
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, August 19, 1994                   TAG: 9408230017
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: WENDI RICHERT
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

ONLY IN A FANTASY WORLD

We've already been told that if Mattel's Barbie was a person, she'd have no waist (but some really cool threads) and legs as tall as a giraffe.

But have you ever wondered about the latest Disney babes? Fitness magazine did, and in its September/October issue, dancer and personal trainer Peggy Gould offers estimates of real-life measurements for three of them.

According to Gould, Belle, of ``Beauty and the Beast'' fame, would weigh 110 pounds, be 5'10'' with an 18-inch waist and 27-inch hips, and wear a 32-B bra. Additionally, Gould offers a ``reality check'' for the tiny Belle: Her feet are too small for her height (about a size 5), and she's much too thin. Her posture, however, is reasonably good but for her neck and head which lean too far forward.

Next under Gould's tape measure: Ariel from ``The Little Mermaid.'' She's five feet tall with a 10-inch waist and 28-inch hips, weighs in at a mere 85 pounds, and wears a 30-B or -C bra. Gould says her teeny-tiny waist, very thin body and disproportionately large head suggest anorexia.

And finally, Princess Jasmine of ``Aladdin'' was put to the test. She's 5'7'' with a 15-inch waist and 28-inch hips and wears a 34-C bra. She weighs 105 pounds. Jasmine's head is also too large for her puny body, and she is at risk for low-back pain with a slight swayback in her lower spine.

Given the odds, if we had to pick a character to be in real life, we'd be the beast - with Barbie's legs.

by CNB