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

Between the expanding technology, learning about Internet safety , texting and cellphone use , bullying , drug use , huffing , inhalants , rainbow parties , choking game , learning the teen lingo etc.... Parents can add one more worry to their list of raising teenagers: 'DRUNKOREXIA' What is Drunkorexia ?  It is the term used to describe a mixture of alcoholism, bulimia and anorexia.  Schools and universities are dealing with a new student issue and it is an concern for counselors and parents. In 2008 the New York Times was one of the first times we heard about this issue that is becoming a trend. The Denver Post just ran a recent article, "Drunkorexia" act swaps food calories for alcohol.  ABC News Health also just posted Drunkorexia: Alcohol Mixes With Eating Disorders. Health workers warn drunkorexia is a serious medical condition that can harm the body. It is also often coupled with other psychological disorders. Statistics suggest that 30% of ...

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...

Sarah Maria is a body image expert and has an exciting new book coming out, Love Your Body, Love Your Life . Take a moment to visit her website at http://www.breakfreebeauty.com/ and learn more about overcoming eating disorders and empowering your life and the life of your teenager. Body Image in Teens By Sarah Maria If you're in high school, most of your friends are probably on a diet. A recent study shows that 90% of junior and senior girls are on a diet regularly, even though only 10-15% are actually overweight. The modeling industry also promotes the idea that you need to diet and exercise religiously. Fashion models are actually thinner than 98% of American women. An average woman stands 5'4" tall and weighs about 140 lbs, while the average fashion model is a towering 5'11" tall and weighs under 117 lbs. In reality no amount of dieting, exercise and discipline can earn you a magazine cover-ready body because those photos have been Photo Shopped, doctored an...

Self abuse (or self mutilation) can come in many forms; most commonly it is associated with cutting, hair pulling or bone breaking, but it can also manifest itself as eating disorders like bulimia, and/or anorexia. This site will focus mainly on cutting, which is the most common form of self abuse, with 72% of all self injurers choosing to do so by cutting themselves, and hair pulling. Cutting is exactly as it sounds; when your teen cuts him or herself as a physical expression to feel emotional pain. There are many reasons why teens injure themselves, but many people assume it’s just ‘for attention’. Often this can be an element of why your teen may be abusing him or her self, but just as often it can be something your teen does privately to express the emotional pain they feel inside. And while self injury is a taboo subject, it is estimated that 3 to 6 million Americans self injure themselves in some way, and that number is on the increase- in fact, its already doubled in the past t...

Learn more about keeping your kids in good health . Especially with more and more kids sitting behind their computer screens we need to encourage more activities! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRSGUZrOU_w Here is a recent News Article Seven ways to help your overweight teen On paper, the statistics are shocking enough: the obesity rate for teens has tripled over the past 25 years and with this increase an average weight, type 2 diabetes, once unknown in young people, is now diagnosed in 45 percent of all new cases involving children or teens. Medical experts fear that high blood pressure and heart disease could become increasingly prevalent among young adults, making this generation of teens the first to have potentially poorer health and shorter life spans than their parents. Seeing a young person you love struggle with overweight or obesity in the sensitive pre-teen or teen years is painful, frustrating and alarming — from watching them deal with cruel remarks to seeing them on the ...

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 ...

As school is open throughout our country, teens all over will have to confront peer pressure and in many instances, it involves their body image. Do they fit in? Are they too heavy? Too thin? Parents need to be aware of their kids and how they are feeling about themselves both emotionally and psychically to help prevent peer pressure from controlling their teen's behavior. Body Image in Teens by Sarah Maria If you're in high school, most of your friends are probably on a diet. A recent study shows that 90% of junior and senior girls are on a diet regularly, even though only 10-15% are actually overweight. The modeling industry also promotes the idea that you need to diet and exercise religiously. Fashion models are actually thinner than 98% of American women. An average woman stands 5'4" tall and weighs about 140 lbs, while the average fashion model is a towering 5'11" tall and weighs under 117 lbs. In reality no amount of dieting, exercise and discipline can...

Sarah Maria is a body-image expert and personal empowerment specialist who helps people love their bodies no matter how they look. She leads workshops internationally and works one-on-one in consulting sessions to assist people in overcoming hatred and dissatisfaction with their bodies using holistic healing and spiritual principles. She's a certified meditation teacher, Yoga instructor, and Ayurvedic Lifestyle Counselor. Contact her at Contact her at sarah@breakfreebeauty . Be sure to sign up for her Newsletters and Radio Show at http://www.breakfreebeauty/ - you won’t want to miss how you can start believing in yourself and empowering yourself and your teen to feel good about who you are. Body Image in Teens If you're in high school, most of your friends are probably on a diet. A recent study shows that 90% of junior and senior girls are on a diet regularly, even though only 10-15% are actually overweight. The modeling industry also promotes the idea that you need to diet a...

By Sarah Maria http://www.breakfreebeauty.com/ Sara Maria is offering her E-Book, which is normally $27.00 for free to all readers! Click here for more information. Body Image in Teens If you're in high school, most of your friends are probably on a diet. A recent study shows that 90% of junior and senior girls are on a diet regularly, even though only 10-15% are actually overweight. The modeling industry also promotes the idea that you need to diet and exercise religiously. Fashion models are actually thinner than 98% of American women. An average woman stands 5'4" tall and weighs about 140 lbs, while the average fashion model is a towering 5'11" tall and weighs under 117 lbs. In reality no amount of dieting, exercise and discipline can earn you a magazine cover-ready body because those photos have been Photo Shopped, doctored and airbrushed. Don't waste your time attempting to be what you are not, instead; focus on cultivating who you are! Body Image Tip...

By Hannah Boyd In a society where waifs rule and magazines herald a different fad diet every week, some kids view eating disorders as a small price to pay for fitting in. They’re wrong. Anorexia kills more than 10% of its victims, and bulimia 1%. Eating disorders also lead to depression and place enormous stress on families. Concerned that your child may be at risk? Here’s what you need to know. “People with anorexia starve themselves to dangerously thin levels, at least 15% below their appropriate weight,” says Edward J. Cumella, Ph.D, CEDS, Executive Director of Remuda Programs for Eating Disorders in Wickenburg, Arizona. “People with bulimia binge uncontrollably on large amounts of food – sometimes thousands of calories at a time – and then purge the calories out of their bodies through vomiting, starving, excessive exercise, laxatives, or other methods. They are of normal weight or overweight.” Some anorexics also purge, but they are still underweight. Not surprisingly, eating diso...

Since my Blogs went out yesterday about Teen Eating Disorders, I was literally flooded with emails from parents, authors, programs etc.... thanking me for bringing this subject to the forefront. Lori Hanson was one of these people and wrote a very powerful story of her own experiences - starting at age 14 with Pop-Tarts! If you have a teen or know someone struggling with eating disorders, check out her experiences at http://www.lori-hanson.com/ .