Stopping Obesity One Child at a Time

Author: Erin Malcolm  
Essay topic: Childhood Obesity

Obesity can be defined as having excess body fat, but how much of it do we have to let people   -   especially children   -    gain before something is done about it?  Obesity is a rapidly growing epidemic among children all over; that fact needs to change before it has the chance to get any further out of hand than it already is.

Poor health is becoming a great problem in society. Lately, children have been the condition’s most targeted victims. Because the youth of today will soon be in charge of the future, it is crucial that obesity is resolved now, in order to maintain a healthy population in the years to come. In the past, most children lead very healthy lives. Thirty-five years ago, it was common that they walked to school everyday, ran around at recess, played outside in their free time, ate home cooked meals with reasonable portion sizes, and more. (“Let’s Move”). Ask anyone who lived out their childhood during that time, and they’d have countless stories to tell regarding that then typical way of life. However, according to The State of Obesity, though,  “Childhood obesity rates have more than tripled since 1980.” (“Obesity Rates & Trends Overview").

The prevalence of obesity today is outrageous. The amount of children who can be labeled as obese in the present is greater than ever before. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that, “The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2012,” (“Childhood Obesity Facts”) and that kids 12 - 18 who were obese, “increased from 5% to nearly 21% over the same period.” (“Childhood Obesity Facts”). This means that by 2012, more than one third of the population’s minors had become overweight or obese. It is very alarming to find just how drastically the health of the youth has deteriorated over time. If this does not scream the severity of the growing obesity predicament in children, I do not know what does.

Seeing how so many of today’s children are now affected by obesity, it becomes clear how in need of a solution society really is. When in search of such a solution, one might ask, “What has changed?” Thirty-five years ago, the majority of children were healthy. (“Let’s Move”). Today, that is obviously not the case. Lifestyle. That is what has changed. In the 1980’s, kids led active lifestyles. Today, those lifestyles have been altered. Kids take cars and buses to school, instead of walking there. Kids stay home and watch TV, instead of going outside to hang out with their friends. Kids sit and play video games, instead of participating in  something more active. Kids stop to eat greasy Happy Meals, instead of eating a nice home cooked meal with their families. Politician Bob Filner says, “Obesity is best tackled at home through improved parental involvement, increased physical exercise, better diet, and restraint from eating.” (Cong. Rec. 19 Oct. 2005. 23090). The every-day lifestyle of 21st century children needs to rewind to a time where the factors mentioned by Filner applied in order to reclaim healthy living. If the epidemic of obesity is ever to be solved, the unhealthy lifestyles of today’s youth must be changed.

If these poor lifestyles composed of a lack of physical activity and awful eating patterns can truly be to blame for society’s current childhood obesity situation, something must be done. Parents of overweight children might just be that “something” in this instance. To an extent, adults are responsible for the unhealthy actions of their obese children in this generation, and it is ultimately up to them to kickstart a healthy adjustment to the lives of their young. An article, “Obesity in Children,” states that, “. . . overweight children are at high risk of of becoming overweight adolescents and adults, placing them at risk of developing chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes later in life. They are also more prone to develop stress, sadness, and low self-esteem.” ("Preventing Obesity in Children, Causes of Child Obesity, and More.")  If guardians wish to see a change in the well being of their children, they need to make changes for themselves. For example, instead of deciding to just settle for fattening fast foods, parents can put aside some time to prepare a healthy meal for their struggling kids. In today’s society, many families live busy lives and parents may be obligated to work grueling hours or have multiple jobs, making it nearly impossible for them to make time for home cooking. However, if they spend less money on fast food, they may not need that second or third job, and in return, will have more time to prepare meals. Parents not only assist their children in creating unhealthy eating habits, but they also enable them to make poor choices in terms of exercise. Children today resort to television or video games to entertain themselves, and with their parents funding this type of couch-potato lifestyle, it becomes their responsibility to change it. They can easily  cut their children off from their TV or Xbox and ask them to get outside and do something active! Making a healthy change to a lifestyle can be extremely simple, and the results can be monumental… or even life-saving.

