How Increased Portion Sizes Effect Obesity Drama Essay

How Increased Portion Sizes Effect Obesity Drama Essay Would you like to supersize that? Its a simple question asked to patrons at many national fast food chains. Its actually quite a deal, for cents more you can increase the amount of food and drink you are given. What if by increasing the amount of food you were eating actually increased your chances of developing severe health issues? A persons risk for developing many life-threatening health conditions can be measured by how much excess fat is stored in their fat cells. The United States has had an influx in the number of individuals who are overweight; could supersizing be to blame? While there are other causes for weight gain, increased portion sizes combined with inactivity have had a direct effect on the growing obesity cases. Obesity is a condition in which an individuals body accumulates and stores more fat than what is considered healthy. To determine the amount of fat stored in a persons body, a Body Mass Index (BMI) number is calculated. The formula for determining a persons BMI is the weight (in pounds) divided by the height (in inches) squared multiplying that number by a conversion factor of 703. For example, to determine the BMI number for a person who weighs 150 pounds and is 65 inches tall, the formula would be: [150 Ã · (65) 2] x 703 = 24.96. A BMI range of under 18.5 is considered underweight, the normal range is between 18.5 and 24.9, while 25 29.9 is considered overweight, finally a BMI score of 30 and above is categorized as obese. (CDC, About BMI for Adults, 2009) The BMI calculations are only one small part in determining a persons health risks in relation to weight issues. This calculation does not take into account the difference between muscle and fat weight, so it is possible for som eone to receive a higher BMI number but not have a high body-fat content because of muscle weight. It is important to take this into account when calculating ones body mass index number. One of the first actions taken by a technician when a patient is seen by a physician is they are asked to step on a scale. Then they are either asked how tall they are, or are physically measured. It is not a coincidence that these are the two measurements needed to calculate an individuals body mass index. The BMI ranges are based on a documented relationship between body weight, disease and death and are used as a tool to identify increased risk for diseases and health conditions. Obesity is a contributing factor for several severe health conditions and diseases, most of which have proven to be life-threatening. These conditions include hypertension, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea and respiratory problems, dyslipidemia, osteoarthritis, and some cancers to include endometrial, breast and, colon cancer. Even though being overweight contributes directly to the development of such severe health problems, the rates of diagnosed cases of obesity have steadily increased over the past two decades. (CDC, Overweight and Obesity, 2007) According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, during the past 20 years there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in the United States. (2007) The CDC collected information on the rise in obesity through the CDCs Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, (BRFSS). In 1985, the CDC had gathered data for only 21 states which showed no more than 14% of each states population diagnosed with obesity. In 2008, the CDC collected data on all 50 states; of which Colorado held the lowest percentage of obesity cases at 15-19%; however all other states were recorded between 20-30% of their population were severely overweight. (CDC, Overweight and Obesity, 2007) Andrew Cates, Portion distortion analysis of food portion size to aid in weight control (2003), states According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average number of calories Americans eat each day has risen from 1,854 to 2,002 during the past 20 years. That increase of 148 calories per day works out to 15 pound s of extra weight each year. (2003) This data shows Americans are eating more today than what they were twenty years ago. However, the increased calorie intake alone is only part of the cause for the increased obesity in the United States. While other causes for obesity include genetics, disease, and medication side effects; consuming large portions of food without expending enough energy to compensate is considered to be the root cause of weight gain. For example, a typical meal from a popular fast-food restaurant consists of a cheeseburger with condiments (760 calories), medium fries (360 calories) and a 22 fluid ounce soft drink (200 calories) for a minimum total of 1320 calories ingested. An average adult weighing 180 pounds would have to walk at a pace of four miles per hour for 4.02 hours or run at a pace of 6.7 miles per hour for 1.6 hours to burn off the calories ingested at this typical meal. However, the average American does not maintain physical activities for extended periods after each meal; therefore not exerting enough energy to fully expend the large number of calories. This results in excess calories to be in the bodys fat cells, thus causing an increase in weight. Consider the diet of a professional athlete, these individuals can take in roughly 12000 calories per day, but maintain a lean muscle mass and body strength. They use every calorie ingested for fuel during physical training. For the average human, this high calorie diet is highly dangerous. While the increased consumption