The Blog of P.U.R.E. and Sue Scheff

It is not a secret, being healthy is good for you. Society dictates that being thin is in, however we need to understand that being healthy is priority. Thin for one person may not be the same as it is for another. Teenagers surf the net more than ever and what they are finding can be educational but it can also be harmful to their health. There are actually sites that promote anorexia and show your teens how to hide this deadly disorder. Parents should also be aware of what their kids may be exposed to online - and the websites that promote dangerous and destructive dieting. The best Internet filter is the one that runs in teens' heads - not any filter a parent may install on a home computer. Talk with your children about dangerous and inappropriate sites and keep the lines of communication open so that they might come to you when they encounter destructive information and images online. - Connect with Kids The National Eating Disorders Association offers these tips for kid...

Source: Forbes.com Research shows that recovery improves with family involvement FRIDAY, June 26 (HealthDay News) -- When a teenager has an eating disorder, it's not just the teen's problem. It's a family problem. So, parents should join in on the treatment, a growing number of experts believe. With parental involvement, "the outcome is likely to be improved," said Dr. Ovidio Bermudez, medical director of the eating disorders program at Laureate Psychiatric Clinic and Hospital in Tulsa, Okla., and a member of the board of directors of the National Eating Disorders Association. Nearly 10 million females and 1 million males in the United States have an eating disorder, according to the National Eating Disorders Association. Federal government statistics show that more than 90 percent of them are females aged 12 to 25. People with bulimia binge eat and then purge, whereas those with anorexia nervosa limit food and become dangerously thin because they believe they...

As the holidays are here, parents should be aware of their teens and tweens concerns with body image . Today’s peer pressure compounded with Internet Images of what a teen should look like, can add stress and frustration to a young teen (both girls and boys). Eating Disorders can sometimes be hard to recognize. As a parent, it is important to be informed and know the warning signs. Here is a great article from Connect with Kids from this week’s parenting articles and tips: “I would never want to look at one. I think that would be really depressing to tell you the truth.” – Mary Hardin, 14 years old What Mary doesn’t want to see, to millions others is just a few key words and mouse clicks away. “Who’s the skinniest and how can they stay the skinniest (or) here’s how you can have only one thing to eat all day or how you can survive on water and gum,” explains Bryna Livingston, a licensed clinical social worker who specializes in eating disorders. Livingston is referring to pro-anorexia ...