I never liked Barbie. But come on: she's not the anti-Christ

IN one corner, there is wholesome British girl-next-door Sindy – in the other, her bigger-busted, impossibly tiny-waisted American rival, Barbie.

After years of dwindling popularity, Sindy's manufacturer is said to be planning yet another re-incarnation to celebrate the fashion doll's 50th birthday and has signalled a return to her original rounder-faced image. "Sindy is the girl-next-door, your friend ... she's been a comfort blanket to little girls," says Jerry Reynolds, of Pedigree Toys. The move has renewed the long-running debate about the sexualisation of children and the influence of dolls on body image.

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