Mental Health Counseling Essay Example For Students

Psychological wellness Counseling Essay Psychological wellness instructors work with people, families, and gatherings to address and treat mental and enthusiastic scatters and to advance emotional wellness. They are prepared to address a wide scope of issues, including despondency, fixation and substance misuse, self-destructive driving forces, stress the board, issues with confidence, issues related with maturing, employment and profession concerns, instructive choices, issues identified with mental and passionate wellbeing, and family, child rearing, and conjugal or other relationship issues. Emotional well-being guides regularly work intimately with other psychological wellness pros, for example, therapists, clinicians, clinical social laborers, mental medical attendants, and school advocates. (US Department of Labor) To be an authorized emotional wellness guide an individual must have a Masters Degree in directing or other related field. The program must comprise of 60 semester hours and 1000 hours of college supported clinical or entry level position understanding. The degree program ought to be affirmed by CACREP. A CACREP affirmed program protects that the program meets assessment necessities for licensure. When finished, one must have two years of management and pass national or state assessments to get licensure. Authorized psychological well-being advocates have numerous moral and legitimate issues managing interfacing with customers such that leaves them in a superior spot. It is pivotal that advocates demonstration inside the limits that are set by state laws also the code of morals from the American Counseling affiliation. There are issues of secrecy, understanding whats in the customers wellbeing, the privileges of the customer, and utilizing the procedures to best evaluate the customer. It is additionally imperative to keep up an expert connection with customers. An emotional wellness guide in the province of Florida can hope to acquire $22,000 and up. Private practice psychological well-being advocates can gain an impressive sum more settings for emotional wellness guides may incorporate emergency clinics, medicate treatment focuses, instructive focus, network associations, state offices, and in private practice. One of the issues later on is the fixing HMO approaches. HMOs are fixing their limitations on what they will and won't pay for. Another issue that was drawn out into the open was the practicality wherein Medicaid pays. Medicaid has been known to be a few months behind in paying cases. In my exploration or the guiding calling, it was worry to me that given the disadvantages, directing was an exceptionally commendable and fulfilling. The issues can be effortlessly managed and gotten ready for. It is significant that one have a healthy lifestyle outside of their profession. An equalization life forestalls empathy weakness and help keep up that elevated level of physical and enthusiastic vitality that is should have been a successful advisor. References Board for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs http://www. counseling.org/cacrep American Counseling Association http://www.counseling.org The American Mental Health Counseling Essay Association http://www.amhca.org Florida Mental Health Counselor Association http://www. fmhca.org US Department of Labor http://www.bls.gov/home.htm .

Human Resource Management Research Development and Factors

Question: Talk about the Human Resource Management for Research Development and Factors. Answer: Framework of audit technique to assemble venture information Human research the board is one of the key components for the association improvement. Without executing appropriate human asset the board, the association would not have the option to accomplish objectives and targets of the business in a successful way (Hendry, 2012). For this situation, the human asset the board procedure will be talked about for recognizing the key advancement region in the business. The examination would be led on the grocery store goliath called Tesco. For collecting information, the essential information amassing procedure will be engaged with the exploration. The essential information will encourage in recognizing the present issues in the human asset the board, while the optional information will feature diverse key variables for executing the specific procedure in a useful way. In the essential information assortment strategy, both subjective and quantitative examination will be talked about. In the quantitative procedure, a review on the exploration point will be directed where a chose number of respondents will take an interest (Mondy Martocchio, 2016). Then again, the subjective investigation will be directed dependent on the assembled information from the key experts of the association. The overview procedure will be led on the online stages including Facebook, Twitter, and Skype. Nonetheless, the subjective procedure will be directed through center gathering meeting, where every member will get 25-30 minutes for conveying a conclusion. The members or the respondents will be chosen through non-likelihood examining strategy for diminishing one-sided inputs on the examination point. The little example size will be taken so the examination could be executed inside the given financial plan. The deducted approach will be chosen for the specific investigation. Besides, the expressive research configuration will be chosen, as it would encourage the specialist to examination the exploration point in a nitty gritty way. For aggregating the study information, some potential and experienced workers of Tesco will be chosen, while the directors of the organization will be drawn nearer for being the members in the meeting procedure. Case association portrayal, foundation, and setting Association Description and foundation: Tesco is one of the store mammoths over the worldwide stage. The center business or the association is identified with the retailing. Jack Cohen shaped Tesco in 1919. The