Television and Childhood Obesity Essay Example for Free

Television and Childhood Obesity Essay Childhood obesity has become a national dilemma. Recent studies have shown several causes for this public health epidemic. The evidence between childhood obesity and children’s excessive amount of time in front of the television has done nothing but increase each year. How long do children watch television each day. Does the media target children television? What are the health risks involved with childhood obesity? Childhood obesity continues to increase dramatically as the young viewers are victimized by television. Television Associated With Childhood Obesity During a recent study at UCLA School of Public Health, Sarah Anderson stated â€Å"The association between television viewing and childhood obesity is directly related to children’s exposure to commercials that advertise unhealthy foods. † (Anderson. S 2010) Researchers Frederick J. Zimmerman and Janice F. Bell conducted a study that involved 3,563 children, ages ranged from infants to 12-year-olds. Primary caregivers reported children’s activities and television viewing during the week. Studies had shown that commercial viewing had a significant affect with a higher BMI. According to Zimmerman and Bell, â€Å"steering children away from commercial television may be effective in reducing childhood obesity, given that food is the most commonly advertised product on children’s television and the fact that almost 90 percent of children begin watching television regularly before the age of 2† (Zimmerman, F. and Bell, J. 1997). Nevertheless, researchers have indeed discovered the link between television and childhood obesity as it continues to rise. Since 1980 the percentage of child obesity has more than tripled in the United States. Identifying childhood obesity can be done in various ways. One warning sign is acanthosis nigricans, a skin condition in which the darkening or thickening of the skin folds that can appear on the back of the neck, armpit or groin area. Acanthosis nigricans happens to children of all races. This skin condition is caused by insulin resistance in the body. In addition to visually identifying obesity in children, Pediatricians are measuring the BMI (body mass index) in children of all ges. A Pilot Program to identify obesity in children was performed by Ramona M. Kwapiszewski, DO, and Alex Lee Wallace. During the process Kwapiszewski stated â€Å"Our first challenge was to define obesity. We chose to use the BMI because it has been recognized by the National Institute of Health as a reasonable and accurate tool for detecting obesity in children younger than 18 years. † Kwapiszewski also proceeded to define the BMI as â€Å"the BMI represents the ratio of weight to height squared, and the definition of obesity in children varies based on age and gender. Generally speaking, the television itself does not cause obesity in children; it is how television viewing affects your child. According to the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) children who view more than four hours of television each day are likelier to be overweight. Children who view violence on television tend to be more aggressive and at the same time the child fears the outside world. Characters on television also portray smoking, drinking, risky behaviors, and racial stereotypes as cool. Most of all, too much screen time perpetuates obesity in children as physical activities decrease. Associations of Television Content type and Child Obesity Research has proven that different content types have different affects on obesity. â€Å"Television might lead to obesity through 3 primary pathways: by displacing time that would otherwise be spent in physical activity; by promoting eating while viewing which may foster both lower quality and higher quantity food intake; and by exposing children to food advertising, which adversely affects their diets† stated by Zimmerman PhD, F and Bell PhD, MN, MPH, J.  