Are Skinny LEGO Figures Bad for Girls?

LEGO building sets have always seemed fairly gender-neutral. So when a new LEGO line features slimmer, prettier female figures, you know that the Barbie-ization of toys is nearly complete. That concerns some critics, who worry about the potential for body image issues in impressionable young girls.

The controversy has been building steam since December, when the new LEGO Friends line was announced. Designed specifically for girls, the line comes with female mini-dolls that are taller, slimmer, and more fashion-forward than traditional LEGO figures.

It’s the latest example of a trend that has also seen Strawberry Shortcake, Rainbow Brite, and Holly Hobbie, among others, get svelte, sexy makeovers. The concern is that girls may be internalizing unrealistic ideals of female attractiveness at younger and younger ages. That, in turn, may set them up for body dissatisfaction, unhealthy weight concerns, and maybe even eating disorders as they get older.

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When Researchers Play with Dolls

Of course, the biggest lightning rod in the skinny doll debate has always been Barbie. Before she got a late-90s body makeover, researchers calculated that the odds of a real woman having Barbielicious proportions were less than 1 in 100,000. Yet surprisingly few studies have looked at how dolls with boobs, sub-anorexic waists, and stylish wardrobes affect the developing self-image of girls. And those few have yielded mixed results.

In one study from the University of Sussex in England, girls ages five to eight looked at a storybook with pictures of a Barbie doll, a doll with more average proportions, or no doll. The younger girls were more dissatisfied with their bodies after looking at Barbie pictures. But as the girls grew closer to eight, the pattern shifted. At this age, it was the average-proportioned doll that made them want to be slimmer when they grew up. By eight, in other words, it seems that these girls already felt as if they needed to grow up to look more like Barbie.

However, there are also studies that have found no negative effects. In one Rutgers study, undergrad women filled out questionnaires that included questions about childhood doll play. No relationship was found between having Barbies as a girl and either dieting behavior or satisfaction with appearance as a college woman.

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From Plastic Figures to Real Girls

There’s stronger evidence that girls and women are affected by an ultra-thin beauty ideal in media as a whole. The emphasis on physical perfection and extreme thinness has been linked to both a negative body image and unhealthy eating habits.

Ultimately, it’s probably the overall context that makes the deciding difference in a girl’s self-image. A slimmed-down LEGO Friend or super-slender Barbie might not be a problem in itself. But as part of a total culture that encourages girls to focus unduly on appearance and strive for unrealistic ideals, it could be symptomatic of a more serious problem.

Learn about celebrities who have faced eating disorders.

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