Little girls don't stay little girls as long as they used to. Females are physically maturing earlier than before. They're coming of age at the mercy of marketeers and the media in a society obsessed with appearance. But guiding girls to adulthood in America today is a whole different dance. Experts say pre-teen and teenage girls have never before been so bombarded with potentially harmful images and pressures.
Counselors there estimate one-fourth of students already are sexually active, but students disagree.
Some think the number is higher. Psychologists warn that our obsession with sex, skin and thin is taking a terrible toll on our girls, physically and emotionally. Girls are three times more likely than boys to diet, four times more likely to vomit or take laxatives to lose weight. They are more prone than ever to depression and suicide attempts. This is what you have to look like.