Mattell celebrated the 50th anniversary of the birth of its most popular product Sunday.

Throughout the years, Barbie has received criticism from those who deem her, in fact, much more than a toy.

From being a household name to being painted by Andy Warhol, Barbie is everywhere, and despite being labeled an American icon, her image has caused quite a bit of controversy.

Though it would be hard to argue that Barbie is solely responsible for the body image problems of young women across the nation, she may have more of an influence than we would like to believe.

According to Business Week, the main criticism leveled at Barbie has been that she presents an unattainable body image to young girls, and that if she was 5-foot-6 instead of 11 and a half inches tall, her measurements, would be 39-21-33.

She would lack 17 to 22 percent body fat required to menstruate according to research by the University Central Hospital in Helsinki, Finland.

In 1996, a study conducted by two professors from the University of Sussex and one from the University of the West of England analyzed the effect of Barbie’s own image on the body image of girls aged 5 to 8.

One hundred and sixty two girls were exposed to images of Barbie dolls, similar dolls with larger body sizes, or no dolls at all, instead observing images of a group of shopping friends or young girls getting ready for a birthday party, among other things.

After observing the images, the girls were asked to respond to a short questionnaire, rating themselves based on a variety of statements, including: ‘I’m pretty happy about the way I look,’ ‘Children my own age like my looks,’ and ‘I really like what I weigh.’

According the study, girls exposed to images of Barbie reported immediate lower body esteem and greater desire for a thinner body shape than those who were not exposed.

Furthermore, the study found that younger girls tended to be more immediately affected than older girls, implying that early exposure to the dolls may damage girls’ body image and lead to future body image concerns.

It is no wonder, then, Barbie is believed to be somewhat of an influence on the way in which females perceive themselves, even if only subconsciously.

According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Agency for Healthcare Research, eating disorders most commonly affect those in their teens and 20s, though they are found in all age groups, even young children.

The National Institute of Mental Health attests to the fact that females are much more likely than males to develop an eating disorder; only an estimated 5 to 15 percent of people with anorexia or bulimia and an estimated 35 percent of those with binge-eating disorder are male.

One woman, Cindy Jackson, now holds the record in the Guinness Book of World Records as having had more cosmetic surgery than anyone else in the world.

In 2004, she was featured on CBS News and was given the opportunity to tell her personal account of her pursuit to achieve her ideal body image.

In the interview, she explained, “I looked at a Barbie doll when I was 6 and said, ‘This is what I want to look like.’ I think a lot of little 6-year-old girls or younger even now are looking at the dolls and thinking, ‘I want to be her.’

This is the problem with Barbie.

When she was introduced 50 years ago, girls tucked away their baby dolls, replacing them an older, more mature playmate; someone to look up to.

And though impossible, they, too, wanted to be like her.

Today, many still do, and even young women who are well beyond their days of pink corvette convertibles and dream houses might still be influenced by what they learned from Barbie in the past.

Emily Melton, a broadcast and electronic media major from Charlotte, is a news reporter. 

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