Studies have shown that as the number of hours children view television increases, so does their body fat. Evidence shows Amy B. Jordan, PhD during one of her investigations â€Å"the causal relationship comes from randomized controlled trials (RCTs), which have linked reduction of television and other screen media use to decreased BMI, waist circumference, and triceps skin fold thickness in elementary school-age children. † Jordan PhD, A. On the contrary, the media has found a way to target children. During children programming more 30 second advertisements are viewed. None of which have nutritional value. In 2007 the Kaiser Family Foundation performed a study and found that several of ads kids see 34% for candy and snacks, 28% for cereal, 10% for fast food, 4% for dairy products, and 1% for fruit juices. The number of food ads children view each year is phenomenal. Children from ages 2-7 view more than 4,000 food ads per year. Children between the ages of 8-12 see more than 7,000 food ads per year. Nevertheless, more than 95% of the food ads were high in fat, sugar and sodium. Most of all, the media has found a way to target young viewers. Childhood obesity has a variety of health risks. An article from the CDC (Center for Disease Control) included several consequences of childhood obesity. The CDC stated â€Å"Obese children are more likely to have high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which are risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). In one study, 70% of obese children had at least one CVD risk factor, and 39% had two or more. Increased risk of impaired glucose tolerance, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes. Breathing problems, such as sleep apnea, and asthma. Joint problems, and musculoskeletal discomfort. Fatty liver disease, gallstones, and gastro-esophageal reflux (i. e. , heartburn). Obese children and adolescents have a greater risk of social and psychological problems, such as discrimination and poor self-esteem, which can continue into adulthood. † (CDC 2011) In this situation, it is important to increase activity and provide children with a well balanced diet. Strategies for Combating Childhood Obesity No doubt it is extremely important to combat childhood obesity. It is equally important to do so in a positive manner. Recently Amy B. Jordan PhD discovered an article written by an expert panel on children, television viewing, and weight. These are the five most promising strategies they believe will combat the negative effects of media use on children’s weight. â€Å"They are: 1. Eliminate TV from children’s bedrooms. Eliminating bedroom media use may reduce overall screen time and may help to limit nighttime media use that may interfere with children’s healthy sleep. 2. Encourage mindful viewing by monitoring screen media, budgeting TV time, and fostering media literacy. The committee encourages parents to collaborate with children on establishing appropriate amounts of screen media use and sharing and discussing the content to which children are exposed. 3. Turn off the TV while eating. Disconnecting food from TV viewing may increase awareness of food consumption, while also increasing family communication, and decreasing total TV watching time. 4. Use school-based curricula to reduce children’s screen time. The panel noted that schools are an excellent forum for efficiently and effectively reaching a large number of youth with a focused curriculum. 5. Provide training for health care professionals to counsel on reducing children’s media use. The panel recommends training and support for pediatricians and others on issues related to reducing children’s use of media. † In addition to implementing those five steps, it is also important to encourage healthy eating habits. To do so, start off by cutting down on fatty foods and start eating foods low in fat or fat free. Also, cut down on sugar and sodium intake and be sure to provide your child with a well balanced diet that includes fruits, vegetables, dairy, protein, and grains. Teaching children healthy eating habits when they are young will teach them a healthy eating style when they are adults. Conclusion The association between television and childhood obesity is directly related to the amount of television a child watches, television content type, inactivity, and unhealthy eating habits. Monitoring the amount of television a child watches and encouraging healthy eating habits along with plenty of exercise will help in maintaining a healthy weight. Help decrease the number in childhood obesity and do not let children be victimized by television.

