17. March 2010 by student.

The issue of overweight and obesity has increased over the years among genders, affecting people of all ages, all racial/ethnic groups, and all educational levels, but the people that are most at risk are children and teenagers.

Approximately nine million American children over 6 years old are considered obese according to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. Ten years ago it was unheard of a child being diagnosed with type-2 diabetes, now it’s a regular problem. Obesity in children also links to apnea, high cholesterol, liver diseases, and asthma. There is no accurate answer as to why a child is obese simply because every child’s situation is different and there are many factors to look at, but according to the American Obesity Association it is a combination of both lack of physical activity and eating habits. A child consuming more calories than they are burning can result in weight gain. A consumption of high calorie convenience foods, beverages and more meals eaten away from home can also contribute to childhood overweight. Being physical has positive effects on the body such as body weight, blood pressure and bone strength. It has also been shown that physically active children are more likely to stay active into adolescence and adulthood.

More kids spend time in front of the television than they do going outside and doing physical activities such as playing sports or riding bikes. In an article found on MSN Encarta, the average child spends 27 hours a week in front of a television. Studies show that children’s exposure at home and their lifestyles may encourage or discourage eating habits for example like over exposure to advertising for fast food, poor parental examples or socioeconomic status.

I believe one of the main causes of child obesity is poor nutrition. A lot of parents try to help their kids eat healthy and prevent them from eating certain foods and yet they are still eating junk food. You cannot tell your kids they cannot do something and still do it yourself. Parents have to be an example for their kids and show them what good eating habits are. Lifestyles and behaviors are established early; therefore healthy behaviors should be encouraged at an early age to promote healthy weight. Parents should try and eat more often with their kids, with that they can help control more on what they eat and how much they eat. As for those kids who have working parents, the parents should try and make a healthy meal the night before so that their child can have a healthy lunch after school. This can help discourage your kids from buying fast food since there is food for them prepared and ready to heat up when they get home. Families should also remove all junk food from their house and replace it with healthy snacks such as fruits or granola bars so their kids remain eating healthy throughout the day.

Parents should also encourage their kids to exercise daily.  Kids are sometimes scared to try new things, exercising with your child will not only help you bond with them, but it will also encourage them to exercise since you will be right next to them doing it with them. Find something that is fun for the both of you so they don’t see exercise as something they “have” to do but rather something fun they can do with you. Reducing sedentary activities can also prevent your child from wanting to sit home all day. Manage the time your kids can watch TV, only have a TV in the living room and do not allow your child to have a TV or videos games in their room.

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17. March 2010 by student.

Sexting is a growing trend within American teens. Many of these teens do not realize the major consequences, as most teens don’t. looking into the future wasn’t one of my strong suits when I was a teen. I thought in the moment, whatever made me or others happy at that moment was what really counted. I feel as if most of the teens who are sending nude, semi nude or sexually suggestive messages are thinking just like I did. Statistics states that 20% of overall teens have at one point sent a nude or semi nude picture of themselves. 39% of all teens have sent or posted a sexually suggestive message, here lies a small portion of the problem. The larger problem is that 44% of teen boys and girls say its common for these messages to be shared with people other than the intended recipient. This is a growing problem in today’s society because teens are being irresponsible and not looking into the future. In many states teens that are sharing nude or semi nude photos can be charges as an adult for creating, possessing, and distributing child pornography which is a felony and results in becoming a registered sex offender for a minimum of 10 years. Parents need to talk to their children before these acts start taking place. Showing teens the major consequences one tiny picture message can have legally and in their personal like can save their teens from a lot of unnecessary heartache.

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17. March 2010 by student.

Teen pregnancy is no doubt a rapidly growing phenomenon in the Unites States. Of all western industrial societies, the United States has the highest rates of teenage pregnancy and births, even though the rates have dropped since the 1990’s. According to the National Center of Health Statistics:

-750,000 teenagers will become pregnant in one year.

- The highest rate of teen pregnancy is in Nevada at 113 teen pregnancies per 1000, and the lowest rate of teen pregnancy is in North Dakota at 42 per 1000.

-24% of all unmarried expectant mothers are teenagers.

-10% of all births are from teen mothers.

-2/3 of all teenagers who have a child will not graduate high school.

