Local moms let store know they mind the gap on 'anorexic' doll

18 October 2015 - 02:00 By SHANAAZ EGGINGTON

That controversial thigh gap so many women starve themselves for has landed a national retailer in hot water. Anlily, a stick-thin fashion doll with arms and legs not much wider than knitting needles adorned the shelves of Shoprite Checkers ahead of the festive season toy splurge - but were quickly recalled this week after an outcry on social media.The dolls were described as being so "disturbingly emaciated" that they made "Barbie look obese".The incident has reignited calls for manufacturers to make dolls that reflect what African women look like."Children's toys, especially dolls, provide role models for children - and this [doll] is even more inappropriate than the Barbie doll's figure," said Joan van Niekerk, president of the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect.Gender activist and researcher Bernedette Muthien said the doll's "emaciated" figure "is definitely not what we want our young girls to aspire to".mini_story_image_vleft1"I have noticed that more and more young black girls, especially in Gauteng, are really very thin. This is very different from the voluptuous nature of most of the women in Southern Africa," she said."The skinny look stems from a desire to attain an idealised vision of beauty that is sold to us by the fashion industry, which promotes female beauty as essentially tall, white and thin."The result is that women are starving themselves to look like this."Our dolls should reflect our genetic reality. In some parts of Africa, like Rwanda and Kenya, women are naturally tall and thin. In other regions we are more rounded and our dolls should reflect that."Port Elizabeth life coach Judy Janse van Rensburg said girls' obsession with a thigh gap was "completely ridiculous"."They do not realise that the stuff they are fed from magazines isn't real. Very few people are naturally so skinny that they have a thigh gap. Girls should be taught to focus on how they feel, as opposed to how they look."Kalk Bay hairdresser Alisa Mock posted a picture of the doll on Facebook with the caption: "Bit shocked to see this in the toy [aisle] today. Promoting anorexia much?"A flurry of comments from parents expressed shock and disgust.On Thursday, Shoprite Checkers spokeswoman Sarita van Wyk said: "We have established that the supplier has not sent our stores the doll that we ordered."We agree with Ms Mock that this doll gives the wrong message and we have therefore decided to withdraw all stock and return it to the supplier."eggingtons@sundaytimes.co.za..

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