That's What She Said - Because you're never too young to start starving yourself

Beinggirl.com is an "online community, for girls by girls" that claims to be "a place where girls can come together to learn, share, communicate with each other and have loads of fun with games, quizzes, polls and lots more. It's also THE place to be for the hottest free samples from Always and Tampax, to name a few." (Translation? It is a marketing campaign run by Always & Tampax (and their parent company, Procter & Gamble) with the purpose of developing brand loyalty in girls as soon as they are old enough to have their first periods.)

The site has a variety of sections, but mostly seems to focus on period-related advice columns and product recommendations. One of the articles currently in rotation is called "What Does The War Have To Do With Your Weight?" (Sadly, I am not kidding about the title.) The premise of the article, which might as well be called "How To Develop Your First Eating Disorder", is that after the terrorist attacks on 9/11, fifteen percent (FIFTEEN PERCENT! that's practically everybody!) of Americans reported turning to comfort foods. Fourteen percent reported eating more sweets. The article then goes on to say that an action (eating comfort foods) that a relatively small percentage of the American population reported to have done immediately following a momentously terrifying event seven years ago is a danger to young girls.

With half of Americans already fighting the battle of the bulge, and over a third of Americans classified as obese, it's important not to let our emotions contribute to bad eating habits that will only promote even more bad feelings. Here is some advice from the experts about what to do when you're tempted to use food to make you feel better.

The target audience of the site, based on the comments that follow the article (more on that in a bit), seems to be girls as young as 12 or 13 years old. Here is a bit of an excerpt of some of the "expert advice" on what to do if you think you already have a disordered approach to eating:

At the moment you grab for something to eat, tell yourself you can have it if you still want it but you have to wait 30 minutes. The craving may pass, you might get distracted, you might become wise enough in that half hour to find a more life affirming way of getting rid of that creepy stress.

Write down everything you eat. Icky, we know, but we also know there's no better substitute (except looking at yourself in the mirror naked), that's better than tracking what goes into your mouth to get you into the habit of thinking before you eat.

Post-It notes are great for reminding you of the right thing to do. Stick them on the bathroom mirror, on the inside of your locker, on your computer. Be creative with your reminder. "How hungry are your really?" "Exactly why are you eating that now?" "What will the scale say tomorrow morning?"

If you sense this is a problem you can't get a handle on, maybe you need to speak to someone who can help. There are dozens of licensed, experienced professionals who have successfully shown others how to slay this dragon. Ask for help.

Let's recap, for those keeping score at home.

If a 12 year old girl reaches for a piece of food - healthy or not, doesn't matter - she needs to wait half an hour before she eats it. Every single time. Because chances are good that if she is eating, it is not because she is hungry, but because she is in the grips of "creepy stress" that may subside before she chows down on that sandwich. Better yet, she may end up doing something else and FORGET TO EAT.

The best way for a 12 year old girl to learn to think before she eats is to have her stand naked in front of the mirror and work on developing the sense of self-loathing that usually starts to rear its ugly head around that age. The second best way is to have her keep an exhaustive food journal, which she can analyze later on. Most 12 year olds have nutrition diplomas or medical degrees, right?

The last thing you want a 12 year old girl to do is to eat an apple without thinking exactly why she is eating and what the scale is going to say the next morning (because most 12 year old girls should be weighing themselves every morning, right?). This tip reminds me of something, and I just can't put my finger on it ... oh right, it's what the pro-ana movement calls "thinspiration".

And lastly, while I certainly don't condone mindless eating or eating to excess or binge-eating a ton of junk food just because you're sad, eating a cookie because you had a bad day at school or having some ice cream without wondering what the scale will say tomorrow is not a "dragon" that you need to "slay".

Here are a few excerpts from the comments:

I have a fast metabolism. I do still have a little chubby though lol. I'm 13 and I weigh 105 pounds.
I am 13 and weigh somewhere in the range of 108-110. Is that normal? I don't really know. I am scared to step on a scale because i think I will get stressed out over what I weigh.
I think guys should like bigger girls. I mean I've tried bulimia twice and I can tell you the whole finger down your throat thing hurts.
IT IS OK I AM 12 ALMOST 13 AND I WEIGH ALMOST 150. BUT THE SECRET IS TO NOT WEAR TIGHT CLOTHES.

I am 12 years old and weigh 130 lbs everyone says i m not fat but believe me i am someone plezzz help!!!!

omg i have the same prob but im 5 pounds more and the only way for me to lose wieght is to eat one meal a day and just get water from school

Well, My mom ALWAYS tries to feed me! I have like, 6 meals a day! She calls me "skinny." Well she hasn't seen me naked so it's unfair!

Being a teenage girl is really, really, really hard. Girls that are are already teetering on the age of a lifetime of self-loathing and a screwed up relationship with food, and Procter & Gamble is more than willing to push them over in exchange for the reassurance that when girls go out to buy their tampons, they'll be Tampax, because once upon a time, Tampax gave them free samples, confirmed what they already suspected about their bodies, and told them what they needed to do to lose that last 5 pounds.

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