head quarter of the association is in United Kingdom, England. The prime results of the organization incorporate a grocery store, hypermarket, and super store. The association has amassed the income of 62.284 billion starting at 2015. The association has been working its business by 500,000 representatives around the world. Tesco has auxiliaries of Tesco Bank, Tesco Mobile, Tesco Ireland, and Tesco Kipa. The specific association has the market capitalization of 18.1 billion starting at 22 April 2015 (Tesco.com, 2016). The business procedure of Tesco is basically subject to the immense household market of the monetary administrations, telecoms and non-food (Bratton Gold, 2012). One of the prime destinations of Tescos business systems is to make an economical long haul business extension to the huge residential zones just as the remote market. The administration of the association has recognized the way that the powerful human asset the executives is one of the main considerations for the upgrade of the business inside the short time allotment. In spite of the fact that the specific association has been working its business over the worldwide stage, the business is to a great extent reliant on its local market (Purce, 2014). The vast majority of the business experts have examined the association has been confronting difficulties in collecting satisfactory incomes from the remote market because of its ineffectual human asset the executives framework. Henceforth, the association has been concentrating on its vital human asset the executives arranging with the goal that they could improve their business opportunity in a powerful way. The human asset the executives is attempting to extend its business to the huge commercial center alongside the worldwide market for expanding their business incomes (Brewster, Mayrhofer Morley, 2016). For accomplishing their specific objective, the association has at first centered around extending its business undertakings into Asia and Central Europe. As indicated by the ongoing industry report, Tescos human asset the executives has been concentrating on five key market parts incorporating center business in UK, the networks where it works its business, non-food items, its retailing administrations and its worldwide markets (Budhwar Debrah, 2013). The HRM group of the association has proclaimed that their principle objective is to be probably the biggest retailer over the worldwide stage. As of late, the association has been upgrading its business in the however non-food things. The human asset approach of the association incorporates a few preparing modules for the new and existing representatives for building up their functionality abilities (Buller McEvoy, 2012). Tesco has been working its business in a serious commercial center. Consequently, the supervisory crew has been confronting difficulties from the current dangers and new contestants. Audit current Strategic HRM Plan For executing business into the serious market, the human asset the executives of the association needs to finish and achievable HRM plan and utilize various procedures to deal with the representatives (Renwick, Redman Maguire, 2013). It incorporates the changing systems to represent the nearby traditions and varieties. The present Human asset systems at Tesco incorporate the preparation and advancement of the representatives, correspondence and discussion and rewards and advantages. With the contribution of this triple-headed methodology, the association has been making the extraordinary progress in the business in the course of recent decades. By checking on the current HRM plan of the association, it tends to be evaluated that the preparation and improvement demonstrate the essential pieces of the business. The association has been giving top notch preparing to the representatives for improving their work effectiveness. By talking the key supervisors of the association, it tends to be distinguished that the association has been spending satisfactory monetary assets for its instructional course. Without giving improved preparing and advancement meeting to the workers, the specific association would not have the option to grow its business opportunity in an efficacious way. Then again, Tesco initiates the certified alumni from the main colleges. Henceforth, it encourages them in improving their workforce the executives. The association esteems all the staffs of the organization, as they are the prime assets of the business (Alfes et al., 2013). Then again, some key chiefs of Tesco have featured the way that the correspondence and conference process to be sure encourages the association in executing the business in an adequate way. The human asset arrangement incorporates the compelling correspondence framework, which is an essential piece of the business. The administration has distinguished the way that it would not be workable for decreasing the difficulties of the business without speaking with the representatives, as the representatives are the prime wellsprings of the data in regards to the business (Nickson, 2013). In this specific business condition, workers can give their criticisms to the more significant position authority. Subsequently, it lessens the specific dangers of the business. The administration has examined that their prizes and advantages arrangement has been encouraging them in decreasing the representative turnover in the course of recent years. The key administrators of the association have featured the tremendous effects of the prizes and advantages. The remunerating approach not just encourages the association in decreasing representative turnover yet in addition spurs the workforce for conveying top notch execution in the business (Hoque, 2013). By dissecting the yearly report of the association, it very well may be recognized that the specific association has collected the income of 62.284 billion starting at 2015, while the income of the association was 70.894 billion out of 2014. Subsequently, it tends to be assessed that the association has been attempting to