{
  "id": 275734,
  "title": "Barbie and Ken get a reality check after 30 years",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/07/barbie-and-ken-get-a-reality-check-after-30-years",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-07T17:40:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Medical Xpress",
    "slug": "medical-xpress",
    "url": "https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-barbie-ken-reality-years.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Nearly 70 years after Barbie and Ken first appeared, a new study from Adelaide University and UNSW Sydney reveals the iconic dolls are increasingly resembling real people. Thirty years after an Australian study found Barbie and Ken's body proportions were almost impossible to achieve in reality, researchers have re-examined the dolls and discovered significant progress in their realistic representation. Using the same methods as the original study, the researchers measured current Fashionista Barbie dolls and the latest Ken doll to assess how closely their body proportions match those of real adults. The findings, published in the journal PLOS One, show that key body ratios, such as waist-to-hip and chest-to-waist measurements, are now much closer to typical adult proportions. Curvy Barbie best matches the average female body shape, while the new Ken has more realistic proportions than previous versions. Lead researcher Dr. Sara Grafenauer from UNSW Medicine & Health stated that the toy industry has made considerable advancements, with the new Barbie and Ken range reflecting greater body diversity. The dolls, which are among the most recognizable global cultural icons, have traditionally exhibited unrealistic and statistically improbable body shapes. Research has demonstrated that exposure to such idealized images can impact body image, expectations, and health behaviors, especially in children and adolescents. Professor Kevin Norton, co-author of the 1996 study, noted that the observed improvements in Barbie and Ken's body shapes offer reassurance to health professionals and parents, emphasizing that the increased diversity in the dolls better reflects the people children encounter daily. Continued efforts to diversify body shapes, sizes, and proportions, along with positive messages about health, inclusion, and body diversity, could further enhance children's self-perception and understanding of others.",
  "summary": "She's the blonde bombshell and he's her square-jawed sidekick. But nearly 70 years after the impossibly perfect Barbie and Ken made their debut, a new study from Adelaide University and UNSW Sydney shows the iconic pair are finally looking a little more like the rest of us.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}