Author and television personality Cindy Jackson loves Barbie. When she was a little girl, she thought her Barbie doll was beautiful and glamorous. As an adult, she decided to undergo surgery to look more like Barbie. Doctors made her lips and breasts larger and her waist, legs, and nose thinner.

Of course, Cindy Jackson is an isolated case. Many children love Barbie and other popular dolls, but very few will go to such extremes to achieve the unrealistic body types they promote. Still, many adults worry about the implications of Barbie’s body-type. When children role-play with Barbie, they often imagine themselves as Barbie. Some adults say that Barbie’s thinness makes her a dangerous role model. It is rarely explained to young girls that Barbie’s body is so unnatural that if she were real, she would not be able to lift her head and she would have to walk on all fours.

Adults also worry that Barbie’s emphasis on glamorous looks encourages girls to focus on beauty instead of school, sports, and other interests. Focusing too much on appearance may hurt girls’ self-esteem. A report from the Department of Health and Human Services found that 80% of girls in grades 3–6 have bad feelings about their bodies. Sometimes, feelings like these can lead to eating disorders.

Mattel, the company that makes Barbie, denies that the doll hurts girls’ self-esteem. Instead, it claims that Barbie is a girl-empowering pioneer who is an inspiration to millions. Before Barbie, most dolls were babies or little girls, not women. The woman who created Barbie thought that giving girls a doll that looked like a beautiful woman would make them feel good about growing up. In 2014, a Mattel design executive defended Barbie, saying that the doll was not the problem. She argued that it was the fault of parents and peers if a child had body image issues.

There are some reasons to think that Barbie could be a positive role model. Some Barbies are shown in strong roles, such as the Olympic Gymnast Barbie and the Barbie for President doll. Seeing a woman in these roles may encourage girls to set high goals. Also, Mattel now offers Barbies in different body types such as curvy and petite. And they have started offering more diverse hairstyles, skin tones, and eye colors for Barbie.

What do you think? Is Barbie a good influence or bad influence? If you were a parent, would you buy a Barbie for your child?