The growth of obesity in children is occurring more rapidly than ever and needs to be put to an end. Unhealthy lifestyles are the cruel instigators of the detrimental epidemic and need to be turned around for the better. If the average lifestyle of a person can change from healthy to unhealthy in the short amount time that it did in the past, there is no reason that they cannot be changed back just as quickly. If the world is to ever experience a healthy society once again, it is crucial that today’s youth adjust their lives, and is just as crucial that their parents help them do so. Not a single person on this earth wants to see their children or grandchildren struggling to beat chronic diseases triggered by obesity, and that is why the change must be made today. Because today’s youth set the stage for the future.    

Would You Like Global Warming With That Steak?

Author: Danielle Taylor

 Essay topic: Environmental Impacts of Cattle Production

Would You Like Global Warming With That Steak?

Livestock production helps feed a vastly small part of the human consumption, yet the land that is used for this covers for about 30% of the usable surface, and its being used to grow grains, and other perishable foods. Shockingly, all of this is not for human beings but for the cattle, pigs, and chickens, and yes after them eating all that food; which could be used for human consumption, is going to waste because we don’t want that; we want the flesh of those animals. And it will eventually end up on our plates. Livestock production has a bigger environmental impact than anything else and we can change that by going towards a more sustainable lifestyle. In my honest opinion after knowing all the horrific impacts this production is doing to our lives, I will never go back to the “all american diet/ lifestyle”, and hopefully some of you will too.

Why does raising farm animals such a big deal, why does it even matter? Well, what matters is, the amount of energy that gets put into producing cattle is astounding and harshly destructive and we can easily change this by putting all of that energy into growing sustainable crops. In the article on Peta called “Meat and the Environment”, it states; “ According to the U.N. Convention to Combat Desertification, it takes up to 10 pounds of grain to produce just 1 pound of meat, and in the United States alone, 56 million acres of land are used to grow feed for animals, while only 4 million acres are producing plants for humans to eat.” Astounding as this is, this statistic is happening today at maybe a larger scale. And this issue isn’t just affecting our land, but the amount of pesticides and antibiotics that are put into production of the land and animals is creating health threats to our future children and wildlife. I believe that it’s emotionally disturbing that we as the future children of tomorrow are contributing to this when some or maybe even most of us, know what's actually happening. It's affecting everything now.

The future is now, and we as human beings can change it for the better. In the article on Science Time called “The Triple Whopper Environmental Impact of Global Meat Production” states that; “Livestock production contributes to more than 40% of the income to people, but it takes up about 1/3 the world's water supply and the amount of grain and food that is fed to the animals can cure our hunger famine in every country.” We can basically cure most of the world's hunger problem could  be changed by simply turning our cattle production fields into lush produce gardens. Also in an article on Peta, called “New Study: Go Vegan and Help End World Hunger” states, “It takes about 13 pounds of grain to produce a single pound of meat. All that grain would go a long way toward feeding the hundreds of millions of people—many of them children—who don’t have enough to eat. In fact, malnutrition currently affects about 870 million people worldwide and accounts for the deaths of more than 2.5 million children under the age of 5 alone every year.” We as earthlings can change our lives for the better. The movement to a sustainable lifestyle is what we need! Livestock farming is expanding every year while our billion year old habitats continue to shrink because of our human actions. In the facts section of the award winning documentary, Cowspiracy, states that; “Animal production takes up about 18% of the greenhouse gas emissions that more than all transportation emissions. And it takes up about 51% of the CO2 emissions that are being put out. The water and grain consumption is so huge that we wouldn't need to worry about being fed. And half of our land is for the use of agricultural production, that land could be used for open land conservation and the positive production of rainforests.” Wholesale changes is what we need to save our globe in a big picture. Anyone that buys or puts their money to a meat industry or production, in any way is contributing to the destruction of our planet, and putting world hunger as a bigger crisis.