decrease difficulties the business. The all out benefit for the year 2015 was 5.7 billion dollar though, in 2014, the net benefit of Tesco was just 2.2 billion dollar (Tesco.com, 2016). Subsequently, it very well may be evaluated that the viable HR arranging has been encouraging the association in improving its money related execution in an adequate way. The key HRM arranging not just encourages the association in executing the business in a methodical way yet in addition adds to the improvement of the piece of the pie. The contenders of the association are Asda, Sainsburys, and Morrisons. By breaking down the report, the piece of the pie of Tesco was 30.2% starting at 2012 though the pieces of the overall industry of its rivals including Asda, Sainsburys, Morrisons are 17.9%, 16.6%, and 12.3% individually (Ulrich, 2013). High piece of the pie encourages the association to grow the business in the enormous commercial center. The human asset supervisory crew has examined the way that they have been attempting to actualize various methodologies for the improving their pieces of the overall industry inside the short time span. Constrained worldwide nearness would be the reason for restricted piece of the overall industry. Thus, the association has been concentrating on their business development forms. Groups impression of the case venture HRM difficulties and openings SWOT investigations Qualities The prime quality of the human asset the executives is that the association includes an enormous number of serious staffs in the business, which encourages them in accomplishing objectives and targets in an adequate way. The human res

14 Best Strategy Board Games For Teaching Employees Strategic Thinking

14 Best Strategy Board Games For Teaching Employees Strategic Thinking Remember when you heard advice about how you should separate business from pleasure, where the very idea of having fun while learning or working seemed a very improbable thing to do? Of course, that is an ancient way of thinking by today’s standards.Perspectives have shifted and we have all realized that, yes, fun may be combined with work and school, and you can still get excellent results! In fact, many would even say that you’d get better results than if you chose one “side” and stuck to it.Take learning, for example. While it is true that going to school or taking formal classes is still the most conventional form of acquiring knowledge, it is also a fact that we can still gain knowledge outside the four walls of a classroom. Even school teachers and professors make use of unconventional tools and techniques in imparting knowledge to their pupils and students. Now, “playing to learn” is definitely one concept that many of us would get behind. The perfect example? Strategy board games.STRATEGY BOARD GAMESThere are so many reasons why strategy board games are such a hit. First and foremost, as far as games go, they actually offer hours and hours of fun, perfect for days when you are looking for something fun to shake things up and break the monotony of your daily routine. There is also the fact that it is ideal for playing by more than one or two people.Some board games are even designed to be played by groups composed of as many as 10 people. So the next time you and your friends or your family members are looking for a game where you can involve everyone, and you’d prefer to do it indoors, it is time to bring out that board game.Another reason why board games are so popular is that there is a board game for everybody, no matter what age or gender. Many of these board games are even designed for play by people of all ages. This certai nly allows parents to play with their children, opening opportunities for supervised kids’ play.But strategy board games are also great for learning. As the phrase implies, these board games require coming up with strategies and tactics for you to win over your opponents. That is already a great reason to put your thinking (or is it strategizing) cap on and play. This way, you will also discover new ways in plotting winning strategies which, later on, will help you greatly when applied in real-life scenarios.You do know what they say about how “practice makes perfect”, right? In this context, playing strategy board games is a great way to practice your strategizing skills. The more you play these types of games, the better you will be at coming up with winning strategies and making decisions.There are so many strategy board games out there that you can pick up for this very reason. However, for this discussion, we will focus on 14 of the most highly recommended and effective s trategy board games that can actually teach strategic thinking to employees, entrepreneurs and business people.ChessLet’s start with the more traditional one, and what would be more considered more traditional than the ancient game of chess?Believed to have originated in India, derived from the Indian “chaturanga” game and dating all the way back to as early as the 6th century, chess is probably one of the most played board game the world over, even spawning world tournaments where the greatest “minds” (read: the greatest chess players) compete, outwitting each other over a game of chess.The BasicsNo. of players: 2-4 playersUnfortunately, the popular ancient board game is meant for two players only. However, if you are willing to learn some new battle rules, there are several variations of the game with boards that can accommodate more than one player like the three man chess or the4-player chess board.Gameplay:The board contains 64 squares of alternating colors, divided i nto 2 sides, with each side assigned to each player. Each side (and each player) has 16 pieces, with their own set of King, Queen, 2 pieces of Rooks, Bishops, and Knights, and 8 Pawns.The goal is to trap or corner the King of the opponent, blocking his escape. This is called “checkmate”. Once your opponent’s King has nowhere to go to evade capture and there is no other piece that can come to his rescue,you win.How Chess Teaches Strategic ThinkingMany board