Representation in Chronic Illness Education Matters
I never had a Barbie with dark hair, brown eyes and an insulin pump when I was growing up. And that is progress worth celebrating.
I’m in my 30s and last month, I bought a Barbie doll. She had something no Barbie I grew up with ever did: a continuous glucose monitor on her arm and an insulin pump on her waistband.
I was diagnosed with diabetes as a teenager, and I had never seen that part of my reality reflected in the toys or media of my childhood.
Back then, Barbie came in one body type, one hair colour, one life – and it wasn’t mine.
For decades, Barbie symbolized a narrow, often unrealistic standard. Blonde hair, blue eyes, impossible proportions – reinforcing for many girls, including me with my dark hair and brown eyes, the subtle lesson that beauty looked like someone else.
Documentaries and cultural critiques have explored how those images have influenced self-esteem, career aspirations and even health behaviours.
Why representation in chronic illness education matters
Author summary: New Barbie doll represents progress in chronic illness education.
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