The importance of getting this information out to the public is critical not just for us as young students, but for those who have the power to make a difference. The destrumental happenings of a production, just so we can eat that steak; is a horrible excuse for ruining our one and only planet. So many studies and statistics have been made to share information that can push us to bettering our environment. Like this report from the UN and posted in the Scientific American,“Yet according to a 2006 report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), our diets and, specifically, the meat in them cause more greenhouse gases carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, nitrous oxide, and the like to spew into the atmosphere than either transportation or industry” Big companies and industries are starting to realize that what we are ordering on the dollar menu is literally killing us and our planet. Hopefully we can change for the better and stop this madness of cattle production. Therefore, it's not just our cars that are a topic of worry for us, it's what we are eating; we can change this by sustaining our ecosystem by going plant based or lowering our consumption of this prodigious corporation that is cattle production.

The big picture is not for sake of animals and the moral of what we eat matters. The big picture is us, and the impact of cattle production and the damage that is a leading factor of global warming and overall destruction of our planet.Us as everyday people can have an impact on this issue. We can limit ourselves to cattle production and regrow those rainforests that we have demolished for the cattle fields. We can start to grow sustainable gardens and pastures where cattle farms used to be. We can flourish and inform others of the repairing of our planet, just by not letting cattle production go on. We can all do this!

Work Cited:

"Livestock's Long Shadow: Environmental Issues and Options." Livestock's Long Shadow: Environmental Issues and Options. Agriculture and Consumer Protection, 2006. Web. 15 Oct. 2015.

Christopher Matthews. "Livestock a Major Threat to Environment." Livestock a Major Threat to Environment. Christopher Matthews, 29 Nov. 2006. Web. 15 Oct. 2015.

Thornton, Philip, Mario Herrero, and Polly Erickson. Informing an Effective Response to Climate Change. Washington, D.C.: National Academies, 2010. Livestock Change. International Livestock Research Institute. Web.

Walsh, Bryan. "The Triple Whopper Environmental Impact of Global Meat Production | TIME.com." Science Space The Triple Whopper Environmental Impact of Global Meat Production Comments. Ecocentric, n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2015.

Taksel, Joe. "PETA Prime: New Study: Go Vegan and Help End World Hunger." PETA Prime New Study Go Vegan and Help End World Hunger Comments. N.p., 20 Aug. 2013. Web. 15 Oct. 2015.

Our Rising Body Mass Index

Author: Michaela Garcia
 Essay topic: Obesity

    Obesity in the United States

How often do you eat fast food? Fast food is okay to eat every once in awhile, but eating it constantly can be dangerous. Did you know that fast food makes up 11% of the average American diet? (PublicHealth). Factors like this can lead to obesity, a monumental issue in the United States. In fact, more than one-third of adults and 17% of youth are affected by obesity in the U.S. (NCSL). However, the numbers don’t stop there as obesity is constantly increasing in the United States. Obesity is a growing issue in the United States caused by unhealthy dietary and lack of exercise, so Americans need to develop healthy habits to prevent obesity.

    Obesity is a growing issue due to unhealthy dietary such as large portion sizes and the growing popularity of fast food. The USDA reports that the average American eats almost 20% more calories in the year 2000 than they did in 1983 due to a boom in meat consumption (PublicHealth). The huge rise in calories has negatively impacted American health. All of those excess calories can impact the human body for the worse. The consumption of added fats in food also shot up around 1970, and grain consumption rose 45% (PublicHealth). These tie directly into large portion sizes; eating too much of what the body actually needs. However, large portion sizes are not the only issue as fast food plays a big role in obesity as well. The World Health Organization found that the rise in fast food sales correlates to a rise in body mass index (PublicHealth). As fast food is becoming a go-to for food nowadays, it’s clear here that many Americans are gaining weight as a result of it.

    Food isn’t the only cause of obesity, as a lack of exercise in many Americans poses another huge cause for obesity as well. Research suggests Americans burn 120 to 140 fewer calories a day than they did 50 years ago (PublicHealth). Considering how many calories Americans typically consume, this becomes a huge cause for obesity. When Americans consume a lot of calories and don’t use them, it turns into fat. According to the CDC, 80% of Americans don’t get enough exercise (PublicHealth). That’s four fifths of the population! All of the calories Americans consume and don’t use eventually turn to fat. When it comes to children; poor sleep, stress, and lower rates of breastfeeding are also thought to contribute to a child’s long term obesity risk (PublicHealth). So how do we fight the rising problem of obesity considering the causes? There’s many ways Americans can combat obesity.