game enthusiasts will tell you that, while chess is so easy to learn that even 4-year-olds can start learning how to play it, mastering the game is a whole different cup of tea. The likes of world champions and chess grandmasters such as Kasparov, Fischer and Karpov devoted practically their entire lives to learning and playing chess and they STILL make mistakes from time to time.Chess is seen as a great game for learning life skills and other life lessons, such as patience (one game could go on for hours!) and self-control. For purposes of this discussion, however, let’s focus on how chess teaches strategic thinking.Chess teaches emotional competence, where employees learn to control their impulses, not making a decision immediately, but instead wait for a better opportunity. Some employees tend to make decisions impulsively, without evaluating the other factors at play, not knowing that their next decision will actually cause more problems for them.Chess teaches you to set goals. On the surface, you are thinking of the next move, but in reality, you are looking further ahead, thinking how your next move will lead to the next move, which will eventually lead you to capture the opponent’s King, The whole time, you will also be anticipating the countermove of your opponent.Chess teaches you to make decisions after identifying the alternatives available to you and anticipating the possible consequences. This is essentially how you are going to be able to manage your position well in a game of chess.M onopolyWho doesn’t want to be rich, even if it is in a game setting? Monopoly turns you into a land owner turned property mogul, and this simulation is what makes it very attractive to money-loving players. Just like Chess, Monopoly’s popularity also spawned an annual World Championships event.The Basics:No. of players:2 to 8 players can play this game at one time, and one game can last anywhere from an hour to 3 hours.Gameplay:You are a land owner, and your goal is to be the last player with any money. To do that, you’d try to buy and develop land and other acquired properties, depending on the spaces where a dice roll will lead you.A roll of the dice will give you the opportunity, but you will decide on whether to take that opportunity or not. Generate more income by developing the land that you own, and that’s one way of increasing the money in your coffers.How Monopoly Teaches Strategic Thinking:Monopoly teaches a lot of personal and financial lessons that can be applied in real life. That’s why it is referred to as a simulation game.Monopoly teaches some of the basic business management and marketing strategies, such as the importance of location, the market, and valuation. In Monopoly, the properties are in various locations, with some locations and markets more attractive and “wealthier” than others. You get to choose and decide which ones will give you the higher yield.Monopoly teaches you about asset management and income generation. That includes how you spend and save your money, and how you can look for ways to increase your income. Your investing strategies will be honed as you will learn about diversification and growing your savings.Monopoly teaches you flexibility. There is still that element of luck; after all, Monopoly is still a game involving the roll of the dice.AcquireAcquire is one of those business-based games, where you take on the role of a stock investor. This is another simulation game that attracts money-minded indivi duals. It goes by alternate names such as Cartel, Grand Hotel, Investor and Trust.It’s actually quite old, having been developed in 1964, but it remains, to this day, to be one of the best strategy board games.The Basics:No. of players:This game may be played by 3 to 6 players, and the average playing time is 90 minutes.Gameplay:You are a stock investor, and your goal is to be the wealthiest stock investor at the end of the game. Thus, you have to acquire shares in businesses, investing and reinvesting to increase your portfolio. This means you are likely to be involved in trading, and mergers and acquisitions.How Acquire Teaches Strategic ThinkingAcquire stands alongside Monopoly as one of the greatest financial board games of all time. It trains you on strategic thinking based on the following:Acquire teaches you the importance of timing, coupled with patience. This goes beyond the basics of teaching the basics of trading (ex. buy low, sell high). Investing in companies is not s omething that should be done randomly, because you have to choose the right time to invest in order to maximize your profit. Just because you have money to invest does not mean you should do it right away, because there is a right timing for everything.Acquire teaches you about money management. Aside from investing, you will also learn when to spend and what to spend your money on, even if it’s not necessarily buying up stocks of companies.Acquire teaches you how to use information to your advantage. While playing the game, you will be privy to some insider information. Now what you choose to do with that information will dictate how you will fare in the game. In real-life situations, you will also learn to distinguish useful information from the irrelevant ones and, more importantly, when to use that information to your advantage.CatanThe multi-player board game Catan, which used to be called the “Settlers of Catan”, is a classic and a crowd favorite, and that resulted in ma ny versions released over the years.   