of calories is a global trend, the supersizing of fast food menu items has made the obesity epidemic worse for those living in the United States. (CalorieLab, 2007) Lisa R. Young, PhD, RD and Marion Nestle, PhD, MPH conducted and documented a study titled The Contribution of Expanding Portion Sizes to the US Obesity Epidemic. This study compared past food portions to those currently sold to document historical changes. One example of the effect supersizing has had on the typical caloric intake was the comparison of soft drink sizes served at a McDonalds in the United States versus those sold at McDonalds in the United Kingdom. Notably, the sizes of chain fast-food portions in Europe are smaller than those in the United States. McDonalds Extra Large soda portions in London, Rome, and Dublin weigh the same as the US Large.' (Young and Nestle, 2002) The study also noted the largest size of McDonalds fries sold in the United States in 1998-1999 contained 610 calories, during that time the United Kingdoms largest fry size contained 446 calories. While the serving sizes at fast food restaurants in America seem to be larger in comparison to other count ries, this does not mean the restaurants are the only cause for Americas increases in obesity cases. Are restaurants largely at fault for the increase obesity rates in the United States? Because of data on portion sizes, it wouldnt be incorrect to place some blame on the food marketing industry. But this industry runs off supply-and-demand, if there was no demand for larger portion sizes theoretically the sizes would be reduced. Additionally, when faced with the increased portion sizes, consumers are more likely to ignore the recommended sizes and will attempt to ingest what they are served. In addition to high-calorie meals, additional excess calories are taken in throughout the day by snack foods, sodas, flavored waters, candy, and even gum. Nearly everything taken into a persons body through consumption contains a number of calories. As discussed before, the ingestion of excess calories is not what causes the build-up in body fat, but rather the lack of energy used to expend the calories. So does supersized food lead to supersized people? This seems to be the case for the average person who dines on large portions without expending the needed energy to burn through the extra calories. While there are other causes for weight gain, increased portion sizes combined with inactivity have had a direct effect on the growing obesity cases. The amount of food ingested is only part of the cause for the obesity epidemic, combine it with the decrease in daily activity and what is left is the formula for an unhealthy, possibly fatal medical condition that takes years to overcome. Would you still like to supersize that? Reference Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.(2007).Overweight and Obesity: Home.Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2009). About BMI for Adults. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/adult_bmi/index.html CalorieLab. (2007). Burger King Calorie Counter. Retrieved from http://calorielab.com/restaurants/burger-king/3 Cates, A. (2003). Portion Distortion Analysis of Food Portion Size to Aid in Weight Control. Retrieved from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0826/is_6_19/ai_111111456/ Rolls, B.J., Roe, L.S., Meengs J.S.(2007).The effect of large portion sizes on energy intake is sustained for 11 days.Department of Nutritional Sciences, Pennsylvania State University.Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17557991 Young, L.R. Nestle M. (2002). The Contribution of Expanding Portion Sizes to the US Obesity Epidemic. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1447051/

Case Study †Peter and Jackie Essay

1. What factors in Peter’s and Jackie’s family backgrounds increased their risk of divorce? The factors that occurred in Peter’s family background that increased his and Jackie’s risk of divorce is when Peter was 14 his parents divorced as well his father had an affair with another woman which later got them married. As well Peter’s mother, Ethel had left to England because she never really liked the lifestyle in Canada to start off with and she only immigrated there to improve her marriage life with her husband, and since that did not work out, she left. Whereas Jackie had left her home at her teenage years leaving her family behind in rural Alberta, Jackie had migrated to Ontario. 2. Why do you think Jackie married Peter? I think that Jackie married Peter because they both had shared many things in common, most of all they had married because they both didn’t have that family relationship with their parent and siblings. As well both of them felt strongly attracted to each other when they had met at Thunder Bay, both of them were seeking companionship and intimacy. As both of them are from outside the Thunder Bay area, it naturally drew them together. Most of all as being a couple gave them a sense of family that neither of them had experienced for a long time. Eventually their relationship became stronger and they got married within three months. 3. Identify the causes of Jackie’s infidelity. The causes of Jackie’s infidelity that were affected is by moving to Brampton, where she had completely cut herself off from her family of origin to become closer to Peter’s extended family. She also worked long hours of part-time job and and on top of that going to school had put a strain on her and Peter’s relationship and eventually she ended up in the hospital with a nervous breakdown. As well their relationship changed irreversibly and Jackie seemed to have no interest in making the marriage work and she spent less and less time with Peter as she was spending more time with her girlfriend whom she met had at her College. Peter and Jackie constantly got into arguments as it irritated Peter that she spends more time with her girlfriend than with him. Eventually she confronted Peter that she just realized she is a lesbian and has an affair with her girlfriend. Jackie left Peter and moved to Toronto with her girlfriend. 