Although there are many factors that contribute to obesity, Americans can prevent obesity by developing a number of healthy habits that can conquer the growing issue of obesity. Following a healthy eating plan and managing your calorie intake is one way to combat obesity (NHLBI). Counting how many calories you consume and burn is an excellent way to manage your weight. Consuming too many calories and letting all of that energy go to waste will only produce more fat. Fast food restaurants and other restaurants serve portion sizes that are usually enough for two or three people (NHLBI). As consuming too much food and calories is a huge cause for obesity, cutting back on how much you eat will greatly combat obesity. Successful weight loss results from a combination of physical activity and caloric restriction (NHLBI). Balancing your dietary needs and your body’s physical needs will pay off in the end. If Americans across the country take these steps to combat obesity, the percentage of people who are obese will go down tremendously.

Overall, the issue of obesity in the United States not only affects adults, but children as well. Although the causes of obesity are very common in society, a few steps in the right direction will help make a big change. Of course fast food may be delicious and easy to buy, you may want to eat something a bit healthier every once in awhile. While it’s easier to lay down and sleep, you may want to instead go for a walk. Obesity tends to start at a young age for most, but taking those steps to managing a healthy lifestyle will prevent the growing issue of obesity for you and possibly future generations.

Works Cited:

"How Can Overweight and Obesity Be Prevented?" National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. 13 July 2012. Web.

"Obesity Statistics in the United States." National Conference of State Legislatures. 4 Sept. 2014. Web.

"What Can We Do?" Obesity in America - PublicHealth. 2015. Web.

"Why Are Americans Obese?" Obesity in America - PublicHealth. 2015. Web.

Tougher Gun Laws Won't End Mass Shootings

Author: Cody Palmore
Essay Topic: Gun laws and mass shootings

Cody Palmore

Contemporary Essay

Tougher Gun Laws Won’t End Mass Shootings

            Sadly, when turning on the news hearing of another mass shooting isn’t all that shocking anymore.    About a month or so ago there were two mass shootings at colleges in the same week.  Are we growing accustomed to mass shootings as a way of life, throwing our hands in the air as nothing can be done to prevent them, or agreeing with everyone who blames the gun?  After the report about the shooting you always have community members, family members, and politicians claiming we need tougher gun laws to prevent mass shootings.  Tougher gun laws are even a platform for the 2016 Presidential election.  While I agree mass shootings are very tragic, tougher guns laws is not the answer, the answer is keeping guns out of the hands of people who shouldn’t have them, and a better mental health system in our Country. 

            The FBI describes mass killings where four or more people are killed.  Since 1982, there has been 72 mass shootings in the United States.  In those 72 mass shootings, there was a total of 1,103 victims, and 581 of those victims were fatalities.  Out of the 72 mass shootings since 1982, only 14 of the assailants obtained their guns illegally.  So that means, 58 of the assailants, 81%, obtained their guns legally.  If 81% of the mass shooting killers obtained their guns legally, how does making tougher gun laws a way to stop mass shooting tragedies? 

            In addition to gun control, mental illness is brought to the light after a mass shooting.  Everyone wants to know the mental status of the killer, were they on any kind of medication, undergoing treatment, or if someone saw this coming.    Of the 72 killers in mass shootings since 1982, only 23 were reported to not have, or was unclear if they had a mental illness.  That means 49 of the shooters had some sort of mental illness at the time of the shooting or in the past.  That’s 2/3s of the shooters had a mental illness sometime in their life.  Only 6 of those shooters have been reported to have not had anyone concerned about a mental illness.  Mental illness is the issue that needs addressed and the questions we should be asking to help prevent mass shootings.

            How will making a law tougher encourage someone to not do something illegal, especially if they might die at the end of what they are trying to accomplish?  If someone is set on doing a mass shooting and can’t legally obtain a gun, are they going to say “oh it’s illegal for me to buy a gun, so that ruined my plans time to give up”?  No, they are going to find an illegal way to buy a gun, from the trunk of a car, steal one, or lie on the background check and questionnaire.  It is illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to drink alcohol, but that doesn’t stop underage drinking.  Drugs, with the exception of pot in Colorado and Washington, is illegal to do but that doesn’t stop people from doing drugs.  Making tougher laws on guns isn’t going to stop someone from committing a mass shooting, just like it doesn’t stop a high schooler from drinking, doing drugs, or driving under the influence.