To date, the Catan Series includes versions and spin-offs such as Catan: Cities Knights, The Fishermen of Catan, The Great River, and Trails to Rails, to name a few.The Basics:No. of players:3 to 4 players can play this game, although it is most advisable to have the maximum number of players to gain the most amount of fun. The playing time can go from 60 to 120 minutes.Gameplay:The board is basically a map of the island of Catan where you and the other players are the settlers. Your goal is to be the dominant force on the island. Roll the dice to collect resources and use what you earned to build settlements, establish cities, and create roads.These will help you accumulate victory points, which you can increase further by building the largest army.How Catan Teaches Strategic Thinking:Catan teaches you how to manage your resources well. Most employees have resources, but they don’t know what to do with them in order to make them grow. A gam e of Settlers of Catan will give you some practice on how you can go about it.Catan teaches you to be more aware and analytic about your environment. The island is filled with resources ranging from the seemingly worthless to the most beneficial ones. Your awareness will definitely grow as you become more observant, and you’ll be more open to critical and deep thinking in analysis of your environment, especially on how the resources can be of use to you.Catan lets you hone your negotiation skills, which will come in handy when coming up with strategies in real life. Building your settlement and strengthening your position of dominance on the island requires some negotiation with the other players, and you’ll be amazed at how much you will learn about how to convince and persuade others to come to a solution that will benefit everyone (well, ideally, you mostly).CarcassoneCarcassone is another classic among board game lovers. It shares a lot of similarities with Catan, and even t he gameplay is roughly similar.The Basics:No. of players:It will take around 45 minutes for one game of Carcassone to be completed among 2 to 5 players.Gameplay:Carcassone is the name of the town depicted on the game, and players are meant to develop the town through the use of tiles. Your goal is to be the player with the most developed town, complete with castles, towers, pastures and road systems.Lay down the tiles and your town will grow bigger, and so are your chances of winning. Of course, you have to make sure your town has enough population to actually work on the constructions.How Carcassone Teaches Strategic Thinking:Again, just like Catan, Carcassone involves a mixture of luck and strategy, and this encourages players to be on their guards at all times.Carcassone teaches you to be more cautious when making decisions. You have to be organized and plan out your moves, and this will come in handy when you create personal budgets and financial plans.Carcassone teaches you to recognize value: when to hang on to an asset, and when to let it go. For example, you probably have to lose a farmer or worker in order to obtain a property. Being greedy is a natural inclination if you want to win, but this may be detrimental in the long run, so you have to be more careful in making choices.Ravensburger LabyrinthThe name calls to mind something related to burgers in a maze, doesn’t it? But Ravensburger Labyrinth is actually a board game-slash-puzzle.The Basics:No. of players: This can be played between 2 to 6 players, with each game lasting up to 120 minutes.Gameplay: Instead of a single board, this game actually involves “maze cards” which will be laid out on a flat surface. Your goal is to reach all your treasures by turning over all your treasure cards, and then beat the other players in going back to the starting point.How Ravensburger Labyrinth Teaches Strategic Thinking:Mazes are amazing games to work with if you want to stimulate your brain, and that†™s exactly what the Ravensburger Labyrinth does.Ravensburger Labyrinth teaches you the importance of planning ahead, thinking through all your available options so you can make your way through the maze. One small move can drastically change the course of the game, and your path towards winning, so you have to think carefully before making a move.Ravensburger Labyrinth teaches you how you should plot more than one course of action. In life, it is a good idea to have a Plan B, and maybe even a Plan C and D and so on. This is so you are able to cover all your bases, in case something unexpected happens along the way.Ravensburger Labyrinth teaches you to be constantly on your guard. There is no fixed scenario for this game, and the board is assembled in such a random manner, it could change at any time, depending on whose turn it is. This will teach you to stay on your toes so you can adjust accordingly. Being complacent will definitely not help.AgricolaNo, this is not going to teach y ou about the intricacies of farming, but you will have an encounter with farming concepts. Agricola brings you back to the middle ages, and how agriculture works during that time.The Basics:No. of players: If you are a group of 5, you can definitely get a game of Agricola started. As a matter of fact, you can also play this by yourself. The range of playing time is anywhere between 30 to 150 minutes.Gameplay: You’re a farmer, and you and your spouse start with just a wooden shack on a farm. From there, you’d work your way up to building your farm. This involves building expansions, taking on various occupations and actually getting ready to start a family.How Agricola Teaches Strategic Thinking:Agricola teaches you the basics of resource management, specifically on what to grow and what resources are worth collecting. You’ll be competing against other players for the resources as they become available, so you have to plan ahead on what resources to gun for, and which ones to l et pass.Agricola teaches the importance of diversification. Basically, in order to win, you have to own a bit of everything, and that’s where the difficulty lies. Again, it lies in the planning. You may end up stockpiling on one resource instead of diversifying your “portfolio”, so to speak, and this will lose the game for you.MancalaAnother game with ancient origins, Mancala is unique in that it involves the use of a long wooden board with two rows of carved holes or pits, 6 on each side, and two larger holes (one on either end). Instead of your usual dice, you can be as creative with the game pieces you will use.When the originators in Africa (specifically Sudan) and the Middle East first played it, the game pieces used were beans, nuts, seeds