4. How might Peter’s relationship with Jackie have affected his subsequent relationships? Peter’s relationship with Jackie might have affected his subsequent relationships by the emotional stress and pain that he had sustained. In fact, he put his best effort into recovering from their relationship and felt like he failed as a husband in the relationship that he worked hard for to make the marriage successful. This loss eventually pursued him to find another partner but that did not lead to a marriage and the commitment he expected. The emotional stress that was gained from the elopement of Jackie definitely was in the mind of Peter which made him uncomfortable to move on in life and eventually led to a stroke which had prevented him from working and suffered from depression. 5. Why was there underlying conflict in Peter’s relationship with Mary, even though Mary was 43 when they started living together? What problems might that conflict have caused in their relationship? There was underlying conflict in Peter’s relationship with Mary, even though Mary was 43 when they started living together because Mary did not want to lose her right to pass on the status to her children by marrying a non-status man. The problems that might have been caused in their relationship are for a very depressing view on Mary by the society and culture she came from. She would seem lonely and as a result, she may start to regret the marriage and if she had children, the children would also be strongly affected. Frankly, the loss of her status would change her whole life and it is a big sacrifice especially when she grew up learning about her culture and how she attained the particular status if she had married Peter. 6. Suggest reasons why Peter’s history of intimate relationships with Lisa and Mary differs from that of his siblings. Peter’s history of intimate relationships with Lisa and Mary differs from that of his siblings because both Lisa and Peter have come from parents that have divorced, thus having a background of understanding what a good marriage looks like. Mary cohabitated and had parents who also cohabitated where marriage was not a true definition in their background. Since the background of both Mary and Lisa do not define marriage or had a troubled married life from their parents, it is evident that Peter’s relationships were weak and did not lead to a marriage. His siblings on the other hand would have found partners that came from parents that shared a great and supportive married lifestyle, thus pursuing them to follow their path.

A God Divided: Understanding the Differences Between Islam, Christianity and Judaism Essay

Christianity, Islam and Judaism, are the world’s greatest monotheist faiths. These faiths have some similarities and differences. In this paper analysis of what is common amongst Islam, Judaism and Christianity is analyzed at an in-depth level. Islam is the world’s largest religion after Christianity. It is a monotheistic faith that traces its roots in the Middle East. Many of its practices and beliefs are similarity with Christianity and Judaism. Judaism, Islam and Christianity, are referred collectively as â€Å"Abrahamic religion† since their history could be traced to God’s covenant with Abraham in the Hebrews Bible. It is believed that Prophet Muhammad met Christians and Jews in his lifetime and as such Islam has come into contact with similar monotheistic religions throughout its history (Paterson 216). The following paragraphs give the differences and similarities between Islam, Christianity and Judaism. It gives a detailed analysis of statistics, h istory, religious beliefs and origin of the greatest monotheistic faiths. The adherents of Christianity, Judaism and Islam respectively are 2billion Christians, 14 million Jews and over one billion Muslims. Compared to other faiths in the world, Christianity is the largest faith, then Islam and Judaism ranks 12 amongst world faiths. The major concentration of Islam is South East Asia and Middle East. Judaism concentration is in America, Europe and Israel. Christianity has a fast growth in Africa, Europe, North and South America. Islam’s sacred text is the Koran, for the Jews it is the bible and the Christians it is the Jewish bible and the New Testament. Other written authorities by these faiths are: hadith for the Muslims, Midrash, Talmud and Responsa for the Jews. The Christians consider especially the Catholics consider church councils, papal decrees, church fathers as having written authority. The three religions both have religious law (Catherwood 192). For the Christians, it is the Canon law, for Muslim it is the sharia law, for Jews it is the Halakhah. Another similarity amongst the three faiths is the presence of the clergy. For the Muslims the clergy is made up of imams, the Jews have rabbis and the Christian’s clergy comprises of the priests, ministers, bishops and pastors. The three faiths both have a house of worship. The Jews worship at the synagogue, the Muslims at the mosque and Christians at the church, cathedral or chapel. Christianity, Islam and Judaism also have a similarity in the sense that they