            Some countries like Germany, England, and Australia have enacted tougher gun laws in hopes for putting an end to mass shootings.  Sadly, some of these countries have continued to see mass shootings despite their stricter laws.  In 1998 the UK passed the strictest gun law banning all private handgun ownership in England.  In 2000, Derrick Byrd killed 12 people and injured 30 more and Byrd was licensed to carry a weapon in Brittan.  In countries like Germany, who has some of the strictest gun laws in the world, in order to own a gun they must prove why they need to own one, commit to psychological examination, licensing and personal adequacy for large bore firearms.  Some places with stricter gun laws than the U.S. still have alarmingly high mass shootings, however Germany has added one important piece to their laws, a psychological examination.  Germany is taking into account one’s mental health to determine if they are suited to own a gun.

            As we have seen, the mental health of a shooter plays a huge role, probably the biggest role, in mass shootings.  81% of the shooters in the 72 mass shootings over the last three decades have had some kind of documented mental illness.  In all but six of the 72 tragedies, someone has thought the killer had mental health issues.  If that person would have understood mental illness, or the mentally ill person could’ve gotten better treatment some of these tragedies might have been prevented.  It’s important to note that not all mentally ill people commit crimes.  In fact, more mentally ill people don’t commit crimes than ones that do.  We as a country need to focus on better mental health care for the mentally ill or those who show signs a mental illness like depression and talks of suicide.  We need to end the stigma that all mentally ill people are crazy and need to be hospitalized or heavily medicated.  More people are affect, will be affected, or have been affected with some kind of mental illness then you realize. 

            Mass shootings are no doubt tragic, scary, and becoming a part of everyday life, you don’t know if you are safe anymore at everyday places like; school, the movies, or work.  Many call for tougher gun laws and question the mental health of the shooter.  In the 72 mass shootings since 1982 only 14 of the shooters obtained their guns illegally, while 2/3s of the shooters had some form of mental illness at the time of the shootings.  The bigger issue s mental health not gun control, we already have laws to try and prevent certain people from drinking, or doing drugs but those don’t work.  If someone wants to drink, do drugs, or shoot someone a law isn’t going to stop them.  What we need is to focus on mental health care and holding people accountable for their own actions, or from not addressing the issue when someone thinks they know someone who will commit some kind of mass tragedy. 

References

Follman, Mark, Gaven Aronsen, and Deanna Pan. "A Guide to Mass Shootings in America." Mother Jones. 2 Oct. 2015. Web. 19 Oct. 2015.

Armstrong, Paul, and Euan McKirdy. "Mass Shootings Preventable? These Countries Have Tried - CNN.com." CNN. Cable News Network, 2 Oct. 2015. Web. 19 Oct. 2015.

Johnson, Keith. "The 'Ugly' Truth About Mass Shootings - American Free Press." American Free Press The Ugly Truth About Mass Shootings Comments. American Free Press, 31 Jan. 2014. Web. 19 Oct. 2015.

 

3 Causes of Suicide

Author: Essay topic:

3 Causes of Suicide

Why is it important to spread positivity?

  Societies standards of beauty are redundant. Everyone has a different idea of what beauty is. Societies standards of beauty is what you see in magazines usually, but even then society will critique those who are in them. We live in an era where photoshop and editing is huge. We are taught to believe a size two is perfect, while a size 12 is just as perfect. Beauty is not defined by a number.

   

   Society has mixed thoughts on how people should feel about themselves. They believe people who have no self-confidence are attention seekers; yet if you have self-confidence you are perceived as self-centered. I would rather be seen as an attention seeker or self-centered than try to please people I have no attention on being in contact with.

   Society often critiques everything about someone, then when that person takes their life due to those people, they either care or shame them. At society, you need to shush because you’re doing no good. Yes, freedom of speech is a thing, but somethings are best kept unsaid. If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all.

