Mattel remakes Barbie dolls to include a curvy body type

‘Barbie has always given girls choices – from her 180 careers, to inspirational roles, to her countless fashions and accessories, ‘ said Evelyn Mazzocco, senior vice president and global general manager of Barbie.

The new dolls can be viewed on Barbie.com and will be available to order starting today on Shop.Mattel.com in the U.S. The collection will be available starting in spring 2016 at major toy retailers worldwide.

However Barbie’s new looks which definitely more accurately reflect a wider variety of body types, includes “tall, curvy and petite”.

This change reflects changing attitudes towards body image, but is also partially due to flailing sales – in 2014, dolls from the Disney movie “Frozen” (namely Elsa dolls) surpassed Barbie for the most in-demand girls’ toy for holiday gifts.

The dolls also feature a range of hair textures and colors, skin tones and facial features.

A 2006 British study (PDF) found that “girls exposed to Barbie reported lower body esteem and greater desire for a thinner body shape” than those who had been given dolls reflecting larger body types or no dolls at all.

The new body types were in the works for the past two years, said Mattel spokeswoman Michelle Chidoni.

Barbie is almost 57 years old, and her figure is changing.

“And so, I think we’ll see in the next couple of years, these new diverse Barbies flying off the shelf”, said Penny Frank, a licensed professional counselor with Colorado Counseling and Consulting Center.

The new Barbie dolls, as seen in this screengrab from the brand’s Facebook page.

The willowy original Barbie dolls have been blasted for giving girls an unrealistic idea of beauty with their impossibly long legs, amble busts and tiny waists. Now kids can choose between petite, tall, curvy or original Barbie.

According to Time Magazine, in 2012, Barbie global sales fell by 3%.