These numbers are really frightening to me. They make me wonder what the problems are with educational systems in America. When I was in middle school I was taught about sex and its repercussions, and how to prevent becoming pregnant. We saw grotesque pictures of sexually transmitted diseases and learned that condoms do not protect against catching those STD’s. We learned about abstinence, and about waiting until you were married, and about birth control if you chose not to wait. By the time I was a teenager, I had an extensive understanding of the reproductive system and of all of the ways to prevent contracting a disease, or becoming pregnant. What I do not understand, is how some schools are refusing to teach any methods of protection other than abstinence. The Bush administration spent millions of dollars, 135 to be exact, on an abstinence-only based curriculum in schools. According to studies done over a three year period of students who were on an abstinence only based curriculum, were more prone to sexual acts, pregnancies, and contracting sexually transmitted diseases. But still, schools are refusing to teach an open minded, “medically accurate” type of curriculum. Rebecca Vesely, author of “Some States rejecting Abstinence only Sex-Ed”, said this, “A 2000 report by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 32 states do not even require sex education, leaving the decision up to school districts. One-third of public secondary schools in the United States teach an “abstinence only until marriage” curriculum, which discourages sex outside of heterosexual marriage, according to The Alan Guttmacher Institute. Other schools embrace so-called comprehensive education, teaching contraception methods and stressing abstinence. As a result, what adolescents learn differs not just from state to state, but often from school to school.”I firmly believe that as a society we need to pull together and realize the reality of the situation that we are putting our youth in. We are telling them to control their hormones and do nothing about their sexual desires until marriage. We are throwing them into a cruel and real world where sex is attractive to them, and sex is what everyone else is doing. It’s hard to face it, and I know that most adults do not want to picture their children in such mind sets, but it is true and it is a harsh reality that we can no longer deny. Regardless of what you teach them in school, teenagers are going to have sex if that’s what they choose to do. So we can either let them have sex without knowing about any ways to protect themselves, or we can educate them and hope that with all of the information they have they can make the best decisions for themselves. I was taught in depth about protecting one’s self and I do believe that the curriculum I was taught helped me to cope better with the situations I was in as a teenager. Most teenagers are going to have sexual intercourse, either they will know how to protect themselves as best as possible, or they will have no idea of the repercussions because they were not taught, and they will do it without protection. Statistics prove this:-          As of January 2010, 46% of all 15-19 year olds in the United States have had sex at least once.-          By age 15, 13% of teens have had sex. 

The statistics prove it, and it is about as obvious as it can get. Though pregnancy rates have been declining, and more and more teenagers are starting to use contraceptives, the rates of teen pregnancy would plummet even lower if teens were taught sexual education in schools. I firmly believe that if schools taught just one, open minded, medically accurate, sexual education class, more teens would use protection, and pregnancy rates would decline.

Posted in Introduction to Sociology | 2 Comments »

17. March 2010 by student.

Legalization of Marijuana

For years, the debates of whether or not making Marijuana has been an issue that people do not want to discuss.  Whether or not people enjoy smoking Marijuana, people know what it is and its affects. Policymakers in the US say that the use of pot is hazardous.  This is true because it can become a gateway drug to more dangerous drugs such as cocaine, heroin, meth, etc.  Drugs are more readily available as the years go on. However, not much legal action has been taken upon this issue.  It is obviously illegal to have possession of Marijuana, but why is it okay for certain people with medical issues to use it?

Stephen T. Easton argues that if marijuana was legalized, we could transfer these excess profits caused by the risk-premium from these grow operations to the government.  One thing this could solve is the issue of illegal selling of drugs.  The government would tax Marijuana just like the tax cigarettes. This could bring revenue of over 2 billion dollars the government.  I believe this would change the demand of Marijuana. If it were legalized, the demand would rise and the price would most likely rise. The price of pot remains the same for a street price, but once it becomes legalized, it will go up because the government would want to take advantage of it. But I don’t think that it will change that much.  People who do not regularly smoke pot would most likely buy from the government maybe just to try it or their “regular dealers” wouldn’t sell anymore.  Dealers that already sell now would possibly lower their price or up the quality of their product to keep their customers since the government would be a competitor.If the government legalized marijuana, they would most likely make regulations and laws to go with the legalization. According to health physicians, they say that marijuana can cause mental health problems. Smoking marijuana can lead to increased anxiety, panic attacks, depression, social withdrawal, and other mental health problems, particularly for teens. Research shows that kids aged 12 to 17 who smoke marijuana weekly are three times more likely than nonusers to have suicidal thoughts. For young people, whose brains are still developing, these effects are particularly problematic and jeopardize their ability to achieve their full potential. Some people say that marijuana is not harmful, but any drug is harmful. I think people have the right to smoke marijuana just like people can smoke cigarettes legally. Cigarettes can kill you, but I have never heard of anyone dying from smoking marijuana. Katt William’s once said in a comedic performance, “I ain’t ever heard nobody dying from smoking weed, but if you take 14 tylenol, that will be your last headache.” Think about that! He also said that it only has three side-effects: Hungry, Happy, and Sleepy. And those three side effects are ones that people feel normally without weed.

Also, I can also understand why the government wouldn’t want to legalize marijuana. The day that pot is legal, everyone will know about it. It would be a day in history that everyone would remember and it could even become a holiday. Young children, teenagers, and young adults that hold the future of our country in their hands would want to try marijuana. And the people who have never tried it will also want to have an experience with marijuana since it would be legal. People who do smoke pot sometimes lose sight of their values and priorities. If everyone could smoke marijuana without any legal consequence and no chance of getting caught, they everyone would do it because it would be the “new thing”. Getting high effects people in different ways, but most people don’t do effective things when they are high.  I can see it becoming a chain effect of people smoking weed and saying that they don’t want to go to work because they lose sight of their priorities in life. It’s a chance that the government does not want to take.

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17. March 2010 by student.

