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A new study finds that skinny Disney princesses do not need to be replaced by fat princesses to appease body image issues.
Researchers at the University of California-Davis say beautifully thin princesses like Snow White and Sleeping Beauty did not harm kids' sense of self-esteem and body image.
And kids who loved princesses with more average or athletic bodies, like Merida, Moana, and Mulan, were more likely to be confident about their own bodies and more physically active.
"When children’s favorite Disney princess was depicted with an average body size, playing pretend princess was associated with increased body esteem, and more masculine-and feminine-type play, while children whose favorite princess was depicted with a thin body size did not demonstrate these effects," according to the study.
The study is published in the journal Psychology of Popular Media.