I have been blogging quite a lot recently about fashion dolls and their body shapes. I covered "Curvy Barbie" earlier this week, and compared her to "Original Barbie".

Today, I am going to add Ember from the Project Mc2 Series into the mix...

It was this Project Mc2 Ember Doll which triggered my concern about doll's body shapes several months ago. I am concerned about the impression the Project Mc2 dolls are making on our children, and the unrealistic body goals they are setting.

To explain, here is a side by side shot of an Original Barbie, an Ember Doll and a Curvy Barbie Fashionista Doll....

When you see the 3 dolls side by side, the skinniness of the Project Mc2 doll is impossible to miss. If the Project Mc2 doll had been part of a range of dolls which had different shapes and sizes of figures (like the Curvy Barbie doll is), I would of course, be applauding her because some people are this thin. 

Unfortunately, though, all of the dolls in the Project Mc2 range have the same skeletal figure and that, to me is a problem. These dolls are replicas of the young teenage girls from the TV show of the same name. In my opinion, giving the dolls such painfully thin bodies could give children completely unrealistic expectations.

When you look closely at Ember, you can clearly see her protruding collar bones, rib cage and hip bones. Also - worryingly, when you turn her over, her underwear is cut so low, her bum cheeks are popping out of the top of them! This is a doll which is representing a young teenage schoolgirl. Her entire physique alarms me. I don't know about you, but my body (and underwear) looked nothing like this when I was in school.

I can't help but look at Ember (and the rest of the Project Mc2 dolls) and assume they are suffering from an eating disorder. I would hate to think that easily influenced children will try to replicate the dolls and end up with an eating disorder themselves.

I've said it before, but I'll say it again... lottie dolls are a much more positive role model for young girls. The dolls in this range are modeled on 9-year-old children (There's a boy doll too). Lottie and Finn wear age appropriate clothes, no makeup and they aren't tied down by gender stereotypes. My daughter, Syd is 4 and spends hours playing with her Lottie dolls and accessories.

Am I being over sensitive? Would you buy the Project Mc2 Dolls for your children?

Disclaimer: I have a massive bee in my bonnet about skinny fashion dolls now, but I'm not going to apologise for repeatedly covering the topic on my blog.