Mar. 15, 2011

The Residence Life staff at Shawnee State University built a Barbie in exact 1/6 scale dimensions according to the actual Barbie doll that would make her 5 ft. 9 in. tall with a 36-inch chest, 18-inch waist and 33-inch hips.

The doll was built to show how disproportionate she is for the 24th Annual National Eating Disorder Awareness Week observed at the university February 20 through 26. In reality she would have a very hard time standing up straight and she would be 35 pounds underweight with these measurements.

One of the most common criticisms of Barbie is that she promotes an unrealistic idea of body image for a girl, leading to a risk that girls who try to emulate her will become anorexic. In 1997 Barbie's body mold was redesigned and given a wider waist, with Mattel saying that this would make the doll better suited to contemporary fashion designs.

The National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) announced that this year the National Eating Disorders Awareness Week was one of its most successful ever.

It has launched a unique new mentoring program, NEDA Navigators, to help guide those struggling or concerned about a loved one to connect with local treatment options and resources and to provide compassionate and experienced personal support. NEDA has already recruited 75 Navigators in 33 states and two provinces. For more information, visit www.NationalEatingDisorders.org.