky looking, with the perfect rolls in all the right places? It seems normal and healthy and cute.

Then as the dolls get older and older, they get skinnier and skinnier, as if with age you better be getting skinnier, because it’t not considered cute anymore to have those rolls. Okay so maybe I am thinking a little far into it, but there’s a connection somewhere.

Would we really buy Barbie if she were fat? Would she be as appealing or popular? Would young girls want to play with Barbie if she were more plump? Would we compare ourselves to her, or would our children if she were overweight? Would it be an image we envied? Or what if she looked like an actual normal, healthy weight women?

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Let’s be honest. It’s sad to think, that even though we act concerned about our young children’s perception on body image, we can be just as bad. As much as I hate it when young girls call themselves fat and say they need to diet (80% of 10 year girls have been on a diet and 70% of girls age 6-12 say they want to be thinner), I have used fat talk myself.

We have to be examples. Whether we want to believe it or not, our youth are watching us and our perceptions on dieting and of our image are impacting their perceptions. Constantly bashing the way you look and/or commenting on the appearance of a model on the cover of a magazine, or your favorite actress on TV, can influence others behaviors as well.

Even though I don’t have kids to speak of now, my behaviors are just as important now. Better to get in the habit of loving my body, quitting the fat talk, and stopping the comparing to models and actresses, and even Barbie.

I need to start applauding real women’s body and commenting on how healthy others look, instead of envying the air brushed models and actresses. I think we could all benefit from not obsessing over our own bodies and other’s bodies.

Until next time, Be Whole, Be Fit and Be REAL and KIND to YOU!!

Your thoughts on Barbie and our youth? Your thoughts on being an example? Your thoughts in general….?