Katherine Ann Moss, 51, is a British supermodel who popularized UGG boots and skinny jeans. Her daughter, Lila, is also a model active in the UK. Recently, Lila Moss gained global attention. It wasn't during a fashion show or a fashion magazine photo shoot. On the 8th, the toy company Mattel released a Barbie doll modeled after Lila Moss, making her a friend to girls around the world.
The release of the Lila Barbie doll was not because she is a fashion model admired by girls. It was because she has type 1 diabetes, a condition that many avoid discussing. On that day, Mattel launched a Barbie doll with type 1 diabetes (T1D) in collaboration with the non-profit research organization, Beyond T1D. They also presented Barbie dolls modeled after Lily, who has type 1 diabetes, and American fitness influencer Robin Arzón.
Mattel stated that the goal is to correct misconceptions about type 1 diabetes. To achieve this, they collaborated with manufacturers of glucose monitoring patches and insulin pumps, which diabetes patients often use. The French pharmaceutical company Sanofi has developed treatments that delay the progression of type 1 diabetes and recently supported the album production for a girl group consisting of four girls with type 1 diabetes. Iconic figures in popular culture are stepping up to ensure children do not hide behind their illness.
◇Description of insulin pumps, glucose monitoring patches, and apps
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system mistakenly identifies the beta cells of the pancreas as foreign invaders and destroys them. As a result, the hormone insulin that regulates blood sugar is not produced. Patients must receive insulin injections whenever their blood sugar drops. Mattel's release of a Barbie doll with type 1 diabetes responds to the many misconceptions surrounding the condition.
Type 1 diabetes has often been called juvenile diabetes due to the high number of child patients. However, in reality, half are diagnosed in adulthood. There has also been prejudice that suggests being overweight and having a strong appetite causes diabetes, but the medical community consensus is that it is unrelated to diet or lifestyle. The message is that it is a disease anyone can get, and thus should not be discriminated against.
The Barbie doll released by Mattel has clothes decorated with light blue polka dots symbolizing the blue circle, a symbol for diabetes introduced by the International Diabetes Federation in 2006. It wears a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) patch attached with a heart-shaped medical tape on its arm. The patch analyzes fluid painlessly every five minutes with micro-needles. There's no need to prick fingers for blood like in traditional blood glucose tests.
Blood sugar levels measured by the patch are transmitted to a smartphone. The pink smartphone visible in the doll's bag sends a signal to the pink pump worn at the waist to inject insulin based on this reading. Mattel explained that Barbie's bag contains snacks for when blood sugar drops suddenly, along with a smartphone equipped with a blood sugar management app.
Mattel shared news of the release of the type 1 diabetes Barbie doll with Medtronic and Insulet, U.S. medical device companies. Both companies have products for continuous blood glucose monitoring patches and insulin pumps. Lila Moss reportedly uses Insulet's patch insulin delivery system, "Omnipod," attached to her leg. The Moss Barbie doll also has a glucose monitoring patch on its arm and an insulin delivery system on its leg. Mattel's UK branch announced that they would donate £20,000 to Beyond T1D along with the release of the Moss Barbie doll this year.
◇Barbie dolls can also have negative health impacts
In the U.S., Barbie dolls are like family for little girls. Since its debut in 1959, Barbie has sold over 1 billion dolls. Girls aged 3 to 10 have an average of about 8 Barbie dolls each. This significantly influences how children think. The medical community has previously pointed out that Barbie dolls have an excessively thin figure, raising concerns that they may contribute to distorted perceptions among children. Scientists have noted Barbie dolls as a reason why children perceive themselves as heavier than they actually are. Professor Carly Rice of Flinders University in Australia stated in a 2016 paper, "Little girls do not feel confident about their bodies because of Barbie dolls."
Researchers divided 160 girls aged 5 to 8 into three groups: the first group read picture books featuring Barbie dolls, the second group read picture books featuring dolls of normal body types, and the third group read picture books without dolls. When asked about their satisfaction with their own body shape, the girls who saw Barbie dolls responded with the lowest satisfaction.
Australian scientists have noted that women with body types similar to that of Barbie are about 1 in 100,000. In particular, researchers from Helsinki University Hospital in Finland argue that women with Barbie-like figures cannot possibly have the essential fat needed for menstruation, which is 17-22% less. Following these criticisms, a recently released Barbie doll features a chubby body type.
◇Girl group also includes girls with diabetes
The French pharmaceutical company Sanofi took a step further and supported the formation of a UK girl group called "1Type," consisting of four girls with type 1 diabetes. In May, Sanofi released the song "Rise Up" by 1Type on major music streaming services, announcing that all revenues from the song would be donated to charities supporting type 1 diabetes patients.
Sanofi collaborated with Stagecoach Performing Arts, an after-school performing arts school network across the UK, to conduct nationwide auditions. The final group consists of four teenage girls with type 1 diabetes: Ella, Laura-Belle, Finley, and Olivia.
According to Sanofi, the music video for 1Type shows the girls meeting in a recording studio and spending time around London. They described the lyrics as illustrating the fears and confusion that can accompany symptoms and the diagnostic process of type 1 diabetes, ultimately emphasizing the importance of a strong support system.
Sanofi explained the reason for forming a girl group of diabetes patients by citing survey results from nearly 200 type 1 diabetes patients in the UK. Almost everyone responded that this condition affects their physical health, and 91% indicated it has negative effects on their mental health.
Sanofi expressed hope that the formation of 1Type and their song would help young people with type 1 diabetes feel less lonely. The company also received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its insulin injection medication for diabetes management, as well as the first treatment that delays the onset of type 1 diabetes, Tzield, released in 2022.
References
Body Image(2016), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2016.09.005