Do Barbie and Ken look more like us these days?

By Stephen Beech

Barbie and Ken are finally starting to look like the rest of us, according to a new study.

The impossibly perfect blonde bombshell and her handsome, square-jawed sidekick are getting a reality check nearly 70 years after their debut, the findings suggest.

Researchers in Australia found the iconic pair's looks are "markedly more realistic" these days, 30 years after a landmark study revealed Barbie and Ken's body proportions were almost unattainable in real life.

Scientists from Adelaide University and the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, revisited the 1996 study and found that Barbie and Ken have undergone a "remarkable" transformation.

Using the same scientific methods as the original study, the team measured today's Fashionista Barbie dolls – including Curvy, Tall, Petite and Standard Barbie – as well as the latest Ken doll, to determine how closely their body proportions match those of real adults.

The researchers systematically measured the physical dimensions and proportions of the dolls and compared them with measurements taken from young men and women aged 18 to 35.

Specific measures included head, neck, chest, waist, hip, thigh, mid-thigh, calf, ankle, upper arm, forearm and wrist, with waist-to-hip, chest-to-waist, and chest-to-hip ratios calculated.

Waist-to-height ratios were also calculated so that the doll proportions could be compared with evolving population trends.

The findings, published in the journal PLOS One, show that key body proportions - including waist-to-hip and chest-to-waist ratios - are now "much closer" to those seen in real people.

Among the Fashionista range, Curvy Barbie most closely matched today's average female body proportions, while the latest Ken also showed more realistic proportions than previous versions.

Lead researcher Sara Grafenauer from UNSW Medicine and Health, says the findings show the toy industry has made "measurable progress" - with the new Barbie and Ken range reflecting greater body diversity.

Grafenauer said: "Barbie and Ken are among the most recognizable cultural icons globally, and for many children, they're an early and influential representation of what bodies of adults 'should' look like.

"But traditional Barbie and Ken dolls have always had unrealistic and statistically improbable body shapes.

"In fact, the original dolls' body shapes were so extreme that less than one in 10 million people could match their proportions.

"Our study found that Barbie and Ken's body proportions today have become markedly more realistic, with waist-to-hip and chest-to-waist measurements now falling within the normal range for key female body proportions, albeit still below the typical female averages.

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"Interestingly, while Ken's overall body shape has become more realistic, some proportions – particularly his chest-to-waist ratio – remain less representative of the average man."

She said research has consistently shown that exposure to unrealistic body ideals can influence body image, expectations, and even health habits, particularly among children and teenagers.

Co-researcher, and author of the 1996 study, Kevin Norton said the latest findings reflected changing community expectations around representation.

He said: "The positive changes we're seeing in Barbie and Ken's body shapes should provide some reassurance for health professionals and parents choosing these dolls.

"The greater diversity we're seeing is a positive step that better reflects the people children see around them every day.

"We know Barbie and Ken are promoted as aspirational role models, so it makes sense that their body shapes and proportions are meaningful to those who play with them."

Co-researcher Belinda Durey says continued diversity in body shape, size and proportion, alongside positive messages about health, inclusion and body diversity, could further improve how children see themselves and others.

Durey, from the School of Allied Health and Human Performance at Adelaide University, said: "Children's toys do more than entertain, they help shape perceptions of bodies, health and identity.

"The more those toys reflect the diversity of real people, the more positive that influence can be.

"The introduction of multiple body shapes is a positive step.

"Continued diversification – including variation in size, shape and proportion – can better reflect real populations."

She added: "There's no doubt that today's Barbie and Ken are still stylized, but they're substantially closer to average human body proportions than earlier generations, and that's a step in the right direction."

A study by researchers at Monash University in Australia, published in PLOS One last year, showed that Barbie dolls are less likely to be on their tip-toes today than in previous years.

Analysis of 2,750 of the dolls, produced since 1959, also found that "employed" versions of Barbie are more likely to have a flat-foot posture than fashion-focused dolls.

The findings showed that the proportion of Barbie-brand dolls with the "iconic" tip-toe posture has steadily dropped over time.

Since introducing Barbie in 1959, American manufacturer Mattel has released multiple versions of the doll that appear to reflect societal shifts in women's employment, empowerment, and body shape.

A scene in the blockbuster 2023 movie Barbie - starring Australian actress Margot Robbie in the title role - drew attention to Barbie's feet which are often in tip-toe "equinus" posture to accommodate high heels, but may be flat for other footwear.