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Behind the image of strength that Disney heroines project, researchers imagine the state of health they might find themselves in in the real world.
Sources of timeless inspiration, we have idolized them since early childhood. In the eyes of each new generation, Disney heroines embody models of perfection, confidence and emancipation. Because through a real obstacle course, each one faces many trials (cruel mothers-in-law, poison, loneliness, etc.) but ends up living happily ever after. A moving ending… but which would probably have been very different in the real world. Three researchers from the Technical Medical Center of the University of Twente, in the Netherlands, including a cancer specialist, had fun listing the threats hovering over the health of these heroines and which, in reality, might have caused them to suffer. be reserved another fate. An analysis published in the special issue of the journal BMJ on the occasion of the holidays.
Snow White, victim of social isolation
The very famous Snow White is “the most beautiful of all”, estimates her mother-in-law's magic mirror. But this will bring the young woman many disappointments, her beauty not being enough to fill the loneliness. Assigned to domestic chores by a cruel stepmother, the princess undergoes social isolation until her meeting with the Seven Dwarfs which can have serious consequences on her health. Chronically, “such social isolation has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases depression, anxiety, and even increased mortality”emphasize the researchers.
Not content with escaping solitude, she will also emerge unscathed from the ordeal of the poisoned apple, which plunges her into a state of sleep. Thus putting the lie to the famous English proverb: “An apple every morning keeps the doctor away” («An apple a day keeps the doctor away»).
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Jasmine, exposed to dementia and risk of infections
In Agrabah, Jasmine is also a victim of loneliness. Having grown up a recluse in her palace, surrounded by royal staff and vapid princes seeking her hand, she sorely lacks human interaction. If the Genie sings to him “You never had a friend like me” («You ain’t never had a friend like me»), it's also because Jasmine actually has no friends. However, emotional isolation increases vulnerability to dementia and mental health disorders, emphasize the authors. A meta-analysis of 61 studies showed a link between loneliness and an increased risk of depressive symptoms and anxiety, and another meta-analysis of 15 scientific publications showed that loneliness is a risk factor for dementias such as dementia. Alzheimer’s.
But Jasmine's isolation exposes her to another, more immediate danger. She indeed finds comfort in her faithful companion, the tiger Rajah. However, behind the humanized features of this gentle and protective ally, there is in reality a wild animal. A double threat for the princess, who is exposed to the risk of injuries but also of zoonotic infections, diseases transmissible from animals to humans. A danger that two years of pandemics have reminded us of, note the researchers.
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Cinderella escapes respiratory illnesses
When we talk about Cinderella, we inevitably think of the dust, which she raises abundantly when she sweeps, and whose harmful effects on respiratory health we know. A study published in 2018 notably points to a considerably high incidence of respiratory symptoms among urban cleaning workers heavily exposed to dust (81%) compared to a control group (16%). This results in lower respiratory flow, a known risk factor for lung damage. And Cinderella's ordeal doesn't end there: cleaning chimney soot has been linked to an increased risk of lung cancer among chimney sweeps, as demonstrated in a Swedish cohort study. Finally, rather than a prince charming, “Cinderella would especially need respiratory therapy”the authors ironically say.
Pocahontas survives a fatal fall
Let's move on to the case of Pocahontas: her intrepid spirit and her desire to build a bridge between the native peoples and the English colonists result in memorable exploits. His famous jump from the top of a cliff is a highlight of the film… but it is not without danger. Based on the fall time – the dive lasts about nine seconds – the size of the princess and environmental constants such as gravity (9.81 m/s) and air density (1.2 kg/ m3), scientists estimate that the cliff in the cartoon is about 252 meters high. However, work on the dynamics of impacts shows that diving head first from a height of only 12 meters can already cause serious injuries, such as clavicle fractures. We imagine the outcome of Pocahontas' fall in the real world…
Sleeping Beauty risks muscular atrophy, Rapunzel alopecia
Sleeping Beauty and Rapunzel are not left out. The first, plunged into endless sleep, is threatened by the complications of a sedentary lifestyle, including a risk of obesity and cardiovascular complications, or even muscle atrophy. The second is at risk of developing traction alopecia (TA), a condition where the hair roots are damaged by repeated tension on the scalp. Because her hair does not have the sole function of being magical: it also serves as an improvised elevator system for the princess, from the top of the tower where she is sequestered by a witch who pretends to be her mother. Not sure that a rebellious, but bald princess would appeal to little girls just as much.
