' Also, the target audience seems to be single females, given that almost all the recipes are in single servings, and seems unlikely to be palatable to anyone but a dieter. One exception to this single-serving focus is a burger recipe (a presumably unfeminine food) which is introduced with the tag like: "There are some days when a silly little salad or steamed chicken & veggie dish isn't gonna be enough to satisfy you. That's why we've whipped up some Hungry Girl MANLY MEALS! Get ready for some guilt-free stuff that'll have your boyfriends, brothers, handyman knockin' at your kitchen door!" ("Ready for a little manly meal action from HG?! (2007). Weekly Weigh-in: Hungry Girl) of course, women are always hungry in a frightening way that they must deny, but if they must indulge, they will do it to attract a 'manly man' with a sure crowd-pleasing meal involving red meat between two buns -- so much for no 'dry carbs' when male attention is at steak.

Overall, the message is that the gaze of Hungry Girl is looking at 'you' a single female filled with cravings for 'bad' foods, but there are, through the diet industry, many substitute goods that can help 'you' fight your 'bad' cravings and achieve the goal of slenderness. The cartoon icon of Hungry Girl, despite her protestations of having had a weight problem, is slender, and the design of the site is fun, girlish, and pink. There is even a games section where the surfer can 'smash' bad high calorie foods. The idea that chocolate or ice cream could be consumed in moderation by a woman is antithetical to such a representation -- 'bad' foods must be done away with...

Moreover, it suggests that such constant preoccupation with food and thinness is both necessary and normal for women. This focus must be specific to food, rather than going to the gym or living a balanced and healthy lifestyle. Also, female dieting never ends as even the slender Hungry Girl herself must continually count Weight Watchers points. Also, slenderness is dependent upon the diet industry, because female willpower is weak, and forever consumed with cravings for bad foods. A woman of normal who might feel happy in her own skin might mistrust her instincts, or feel a twinge of guilt it she has a real piece of chocolate, rather say, than Jell-O-brand fat free sugar free chocolate pudding after reading the Hungry Girl website. Women are supposed to be 'consumed' by thoughts of food, rather than consuming unapproved food is the message of Hungry Girl, and wish to be thin for thinness' sake, not for health reasons.
Works Cited

Ready for a little manly meal action from HG?! (2007). Weekly Weigh-in: Hungry Girl. Retrieved 12 Apr 2007. http://www.hungry-girl.com/week/weeklydetails.php?isid=1074

Strip Tease." (2007). Chew on This: Hungry Girl. Retrieved 12 Apr 2007. http://www.hungry-girl.com/chew/chewdetails.php?isid=1065

Who is Hungry Girl?" (2007). Hungry Girl. Retrieved 12 Apr 2007. http://www.hungry-girl.com/meet/index.php