    At humanity, I know how hard it is to just stop caring about what others think and say, however stop trying to please people. You don’t need someone's acceptance to be happy. Do what makes you happy without worrying about what others will think and say. Care about your well-being while being selfless. It’s possible.

   Sexual assault is a topic that’s not talked about very often. It’s a very sensitive topic and when it is talked about, victim shamming is very common. Society often sees those who come out with a sexual assault story as a way to get attention, or sees fault in the victim. There can be both supporting and non-supporting feedback. Which is understandable, however there is no need in being negative, either be supportive or walk away.

    Victim shaming is something that is sadly pretty common. People often ask what they were wearing like clothing is a form of consent. Which it’s not. A person actually has to say yes for it to be consensual. Just because someone is wearing clothing that you think gives you consent, doesn’t mean you have consent. Same goes for someone who seems to be into it. They actually have to give you consent for it to be consensual. Consent is a basic human right.

   I bet a majority of people thing males don’t get sexually assaulted. Just because it’s not talked about often doesn’t mean it’s non-existent. Sexual assault can happen to anyone. One in 6 men have been in a sexually abusive relationship. There’s an average of 12,000 reported sexual assaults of men. 60,000 men each year in the United States alone have been sexually assaulted.

   Before you react to someone coming out about being sexually assaulted, think about how they felt and are still feeling. They have enough self-blame, shame, depression, fear, anxiety, ect. They don’t need others adding onto that making it worse. Be thoughtful, kind, caring, and loving. If you can’t do that, the best thing to do is to walk away.

  Bullying is incredibly common. It happens all over the world. 1 in 4 teachers see nothing wrong with it and will only intervene 4% of the time. Which I find hard to believe, however it could also be true, sadly. They way I see bullying is that the bully usually has something going on and doesn’t know how to cope with it or handle it. Which can result in being violent and/or verbal towards someone else. The person being bullied can either handle it will or handle it badly, it’s 50/50. Handling bullying is tricky. The bully usually acts like nothing is happening while the victim says that it’s okay. The outcome can either be good or bad.  

  My advice for who's being bullied is to talk about it, bottling it up does no good. Being open about it is one of the best things you can do along with not giving in. Eventually it will get better. Be the bigger person. Stand tall with your head held high. You can get through anything.

 In reality suicide is an effect of these causes. Suicide is an extremely real thing. I know how hard it is at believing that you’re not alone and that there is a purpose as to why you’re here. It takes time to realize it. Always remember that you are important, you are loved, and you are cared about. Even when life doesn’t seem like it’s going to be okay, it will end up being okay. You’re going to be okay. Don’t hesitate to tell your loved ones how much they mean to you. Spread so much love and positivity around. Be others sunshines and rocks. Don’t be afraid to seek help. There are people out there willing to help you and be there for you every step of the way. You are worthwhile but most importantly, you are enough. Life has it’s bad times but it won’t stay like that forever. There’s so much living proof that it gets better, just give it time. Life will always has it’s bumps. The things life throws at us is to help us grow and to learn. We’re all not perfect and that is completely okay. Suicide eliminates the possibility of life ever getting better. Be there to see the change.  

 The answer of why you should spread positivity is that it can make a great impact on others lives. Society as a whole is so negative and feeds off things that aren’t even important. Instead of being negative about everything and towards everything, spread positivity. Make the change of being a brighter person because even with one person being positive, it can make an incredible impact.

Beauty Shouldn't Be Painful

Author: Tabitha Daniels
Essay topic: Body Image

Beauty Shouldn’t Be Painful

Imagine your best friend skipping lunch at school. Once they go home, they go to their room and spend hours looking at themselves in the mirror, instead of doing homework. Then, they help get dinner ready, but don’t eat. It’s time for bed, but they exercise until midnight. They get ready to go to sleep: get in bed and go on Facebook. On Facebook is tons of popular cheerleaders that go to your school, as well as flawless models from all around the world. You know your best friend has had issues since you two were little, before school and exposure to media. What’s the problem here? Body image: poor body image. Media, peers, and even self influence is to blame for poor body image.