Character Analysis Of Prospero Essay -- essays research papers

Prospero, of course, is the play. He is the exiled duke of Milan and the father of Miranda, as well as a powerful magician ruler of a remote island. The play revolves around him. He has more lines than any other character. His presence is felt continuously, even in those scenes in which he does not appear personally. He is the manipulator of the action in the play. The sometimes-godlike character is well rounded and full of contradictions, making him a difficult character to evaluate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In his judging, punishing, forgiving, and in many other ways, he is godlike compare to the rest of the characters in the play. Thanks to Ariel, he is also knows everything as well. Like a god, he punishes the guilty, but with grace he shows mercy and gives second chances. After Caliban attempts to rape Miranda, Prospero does not get rid of him. If I were Prospero, I would have a severe monthly payment punishment-plan installed for Caliban. Near the end of the play, after Properso reveals the conspiracies of all those against him, there is no harsh punishment as one would imagine. He basically just demands repentance. Forgiveness is one of the themes in this play, and here Prospero demonstrates it. Even though Caliban conspires with Stephano and Trinculo to kill him, he refrains from punishing Caliban (“Go, sirrah, to my cell;/Take with you your companions. As you look/To have my pardon, trim it handsomely.'; 5.ii.291-293).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ...

Chili’s Bar Essay

In the decision making process, it helps to look at all the information. This SWOT is comparing Chili’s restaurant to two of its competitors, Ruby Tuesday’s and Applebee’s. Company History Chili’s restaurants are part of the company, Brinker International Corporation. Chili’s Bar & Grill is a casual dining restaurant that was founded in 1975 and has expanded to include 1,200 restaurants located domestically and internationally. There menu consists of fresh and healthy American dishes and limited amount of southwestern style Mexican dishes. In the last 30 years, Chili’s has created an identifiable, recognizable brand name, just think of the commercials. Chili’s Strengths Chili’s is the one of the largest full service restaurant chains with over 1,200 stores, second only to Applebee’s which has about 1,900 stores. Their competitor Ruby Tuesday has less than 900 stores with many of those franchises. Chili’s is part of Brinker Intl. , which is world’s second largest casual dining restaurant operator, the first being Darden restaurants. This allows them to offer affordable prices, because they can negotiate product rates for all of their stores, unlike a smaller company. They have also expanded their company to include Chili’s Too, Small Town Chili’s, and offer catering services. They update their menu one to two times a year, unlike Ruby Tuesday’s which updates their menu every three to four months. Chili’s has a popular menu that keeps people coming back, so they tweak it a bit to keep up with trends, but keep their core items. At this time they serve the same menu in every store, which allows for consistency throughout the company. They have a very broad market with a recognizable brand name and they focus on customer satisfaction. The restaurant business can be very competitive, but they have unusually high management retention and that may be in part to extremely competitive starting salaries and excellent benefit packages. Their competitor, Ruby Tuesday, has franchised many of its stores, creating varied salaries, salary caps, and benefits, when going from a franchise to a corporate store, which can make it difficult to retain managers. When Chili’s is looking for hourly employees, it offers several opportunities to them. They can apply and interview online, receive benefits and have the opportunity to grow with the company. Their hourly employee turnover rate is also lower than the industry average. Chili’s Weaknesses Even though the Chili’s brand is recognizable, it doesn’t appeal to the upper class. The casual dining concept, no matter how different, is still the same. They receive much of their food frozen, unlike Ruby Tuesday which receives all of their meat and produce fresh, making some items not the best of quality. During the busy times, servers are pressured to decrease their table turn time, the time from when a guest sits at the table until they leave and the table is ready for another guest, which can make it difficult to build a rapport with their guests, but at the same time they want their PPA (per person average) to be higher. Many of their restaurants are focused around the bar, which segregates some consumers that do not want to be in that environment. It also makes their seating area than some of their competitors. Chili’s Opportunities There are several things Chili’s can do to remain competitive in the casual dining industry. They can continue to expand internationally, beyond the 20 countries they are already in. Their competitors have yet to exceed that with Ruby Tuesday’s being in about twelve countries and Applebee’s is in almost twenty. They have a very well known brand which will allow them to continue expansion at a rapid rate with the backing of their parent company, Brinker Intl. They are launching a program to try international cuisines at some of their foreign locations. If consumers react positively this could be a great growth opportunity, if it is not taken to, it could be a threat to their international stores if they continue it. They can enlarge their restaurants or configure different models, based on the demographics of the area, to include more seating for guests and not just the bar area. They can continue to expand their brand recognition apparel and glassware. Chili’s Threats The largest threat to the Chili’s brand is the competition of casual dining restaurants, which are easy to duplicate. Applebee’s and Ruby Tuesday’s both had higher 1-year sales growths, with 10% and 17. %, respectively, compared to Chili’s at 6. 1%. Chili’s saturated some U. S. markets and has no where else to expand in those areas. They need to keep up with current trends and eating habits, because they change often, to stay current with the market. Summary Chili’s has managed to saturate the US and foreign markets better than its competitors. Their sales are higher and they retain their employees longer. They need to look at a few things like following eating trends and standing out from the competition a bit more, but they are a highly competitive company that keeps people coming back.

