Barbie Introduces New Curvy, Tall and Petite Dolls

— -- The slim-waisted, blonde-haired Barbie doll of the past was joined today by new dolls that come in three new body types and a variety of skin tones, hairstyles and outfits.

Tall, curvy and petite are the body types now available in the newly-expanded Barbie Fashionistas line, Mattel Inc., the maker of Barbie, announced today.

In addition to the new body types, which will be sold alongside the original Barbie model, the Fashionistas doll line also includes seven skin tones, 22 eye colors and 24 hairstyles, according to Mattel.

Last year, the brand added 23 Barbie dolls with new skin tones, hair colors and flats. The California-based Mattel has previously released a "Spy Squad" line of dolls and the Barbie.com website shows a "Game Developer Career of the Year” Barbie. “President and Vice President” Barbies will be available this summer.

“We believe we have a responsibility to girls and parents to reflect a broader view of beauty," Evelyn Mazzocco, senior vice president and global general manager at Mattel Brands, said in a statement.

The new dolls can be seen online at Barbie.com and are available for pre-order starting today. The dolls will be available in stores starting this spring, according to Mattel.

Barbie tweeted news of the dolls using the hashtag #TheDollEvolves.

Leslie Goldman, a Chicago-based women’s health writer and body image expert, said the new dolls have persuaded her to buy Barbie dolls for her two young daughters.

"The first thing I thought when I saw this was now I can buy my daughters a Barbie," Goldman told ABC News. "Not because my daughters are even old enough to be petite tall or curvy yet, it’s just because now I don’t have to bring a doll into the house that is an unrealistic portrayal of what women should look like."

"It’s nice now that one of those voices that we’ve been hearing is a little bit more accepting and embracing and a little bit more like us," Goldman added, referring to the societal pressures women face to be thin.

Actress Kirstie Alley, who has publicly documented her weight loss with Jenny Craig, tweeted in protest of the attention paid to the new, more diverse Barbie dolls.

Goldman said the new dolls reflect a bigger societal change.

"Times are changing all around -- two women can get married, two men can get married -- and it's important to talk about big changes in society that have been a long time coming," she said.