Media is everywhere, and seeing the harsh images 24/7 will have a huge impact on each individual's body image. This teaches younger children growing up in this society that you have to look this way to be considered attractive. Models and photo editing programs are mostly to blame for these horrendous unachievable images. Media plays a big part in influencing all of our opinions of ourselves. In the article “The Issue” in “NYC Girl’s Project” it states “63 percent of girls think the body image represented by the fashion industry is unrealistic and 47 percent think it is unhealthy, yet 60 percent say that they compare their bodies to fashion models, 48 percent wish they were as skinny as the models in fashion magazines, and 31 percent of girls admit to starving themselves or refusing to eat as a strategy to lose weight.” This is horrendous. A “harmless” advertisement that shows unrealistic images of the ‘perfect’ body. When kids, teens, and even adults, compare themselves to models or actors, it harms their self esteem. Media is essentially destroying our world’s self esteem.

Peers also have a vast play into what we see ourselves as. Whether it's bullying or overhearing a conversation about something negative towards self body image, it can impact you. Peer pressure and bullying are two major issues with society today. When you are bullied to the the point that you don't see yourself how other civilized people see you, it's just flat out mean. As well as pressuring someone to do something they don't really want to do, is just cruel. In the Livescience article “Peers, Not TV, Influence Girls’ Body Image: Study” states, “A new study found that girls might actually feel the biggest pressure to be thin from comparing themselves with their peers.” and "This suggests that peer competition is more salient to body and eating issues in teenage girls." Peers around you can also be a substantial impact on your own body image.

Being born with the natural harsh judgement is also a big reason of having poor body image.  In the Livescience article “Peers, Not TV, Influence Girls’ Body Image: Study” it declares that another study including a large survey of twins in Michigan: 343 female twins ages 12 to 22. Some questions that were asked were about how much they wanted to look like women they saw on television, in magazines and in advertisements.

“The researchers then compared how identical and fraternal twin pairs answered the questions. Because siblings are raised in very similar environments, the difference between fraternal twins, who share about half of their genes, and identical twins, who share all of their genes, would suggest a genetic underpinning to body dissatisfaction.” What was found was the more similar genes, the more similar answers. When we start paying attention to our looks, what we think, or what we do, at a young age, we carry that with us throughout our lives. Some people are born with perfectionism, some aren't, but for those who are, it's a curse and a blessing. It can help motivate you to complete a task, or it can stress you out to the point of giving up all together. Either way, perfectionism is a gift, and curse, that can also have a big impact on how you see your body.

In the long run, body image has many influences for each individual person. Body dysmorphic disorder is an impact of negative self image. BDD (body dysmorphic disorder) can lead to other terrible behaviors such as eating disorders, depression, self harm, and suicide. In the article “Body Dysmorphic Disorder” it shows, “In cases of BDD, social isolation can occur if the person becomes too self-conscious to go out in public. This also can have a negative impact on school or work. People with BDD also are at high risk for developing major depression, and the distress associated with the disorder puts people with BDD at high risk for suicide.” From media, to peers, to oneself, body image is poor due to these influences. We can stop poor body image by providing positive feelings toward our own body and spreading that throughout the world.

Works Cited Page

http://www.livescience.com/26740-peers-girls-body-image.html

http://www.secureteen.com/peer-pressure/is-poor-body-image-caused-by-peer-pressure/

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/body-dysmorphia/pages/introduction.aspx

http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/mental-health-body-dysmorphic-disorder?page=3#1

http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/mental-health-body-dysmorphic-disorder?page=3#1

http://www.nyc.gov/html/girls/html/issues/issues.shtml

https://www.justsayyes.org/topics/self-image-media-influences/

Hazlewood World Hunger Contemporary Essay

Adryanne Hazlewood

October 19th, 2015

English 10

Long

                        Empty bowl

It’s Saturday afternoon. After a challenging day of studying and four hours of volleyball practice, my stomach grumbles. I am starving. Then I think to myself I’m not starving. The hunger I feel can’t even be compared to the pain that hunger brings many individuals to endure everyday. There are over 21,000 people that die everyday from world hunger, that means one person every four seconds dies from hunger related causes. Many don’t realize how lucky they are to have a warm meal served to them every night. World hunger has a lot of issues it, denies a person their basic human rights, it can lead to an overwhelming number of deaths, and poverty.  