The Manual Of Mental Disorders - 1489 Words

The latest manual of mental disorders (DSM-5) includes various changes in the Feeding and Eating Disorders chapter as a significant number of professionals diagnosing patients realized individuals were not fitting into certain criteria and therefore being labelled with EDNOS â€Å"Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified†. Some of the substantial changes to the Diagnostic Manual include changes to the criteria for Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa. With this is mind my essay with focus on one of these specific subtypes. With evidence showing there has been an increase in Anorexia in the high risk-group of 15-19 year olds in the past decade, and Bulimia on the decrease since the early nineteenth century (Smink, Hoeken, Hoek 2012) my chosen subtype will be Anorexia Nervosa. As statistics are increasing further than those of other subtypes it merits singular discourse. AN remains the most deadly of all mental health disorders, with a 5-10% death rate within 10 years of developi ng the symptoms, and an 18-20% death rate within 20 years. According to the set criteria of the revised Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of all Mental Disorders AN is characterized by â€Å"distorted body image and excessive dieting that leads to severe weight loss with a pathological fear of becoming fat† (DSM-5, 2013) and I shall outline Evolutionary reasoning and Biological reasoning behind this statement. The evolutionary approach states current human behaviour can be understood in terms of how it may haveShow MoreRelatedAn Oppositional Defiant Disorder ( Developmental Manual And Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders1515 Words   |  7 PagesFor one to understand Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) it is important to examine the criterion that place this disorder within the realm of Disruptive, Impulse-Control, and Conduct Disorders. The American Psychiatric Association note in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (2013) that, â€Å"[these] disorders include conditions involving problems in the self-control of emotions and behaviors. [They] are unique in that these problems are manifested in behaviors that violate theRead MoreDiagnostic And Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders1365 Words   |  6 Pagesthe DSM-IV for medical personal to refer to when diagnosing patients. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th edition consist of three ma jor components; diagnostic classification, diagnostic criteria set, and the descriptive text, which covers all mental health disorders for both children and adults. Some of the information covered by the DSM-IV includes known causes of disorders, statistics in terms of gender, and age of onset, prognosis and research concerning the optimal treatmentsRead MoreThe Diagnostic And Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders1589 Words   |  7 Pagesover several topics all of which are related to the mind and what is or is not perceived as a mental disorder. There are many different types of approaches to personality. Understanding each approach and how it compares to the others will help understand how one develops their personality. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is in its fifth edition. Had the original manual never been updated, there would be many individuals who are misdiagnosed. As technology advancesRead MoreDiagnostic And Statistical And Manual Of Mental Disorders Essay907 Words   |  4 Pages DIAGNOSTIC IMPRESSION Claimant s multi- axial assessment was established by using Fifth Edition of Diagnostic and Statistical and Manual of Mental Disorder. Claimant DSM-V multi- axial classification is as follows: Axis I: Major Depressive Disorder, Recurrent, Severe Without Psychotic Features Generalized Anxiety Disorder AXIS II: Deferred AXIS III: Ewing’s Sarcoma Cancer, in remission AXIS IV: Problems Related To The Social Environment: Read MoreDiagnostic And Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders1631 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (2013) or DSM-5 outlines the four feeding and eating disorders as, Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge-Eating Disorder, and Other Specified Feeding and Eating Disorder (OSFED). These are complex and highly devastating disorders that cause health, emotional, and relationship problems (NEDA, 2016). These conditions should not be taken lightly due to their potential to cause long term emotional and physicalRead MoreDiagnostic And Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders1520 Words   |  7 PagesAutism Spectrum Disorders in Infants and Children Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurodevelopment disorder that affects people as young as infancy that can become more evident throughout their childhood. The word Spectrum refers to a wide range of disorders that are closely related through similar symptoms, as it will be explained later in this paper. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders also known as the DSM-5 diagnostic manual, updated the types of disorders listed as: AutisticRead MoreDiagnostic And Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders862 Words   |  4 PagesStatistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is a guidebook used by health care specialists in the United States to diagnose mental disorders. DSM incorporates numerous disorders and their description, symptoms, and other criteria for diagnosing mental disorders. The DSM was recently revised to better characterize symptoms and behaviors of groups of people who are currently seeking clinical help but whose symptoms are not well defined by DSM-IV. For ex ample, the first category of disorders it mentionsRead MoreGenetic And Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders1556 Words   |  7 PagesAutism is a cognitive disorder that occurs in the first three years of life and affects many children and adults today. It is a common behaviorally defined syndrome characterized by impairments in socialization, abnormalities of verbal and nonverbal communication, and restricted, stereotyped interests and behaviors. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) was recently edited to more clearly define the 3 main branches of the Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). These branchesRead MoreThe Diagnostic And Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders2040 Words   |  9 Pagesedition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the compelling feature of substance use disorders is that the grouping of psychological feature, physiological and activity manifestations in a person who often uses mood/mind-altering subst ances in spite of issues related to their use (American Psychiatric Association, 2013, p. 483). The DSM-5 identifies a very important characteristic proportionate to the severity of those disorders the underlying amendment in noesis thatRead MoreThe Diagnostic And Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders2108 Words   |  9 Pageshad a personality disorder (The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 2004). According to the American Psychiatric Association (2013), â€Å"a personality disorder is an enduring pattern of inner experience and behavior that deviates markedly from the expectations of the individual’s culture, is pervasive and inflexible, has an onset in adolescence or early adulthood, is stable over time, and leads to distress or impairment† (p. 645). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V)