have a specific day of worship. Christians worship on Sunday, Muslim on Friday and Jews on Saturday. For church and state, Islam the religion is integrated to the state while, for Christianity and Judaism, it is separate. For the origin and history of these faiths, Islam was founded in 622 CE, Christianity in c. 33 CE and the dates for beginning of Judaism are still unknown. Judaism and Christianity were founded in Palestine while Islam was founded in Saudi Arabia. Both faiths had founders. The founder of Christianity is Jesus, for Islam it is Muhammad and for Judaism it is Moses or Abraham. Both faiths have an original language. The original language of Islam was Arabic, for Judaism it was Hebrew and for Christianity, it was Aramaic and Greek. Both faiths had an early expansion plan. For Islam, in 12 years, the entire Arabic Peninsula had Islam and in a century, Islamism stretched throughout the Atlantic to China. Judaism had small expansion that was limited to the Palestine regions only. In 60 years, Christianity had expanded and had churches in cities in Turkey, Rome, Palestine and Greek; by the 4th century their expansion was throughout the entire Roman Empire. Another similarity amongst the three faiths is the major splits aspects. In Islam, the split was in 650 CE amongst the Shia and Sunni. For Judaism, in the 1800s CE the split was amongst the Reform and Orthodox. Amongst the Christians, the splits were two in1054 CE amongst the catholic and orthodox and in1500s CE amongst the catholic and Protestants. Similarity could also be made on the religious beliefs amongst Christians, Islam and Judaism. For Islam and Judaism, they are strictly monotheist while Christians are Trinitarian monotheist (David 37). Another common characteristic in the belief system of the three faiths is the ultimate reality where Christianity, Judaism and Islam have one God. The three faiths have names for God. Muslims refer to Him as Allah which is Arabic for God. Jews refer to Him as Yahweh and Elohim while Christians refer to him as the holy trinity and Yahweh. The three faiths both believe in other spiritual beings like for the Islam, they have demons, angels and jinn. The Jews and Christians have demons and angels. Another common characteristic of the three faiths religious beliefs are the revered humans. The Shia Muslims have prophets and imams while the Jews have prophets. The Christians have saints and church fathers. The religious views of the three faiths on the Jesus Christ’s identity are different and similar in some way. The Muslim believes that He is God’s true prophet whose message has been corrupted. The Jews consider him a false prophet while the Christians believe he is the son of God, the world’s savior and God incarnate. The Christians and Muslims believe the birth of Jesus was a virgin birth while the Jew believes it was just a normal birth. The Christians and Jews believe that Jesus died by crucifixion on the cross while the Muslims believe He did not die but ascended into heaven during crucifixion. On the resurrection of Jesus, the Muslims and Jews denied it while the Christians affirm it. On the second coming of Jesus, the Muslims and Christians affirmed it while the Jews deny it. The three faiths also have a similarity in terms of divine revelation where the Muslims believe it is through Muhammad as written in the Quran. The Jews believe through prophets as written in the bible and the Christians through prophets and Jesus as written in the bible. Another similarity of the three faiths in religious beliefs is their views on the sacred text. The Christians and the Muslims believe that the sacred text is inspired, and it is the literal word of God and some believe inerrant in original languages. For Judaism, the views vary. The three faiths also have a similarity on human nature. The Jews and Muslims believe on the equal ability for humans to do right or evil while the Christians believe on the original sin from Adam on the tendency towards evil. Another outstanding similarity amongst the three faiths is the religious belief on means of salvation. They all believe that means to salvation is the through righteous deeds. However, some Christians believe in sacraments while the Protestants believe the means to salvation is through faith only (David 307). They also have a similarity on God’s role in salvation. The Muslims and Christians believe it is the predestination while the Jews believe it is the divine revelation and forgiveness. The religious belief of Christians and Muslims on the good afterlife is similar as they believe in eternal paradise while the Jews views vary as it is either no afterlife or heaven. On bad afterlife, Christians and Muslim believe in eternal hell. For Catholics, they believe in temporary purgatory. The views of Jews on the bad afterlife vary from, reincarnation, eternal Gehenna or no afterlife. The view of the three faiths on fellow Abrahamic religions is similar and positive. The Muslims bel ieve that Christians and Jews are people of the book and are respected but have partial revelations and wrong beliefs. The Jews believe that Christianity and Islam are false interpretation of Judaism. Christians, on the other hand, believe that Islamism is a false religion and Judaism has false interpretation but is a true religion. Both Christians and Muslims believe in the presence of the clergy. The Muslim clergy is made up of imams while that of Christians comprises of bishops, ministers, priests and pastors. Both religions have a house of worship. Muslims worship at the mosque while Christians worship in a church, chapel or cathedral. Both