Hey U G L Y, Inc. is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization

Call 219-778-2011 to learn about our social marketing campaigns that will align your company with Hey U G L Y's mission to help teens counter bullying, eating disorders, violence, substance abuse and suicide. Some of the best marketing minds have come together to develop results-oriented social marketing campaigns that you'll want to hear about. Together we can
stamp out low self-esteem.

Low self-esteem is a critical issue facing teens today. It has been proven that low self-esteem affects learning and can lead to such problems as delinquency, unhealthy relationships, eating disorders, drugs and suicide.

●  Eating Disorders: In the United States, conservative estimates indicate that, after puberty, 5-10 million girls and women and 1 million boys and men are struggling with eating disorders including anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, or borderline conditions. Source: National Eating Disorders Association

●  Anorexia: 33% of respondents reported the onset of their illness between the ages of 11-15 and 43% reporter the onset between the ages of 16-20. Source:  ANAD (Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders)

●  Obesity: A 2003 survey reported 13.5 percent of high school students as obese. Overall obesity reported in high school boys was 17.3 percent, nearly double that of girls, which was 9.4 percent.

●  Suicide: Teen/youth suicide rates have tripled since 1970. Source: Teenagesuicide.com  Teen suicide is becoming more common every year in the United States. In fact, only car accidents and homicides (murders) kill more people between the ages of 15 and 24, making suicide the third leading cause of death in teens and overall in youths ages 10 to 19 years old. Source: Kidshealth.com February 2005

●  Bullying:  about bullying, approximately 864,000 teens report staying home one day a month because they fear for their safety. Source: CDC   According to recent studies, between 20-40% of U.S. teenagers report being bullied three or more times during the past year. Between 7-15% report bullying others three or more times during the past year. With one in three teens affected, bullying is considered a major problem today. Source: Author: Angela Huebner, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist, Human Development and Erin Morgan, Research Associate, Human Development; Virginia Tech. Publication Number 350-852, Posted April 2002.

●  Drop Out Rate: According to most estimates, today's teenagers are dropping out of high school at an alarmingly high rate -- about 30 percent, a statistic that researchers say is very close to what it was in the 1970s, when the educational reform movement was getting under way.
That's across the board -- big city or small town, urban or rural district. And researchers say that among African-Americans and Latinos, the numbers are as high as 50 percent. Indianapolis Star Tribune