and stones. In recent years, shells and marbles are also used.The Basics:No. of players:This is another two-player game, but it takes around 10 minutes to finish one game, so more players can take turns.Gameplay:This game is played in turns, with each player dropping seeds on each hole in a counterclockwise direction. Turns are switched if your last seed falls into the opponent’s row. Your goal is to capture the most number of pieces at the end of the game, which is marked by a row of empty holes.How Mancala Teaches Strategic Thinking:On the outside, it looks like a pretty simple and, sometimes mindless, game. However, it actually teaches you a few things.Mancala teaches you how to think analytically, so you can be more objective when it comes to solving problems and making decisions. You’ll have to think ahead and plan how to move your pieces so that you will get the most amount of pieces in your own holes and prevent your opponent from stacking his own number of game pieces.Mancala teaches you to be more observant. You are not allowed to count the number of pieces in a hole, so you have to be more observant and make mental calculations. You will also learn to read your opponent’s moves and use that to dis tinguish the good plays from the bad plays.PandemicPandemic is another game that is so popular it resulted to several spin-offs, each of them also gaining esteem among board game players and enthusiasts. In fact, the 2015 spinoff Pandemic Legacy is currently ranked #1 on BoardGameGeek.com.The Basics:No. of players:This game is best played among 3 to 4 players, with each game lasting around 45 minutes.Gameplay:As players of the game, you take on the role of specialists out to fight the four viral diseases that broke out all over the world: treat the areas where the diseases have broken out and find a cure for the four plagues before they become worse.This board game comes with cards that provide you with abilities as you take actions such as traveling between the infected cities, treating these areas, researching cures and building a research station.How Pandemic Teaches Strategic Thinking:What makes this board game unique is that you are not strictly opponents, because you should ac tually work together in order to find the needed cures. This cooperative nature actually teaches you about strategic thinking more than you thought.Pandemic teaches you to actually be cooperative instead of competitive. You don’t get to make the decisions by yourself; you actually have to talk it out with the others and get down to planning.Pandemic teaches you to discover your strengths and fully utilize them. In the game, the players each have their own specialties. In the course of the game, you’ll have to mainly rely on your area of specialization to help in fighting the plagues. You’ll also work on fitting your strengths with that of the team.DiplomacyYou’ve probably heard it said more than once before that businessmen make good diplomats, and vice versa.Certainly, it takes a certain level of diplomacy to wade your way through the cutthroat corporate or business world, and that is reflected in the classic board game Diplomacy. Fans of the TV series House of Cards will d efinitely have a blast with this one, because it’s basically their favorite TV show on a gameboard!The Basics:No. of players: More players can have fun in this game, since it is best played with 6 to 7 participants. Playing time may be quite long, too, going up to 6 hours if you’re having a lot of fun.Gameplay: Seven European countries (“the Great Powers of Europe”) are involved in the first world war, and each of the seven players will take one of these countries under their control.They will be going through 4 stages where they will be making or breaking alliances. Your goal as one of the players (and the ruler of your country) is to reinforce your armies by taking Supply Centers.How Diplomacy Teaches Strategic Thinking:This board game does not involve luck, and there is no dice to be rolled. That means it’s a purely strategic game.Diplomacy teaches you about the intricacies of relationships and alliances. At many points during the game, you will find yourself having to betray your allies, because it is in your country’s best interests to do so.Diplomacy teaches you how to negotiate. You can start developing your negotiation skills with a game of Diplomacy, and you’ll definitely find that to be useful practice for when you have to negotiate with other people when it comes to your job or anything work-related.Diplomacy teaches you how to work with what you have. It is wartime, so resources are scarce. Even your modes of attack during war are limited, so you’d have to look at what you have and use them to your advantage. In this case, what you will be working with is your negotiation skills and your diplomatic strategies.Puerto RicoSay hello to another board game that teaches strategic investing. Puerto Rico is one of those games that are ideal to be taught to young children because it teaches them about cash management at a young age.The Basics:No. of players: At least 2 people can play this game, but for the best experience, round up a group of 4 or 5 to play it. Playing time can reach up to 2 and a half hours.Gameplay: Colonialism is the name of the game, and you and the other players are governors on the island of Puerto Rico. Your goal is to build up your company and have the highest number of victory points when the game ends. These points may be collected by constructing buildings on your territories on the island, growing crops and producing goods that will be shipped to Europe.How Puerto Rico Teaches Strategic Thinking:Puerto Rico teaches you about managing resources, which is to be expected from financial-oriented board games. You work with what you have, grow it, and re-invest to make it bigger. This means you will learn how to spot opportunities and even create them.Puerto Rico teaches you how to cope with change. This board game recognizes the volatility of markets, and how you respond to the changes in the market. One