Muslims and Christians have a specific day set aside for worship (Novak, 2001). Most Christians worship on Sunday or Saturday, while the Islamic day of worship is Friday. The Islamic religion is integrated to the state while that of Christianity is separate. Muhammad is believed to be the founder of the Islamic religion while the founder of Christianity is Jesus. The original language used by Muslims was Arabic and that of Christians was Aramaic and Greek. The two religions concur on the perspective of human nature whereby Muslims believe in the equal ability for humans to do right or evil while the Christians believe on the original sin from Adam on the trend towards evi l. Islam and Christianity have specific religious beliefs that are different. Muslims are strictly monotheist while Christians are Trinitarian monotheist. The two religions have a common feature in the belief system as evidenced by their ultimate reality and worship for one supernatural being-God. The only difference is the name they use for God. The Muslim name for God is Allah which is Arabic for God and that of Christians is the Holy Trinity or Yahweh. Another similarity of the two religions in religious beliefs is their views on the sacred text. The Christians and the Muslims believe that the sacred text is inspired, and it is the truthful word of God and some believe inerrant in original languages Another outstanding similarity amongst the Christians, Muslims and Jews is rituals. All the three faiths conduct rituals to fit in their faiths. In Christianity, amongst the Catholics, there is the sacrament, which includes the Holy Eucharist and Baptism. In Roman Catholicism, other rituals are included like: Confirmation, Penance, Holy Orders, Marriages and Anointment of the sick. Prayer is a part of the faith too. In Islamism, there are five fundamental rituals considered as the pillars of Islam. They include the Shaddah which is the faith profession, salat which is five times daily prayer, zakat which is alms giving, sawm which is fasting in Ramadan and hajj that is the pilgrimage to Mecca. The Jewish rituals include the circumcision of new born males, bar mitzvah that is a ceremony celebrating the adulthood of Jewish boys and shabat which is Sabbath observation. The religious views of the three faiths on the Jesus Christ’s identity are different and similar in some way. The Muslim believes that He is God’s true prophet whose message has been corrupted (Catherwood 192). The Jews consider him a false prophet while the Christians believe he is the son of God, the world’s savior and God incarnate. The Christians and Muslims believe the birth of Jesus was a virgin birth while the Jew believes it was just a normal birth. The Christians and Jews believe that Jesus died by crucifixion on the cross while the Muslims believe He did not die but ascended into heaven during crucifixion. On the resurrection of Jesus, the Muslims and Jews denied it while the Christians affirm it. On the second coming of Jesus, the Muslims and Christians affirmed it while the Jews deny it. The three faiths also have a similarity in terms of divine revelation where the Muslims believe it is through Muhammad as written in the Quran. The Jews believe through prophets as written in the bible and the Christians through prophets and Jesus as written in the bible. In conclusion, most believers in the current world still have no precise basis for their beliefs. It is important for both Muslims and Christians to have sound knowledge and perspectives in their beliefs. This is because there have been many attempts to redefine religion to fit in the current social agendas. References Catherwood, Christopher. A God Divided: Understanding the Differences Between Islam, Christianity and Judaism. Eastbourne: David C Cook, 2007. Liepert, David. Muslim, Christian, and Jew: Finding a Path to Peace Our Faiths Can Share. Nottingham: Faith of Life Publishing, 2010. Paterson, Andrea C. Three Monotheistic Faiths – Judaism, Christianity, Islam: An Analysis and Brief History. New York: AuthorHouse, 2009. Source document

Theu.s. Population, Have A Higher Risk Of Suicide - 884 Words

Veterans, compared to the U.S. population, have a higher risk of suicide. Suicide is a major public health concern, with suicide being the 11th leading cause of death across all ages and the seventh leading cause of death in males. Depression, PTSD, substance use disorders, access to firearms, and a history of self-harm or suicide attempts are factors that place veterans at higher risk for suicide. The increased risk for suicide among veterans has been brought to public attention, which has lead The Department of Veteran Affairs to announce the prevention of suicide to be a major national priority. In response to the increase in suicide rates, the Department of Veteran Affairs has created a comprehensive suicide prevention efforts and has collaborated with the of Defense (DoD) to develop a clinical practice guideline based on best available evidence and expert consensus (Chapman Ibrahim, 2015). The Department of Veteran Affair and the Department of Defense have created a Clinical Practice Guideline for the Assessment and Management of Suicide Risk. This guideline was created based off of scientific knowledge and research. The guideline looks for several factors to assess the risk of suicide in veterans, including demographic and family history, psychiatric factors, access to means, and protective factors. The Department of Veteran Affairs used a multifaceted approach when creating the suicide prevention program in order to reduce suicide in the veteran population.