Barbie Has Released New Dolls With Type 1 Diabetes
The first Barbie doll with type 1 diabetes was released on July 8, 2025. It was created as a part of a Barbie Doll series. This latest addition also aims to increase representation for people with different conditions and needs.
Diabetes is a condition that causes a person’s blood sugar level to become too high. Type 1 diabetes is when the body attacks and destroys the cells that produce insulin. The type 1 diabetes doll has many features that make it stand out as a Barbie doll. First, you can see the continuous glucose monitor and insulin pump on her body. What are these things? Well, the glucose monitor is a special machine that people with the condition use to tell them how much sugar is in their blood. The insulin pump works alongside the glucose monitor and calculates how much insulin someone needs based on data from the monitor and then delivers that exact amount.
The Barbie is dressed in a blue polka-dotted top and skirt. They picked the circles and the bright blue color because they are symbols used around the world to represent diabetes. The new Barbie also features technology that people with type 1 diabetes use to help manage the effects of the condition.
Many celebrities who have had Type 1 diabetes have also acknowledged this new toy. For example, supermodel Lila Moss, who has Type 1 diabetes, has said, “I think it is really important to embrace this technology because it makes living with Diabetes so much easier and more practical, and I think it is so important to embrace these patches and having them and not hiding them.”
Mattel, the company that creates Barbie, has started to create different Barbie dolls that have special needs. For example, Barbie released dolls that were blind, had Down Syndrome, and much more. The reason that they created this line of new dolls is to increase representation and spread positivity, and show people that they belong. This can be very inspirational for young children who are not yet sure about whether they fit into the world.