Humans have always had five basic needs to survive in this world. This includes security, energy, shelter, water and food. When we don’t give everyone their rights it is almost sure to cause problems. We see our rights as property and when we can’t get them we get defensive. People fight to ensure themselves of their rights. Imagine thinking to yourself every night: “When will I get to eat next?” or “Will I survive the night?” For some this is what goes through their mind when they go to bed. It should be considered breaking the law to not give someone a necessity that they have to have to survive, especially when there is enough food in the world to feed everyone. Just because some can’t afford it isn’t fair to deny them their life it is immoral. A psychologist ,Abraham Maslow, once said, “When social conflicts are caused by the denial of one or more of these essential needs, the victims will fight indefinitely for their achievement and will not give up until that goal is attained.” From 2007 to 2008 there had been forty food riots that occurred all around the world. It drove Mexico into poverty because of corn prices, which made up a big portion of Mexico’s diet. Also, the soaring prices in Haiti led to people living on the street and eventually overthrow the prime minister. People fight for what is theirs and that will never change.

It is a proven fact that people can’t live without food. When people don’t eat healthy, proportional meals they develop severe health problems which can lead to death. People can’t live a healthy active life without food. 795 million people don’t possess enough food to live these healthy, active lives, that means one in nine people on Earth aren’t maintaining nutritious and beneficial diets to meet these requirements. The majority of the people who go hungry and die most often are sadly children. 66 million children show up to school hungry everyday, with 23 million in Africa alone. Look at America, we have proportions that are making children obese. Restaurants in America are offering proportions that are ten times the amount of what we should be eating. If we just donate a small amount of food that America has to offer to these developing countries, we would be saving lives. People don’t understand how serious this problem is, people die, a human life is being taken away because they can’t find food or grow their crops fast enough to meet their constant hunger. People are struggling and are trying to reach out for help but not many come to answer their call. We don’t realize how bad this issue is until you are forced to live in it.

Not every poor person is hungry, but almost every hungry person is poor. Many people go hungry simply because they can not afford to buy themselves or their families nutritious foods. Also, people can’t afford farming supplies to start their own gardens so they can grow their own crops. One of the biggest problems today with world hunger is that many people starving are trapped in severe poverty. When people don’t meet the standards to eat healthy meals they become very ill and weak. If you are extremely ill and weak people don’t hire you and that makes it almost impossible to find work. When you can’t find a stable job you become even more hungrier and broke and soon it will eventually lead you into poverty. This downward spiral will keep failing until their death and the deaths of their families and loved ones. Developing countries need our help. A plan to eliminate world hunger for good is difficult but it can be done.   

These are just a few problems that world hunger brings. We need to do something and take action to prevent this from happening. World hunger can’t be stopped alone we all need to work together and actually do something to help the less fortunate. There are many things we can do to help. For example, there are programs being set up where people hire the hungry and instead of money they are being paid with the food that them and their families need. Also, there are academics being used to make students think while giving food to the hungry. There is an online website that asks academic questions which can be used for studying and classwork, and every question you get right ten grains of rice goes to people that need it. The website is called Free Rice, and there are many academic classes you can choose to answer questions and also helps prepare for the ACTs. This is a great way to get people involved, by making them want to learn while doing a great deed to their society. Also, another way to help stop world hunger is to just take some time and donate money to help. Even if you donate five dollars you are still helping the less fortunate and you’re taking action.

Truly, world hunger is a huge, global problem that is being addressed but we need to stop putting up a good talk and take action. Denying a basic right, deaths, and poverty are just a few problems with world hunger today. So the next time that you are “starving” think that just in a few short hours you will get a warm, delicious meal and just be lucky you don't have to wait a week to be fed.  

Bibliography  

"Hunger Statistics | WFP | United Nations World Food Programme."Hunger Statistics | WFP | United Nations World Food Programme - Fighting Hunger Worldwide. WFP UN, n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2015.

"Hunger and World Poverty." Poverty.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2015.

“Hunger - The Hunger Project." The Hunger Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2015.