Strawberry Shortcake, The Care Bears and My Little Pony have shed pounds to stay hip. Though it is unhealthy to be obese, it is perfectly healthy to hammer it home to the kiddos that thin is perfection.  With thinner bears and ponies running around, let’s make them hot. Elongate their legs and eyelashes. Why leave low self-esteem up to images on TV, billboards, magazine covers, posters, bus sides (and some steamy real estate ads here in Whitby)? The New York Times‘s Brooks Barnes wrote about these characters makeovers in a 2008 article. Spawning a clever reflection by Andi Zeisler with Bitch Magazine. Childhood obesity is on the rise, I’m not saying that’s fantastic. Nor is taking my childhood cartoons and making them fierce. There must…