Dieting is overwhelming the United States.  Over sixty million Americans are obese; that is one in three adults. Obesity and overweight issues make dieting an even bigger trend among the American population.  There is a constant reminder of the “perfect physical image” everywhere.  Whether it is on the television, in a magazine, or even on a billboard, dieting has somehow affected millions of people in this country.  However, one issue that people do not understand is that all diets do not work for everyone.  Despite the need for Americans to lose weight, Americans need to realize the difference between fads and healthy lifestyles.  Everyone is different.  So a diet, a weight loss supplement, or an extreme diet does not work for everyone.            There are a few approaches to dieting people make that are called “eating errors”.  One example of an eating error is not eating for long periods of time between meals.  People think that skipping meals will cause weight loss.  Instead, people who skip meals just end up being hungry.  The metabolism slows down when there is not enough food in a diet.  Studies show that eating every three to four hours speeds up metabolism. Also, people who do eat breakfast in the morning have kept off their inches and pounds that  have they lost.            Another eating error that people usually mistake as a weight loss strategy is the “I’m not going to eat now, I can splurge later” saying.  The holidays are usually a bad time for anyone to diet.  Trying not to eat before a big meal and then splurging with multiple servings is not necessarily healthy.  Instead of not eating, a small healthy snack is a wise choice.  Then at a big meal, seconds are not necessary.  People put on pounds by eating more when they are full.            Another infamous eating error is cutting back on calorie intake.  A small calorie intake can have some benefit by losing weight quickly.  However, a drastic cut in calories in a diet is hard to stick to.  Usually people give up and go back to their old ways of dieting.  It is said that cutting back one hundred calories from your general calorie intake will cause a small amount of weight loss.  For some people, a small number off of the scale is not enough; however only cutting back a few calories is healthier than a drastic cut in calorie intake.            The last well-known eating error is when someone gives up their sweet-tooth.  Diets that reduce or totally eliminate sugar or sweets can help someone lose weight.  Unfortunately, it usually doesn’t work when someone gives up their favorite sweet.  They tend to crave their favorite food and resort back to old ways.  Instead, it is suggested that small portions of sweets work better when a person is dieting.            When people are struggling with weight, there are always diet advertisements that will do anything to get consumers to buy their product.  There are popular diet supplements that are widely known to the public, but what people do not know is that some companies’ pills do not have any benefit.  There are scams advertised through television and internet orders. In 2007, the Federal Trade
Commission (FTC) made certain companies pay fines due to scams that guaranteed that their products would cause drastic weight loss in a week’s time and that that product is disease-preventable.   Some of these pills include Xenadrine, EFX, Cortislim, Trimspa, and One-A-Day Weight Smart.Some diet supplements for weight loss are okay to use.  However, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) cautions buyers to be aware of advertisements that claim pills can cause a weight loss of multiple pounds in one week without exercise, permanent weight loss, or blockage of calories.  Buyers should research information or even ask their physician about weight loss supplements to see if the supplement is okay to use.             Since obesity and weight is a big issue among the American population, sometimes people take different approaches to losing weight that are unhealthy.  Anorexia, Bulimia, and binge-eating are serious eating disorders that overwhelm thousands of people.  Anorexia and Bulimia make a person lose significant amounts of weight in a short amount of time.  However, these eating disorders can kill a person.  Anorexia and Bulimia are linked with malnutrition.            Even though binge-eating is not as much as a concern to physicians and health scientists, binge eating is a disorder that should not be overlooked.  Binge eating is a disorder linked to obesity.  Some people believe that binge-eating is not a disease.  Unfortunately, binge-eating leads to diabetes, high blood pressure, etc.  Some victims of binge-eating also are victims of Bulimia.  These people will eat as much as they can to gain a feeling of fullness and then vomit everything that they consume.            The entertainment industry and celebrities are blamed for the cause of diets, eating disorders, and surgeries for weight loss. It is said that the media promotes the “thin” body image to its viewers which is mainly focused on young adults and teenagers from the age of twenty and up.  Soon, all generations will be obsessed with changing their appearance to feel like they are thin enough to fit the standards of what the media promotes.            It has been researched that Americans spend billions of dollars a year on weight loss products.  Losing weight has become an unhealthy situation for the people in the United States.  A poll was taken and about eighty percent of females expressed that they are not satisfied with their appearance.  In 2007, the YWCA reported 11.7 million cosmetic surgeries.  Women say they “feel chronically insecure, overweight and inadequate, as these beauty images apply to an ever-shrinking pool of women”.  Women are willing to put themselves in risky situations to have cosmetic surgery procedures done to enhance their appearance.  Breast augmentations, tummy tucks, liposuction, and facial surgeries are the most common among the female population.            Everyone is different which means that there is not one diet that works for everyone. Dieting can lead to eating disorders, falling for dieting scams, risky surgeries, and even death.  Fortunately there are healthy ways to diet.  A healthy website that the FDA promotes is called mypyrmaidtracker.com.  It tells a person what they need to eat, a range of what they should weigh based on height and body build, and how much they should exercise to maintain a healthy diet.  Dieting seems very dangerous when people do not know exactly what they are submitting themselves to.  People should always try to research information and ask their physicians for ways to diet in healthy way. 

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