Facebook group Plus Size Modeling recently shared a mockup of a plus-sized Barbie and asked their followers to express what they thought about it. The response was largely negative.

Plus Size Barbie Draws Criticism

The traditional Barbie has been scrutinized in the past for depicting an unrealistic body of a girl who is 19 – Barbie’s supposed age. Using an illustration created by artist bakalie for Worth1000.com’s 2011 contest “Feeding Time 9,” Plus Sized Modeling gave their followers an example of what a pluz-sized Barbie might look like.

A few days later, the image has over 38,000 likes, but also thousands of comments from people who disagree with the message the curvier doll might send. One noted, "Imo this is horrible. Maybe make her a little fuller, but in no way promote obesity. Triple chins?? Really?? Im a curvy girl, but come on this is ridiculous." Another comment read, “How bout a curvy in between barbie??? done deal, make it, NO FAT, NO SKINNY, A HEALTHY DOLL.”

Artist Nickolay Lamm previously rendered a model of a Barbie that had proportions more similar to that of an average-sized 19-year-old. The result fell somewhere between the Barbie on toy store shelves and that promoted by the Plus Sized Models page. “If we criticize skinny models, we should at least be open to the possibility that Barbie may negatively influence young girls as well," Lamm told the Huffington Post.

– Chelsea Regan

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