lesson to be learned is how nothing is permanent when it comes to finance, specifically on investing, and that there are simply things that are outside your control. They include some market behaviors.7 WondersSometimes, a simple game can be very educational. It doesn’t have to be too complicated, or involve a lot of complex rules, in order for one to learn something from it.A great example of a simple game that is actually useful when training employees strategic thinking is 7 Wonders. Although it’s not strictly a board game in the sense that there is no board to speak of, it ranks high up there as one of the most favored strategy games.The Basics:No. of players: Ideally, 4 players will ensure that this game is going to be a lot of fun. But this can be played by a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 7 players. One game can be finished in just 30 minutes.Gameplay: It is the Ancient times, and seven great cities make up what we know of as the beginnings of civilizations. Each player will lead a city and build it, with the goal of erecting an architectural edifice, which will soon become one of the wonders of the ancient world, transcending time and remaining to be so during modern times. It basically makes use of cards to play throughout 3 stages (called “ages” in the game), as players gather resources and start building their city. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins.How 7 Wonders Teaches Strategic Thinking:This is not the first build-your-city board game, and if you’re wondering why they are so popular, it’s because of how they are able to train you to become a creator, all the way from the planning stage.7 Wonders teaches you about resource management. Of course, it is partly down on luck, because you’ll be somewhat dependent on the cards that you’ve drawn. But what you do with the cards that you draw will be down on your strategy and decision-making. The mere fact that you get to plan the creation of your architectural wonder is already an indication that you will be putting your strategizing skills to use.7 Wond ers teaches you to analyze your strengths and weaknesses, as well as that of your opponents. You’ll be comparing military strengths at the end of each stage, and this comparison will give you a better glimpse on where you’re lacking and on where you are strong at.DominionIn Dominion, you do not lead a country, govern a city, or control an island. You are the ruler of a kingdom. This adds a bit of mystique and grandeur to your board game experience, and isn’t that a great way to improve your strategic thinking ability?The Basics:No. of players: Get 1 to 3 others to play with you, since Dominion can be played between 2 to 4 players. The average playing time is 30 minutes.Gameplay: As a monarch, you want your dominion to grow and flourish, along with your subjects. But you’re not the only one who thinks so, as there are other monarchs with the same idea. Thus, it’s a race as you build your dominion ahead of the others. Your goal is to have the most number of kingdom cards and the largest kingdom.How Dominion Teaches Strategic Thinking:Just like 7 Wonders, this is technically a card game, with a total of 500 cards divided into 25 categories.Dominion teaches you to be more creative with your decisions. You cannot stick to the same tactic all the time; the variety of cards you will get on each round will make sure of that. This is a great way of training yourself to work with what you have, specifically the cards that you’ve been dealt.Dominion teaches you to be on your guard. There are others who have the same goal as you, and if you let your guard down, they will beat you to building castles and other facilities on their domain. You will learn to be on the alert, so you can defend yourself.RiskIn these recent decades, mass market war games have become a huge hit, and one of the biggest hits is undoubtedly Risk: The Game of Global Domination. It has become so popular that it now has several variants, including one based on the hit TV show “The Walking Dead” and another on HBO’s “Game of Thrones”.The Basics:No. of players: This can be played between 2 to 6 players, with each game lasting up to 120 minutesGameplay: The goal is simple: to conquer the world. Global domination is the name of this game, and each player can do so by gaining control over the most number of territories and continents, which are presented on a board containing a map of the world.A roll of the dice will dictate how you will move, but you will be the one to strategize how the attacks will work to your favor.How Risk Teaches Strategic Thinking:A roll of the dice may affect how you play, adding an element of luck, but that’s where the risk lies. At the end of the day â€" or the game â€" how you roll with the roll of the dice will show how good you are at strategizing.Risk teaches you to recognize a chance or an opportunity when it arises. Even as you await your turn, you have to keep your eyes peeled and use your powers of observation in order to as sess how your opponents’ moves will be beneficial to your goal of global domination.Risk teaches you to act when it truly counts. For example, in Risk, you will learn to attack only if you have significant advantage. If you are still weak, you will work on building up your defenses and becoming stronger before you can go on the offensive.Risk teaches you to identify beneficial alliances and how to build and nurture them, all to maintain a balance of power. In a business environment, you will find yourself in relationships with co-workers, supervisors, and clients. Naturally, you’d have to know which relationships would be more beneficial to you in the long run, and Risk can give you some practice on how to do that.These board games are called strategic games for a reason: they teach you to be more strategic in how you play. On the outset, it may look like just fun and games, but you will later on realize that the principles of strategic thinking that you applied in playing these games can also be useful in actual, real-life scenarios.

Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran v. United States Department of State Free Essay Example, 1000 words

This wasn’t the case here (McCormack and McDonald, 2006). The document, when analyzed by various analysts was found to be filled with one-sided reviews of past activities, dating back in the 1980’s and the 1990’s by the MeK. The department did not give any pro and cons of the activities mentioned by the MeK in their petition to the department and were all pointing towards the activities conducted by the organization way before 2001, after which the organization claims to have changed. Some descriptions given in the document was even contradictory to the activities of the MeK such as, â€Å"On October 12, 2006, I received information that questioned activities were going on at the University compound, [C]amp Ashraf specifically. The information came through the State Department from Europe that the MeK was assembling up to 1,500 Iraqis at the compound, supported by the MeK. I conducted a visit of the compound and found no foundation to the information we received. On site, we went into every building on the compound and I spoke with several people. The compound [was] being used to house Iraqi workers because of the attacks on the roads. We will write a custom essay sample on People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran v. United States Department of State or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now Rather than travel back and forth every day, they stay[Ed] on Ashraf during the week†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This was a comment by Colonel Wesley M. Martin in the report. Claims like these seem baseless as the MeK has provided the Department of State with ample evidences which are contradicting these statements (Murphy, 2002). The Department of State had ample evidences to support the cause of MeK and was even facing some pressure from outer sources such as the United Kingdom. The Court of the UK sent a 144-page independent assessment on the activities of the MeK and had clearly stated that the MeK had not violated any sort of American Law or restriction at Camp Ashraf in Iraq. The statements in the report clearly contradicted these claims by the U. K. court and the Department of State clearly dismissed their significance. So much so that they didn’t even mention any proof supporting their point of view in contradicting this assessment. Some arguments have also been presented that the Department of State did this in order to satisfy the Iranian regime as they are in clear opposition to the MeK. The department of State did not want to disrupt the already weak diplomatic ties between the two governments as the Iranian government would have been displeased on the removal of MeK from FTO (Gurulà ©, 2 008). After hearing all these summaries and petitions from both sides, the U. S.

Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee - 1767 Words

[7:17:28 PM] David | Meaty: Throughout history and especially in the 1900’s, the southern areas of the United States have possessed a prejudiced hate against various groups. Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in a small town called Maycomb and is based in the heart of discrimination. Racism is a key aspect of the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, because the entire storyline revolves around it. Racism is revealed in this novel through the continuous use of the word â€Å"Nigger† that is used in a discriminatory way against the coloured people of Maycomb. Also Racism is revealed in the Tom Robinson trial in which Atticus chose to defend Tom because there was no reason he shouldn’t, other than for inequitable reasons. Gender†¦show more content†¦The Cunningham family is known as being preposterously poor, and his social life is affected dramatically due to this unfortunate situation. As shown in these preceding points, the theme of dis crimination is continuously forced to the reader in this novel. Discrimination is shown in various forms including racial discrimination, gender discrimination and social discrimination. The most noticeable and infamous form of discrimination in this novel, and the Southern United States at the time of this novel is racism. There have been groups such as the Ku Klux Klan, which thankfully no longer exists but originated in the South and plagued the population with prejudice and hate towards coloured people. In this novel, the same hate exists towards the coloured folks of Maycomb. In many instances there are conflicted emotions present in characters such as scout because of the background knowledge that the way the coloured people are treated is wrong, but the public eye looks down those who are of colour. There are many instances in which the word â€Å"nigger† is used in a discriminatory manner, but one of the most obvious characters when it comes down to prejudice hate is Bob Ewell. Being know as the scummiest person in the entire town is one thing, but the racist attitude Bob Ewell shows is absolutely horrific. During the Tom Robinson trial, Bob Ewell reve als his complete and utter distaste towards the coloured people of Maycomb:

Consider the Significance of the Extract (Lines 816-844) and Discuss its Relevance to the Tale as a Whole Free Essays

The significance of this extract is extremely dimensional as the narrator once again provides the reader with additional examples of January’s mindset and lifestyle and also continues to foreshadow the remainder of the tale. The immense sexual imagery present during this extract reinforces January’s marriage intentions, foreshadows the future and also includes a flair of comedy. The garden January built has been constructed especially to avoid any prying eyes and to achieve the utmost privacy as the garden is ‘walled al with stone. We will write a custom essay sample on Consider the Significance of the Extract (Lines 816-844) and Discuss its Relevance to the Tale as a Whole or any similar topic only for you Order Now ’ The impounding enclosure of the walls signifies and reinforces his sexual prowess and desire to ‘menace (L.540)’ May which can also be construed to consider January’s tendency for sexual violence. The introduction of Priapus, God of Gardens yet also personification of the erect phallus is ironic and is a comedic devise used to signify the importance of the garden as neither could ‘telle the beautee of the gardyn and the welle.’ The significance of the key and gate represent January and May respectively as the key to the garden, carried only by January signifies his desire to keep May to himself, allowing no one else to have access to her as she represents the ‘smale wiket’ which January was able to unlock when he wished. Keys and keyholes are bold significant metaphors for sex, which proves explicit later on in the tale. The sexual imagery and implications applied during this extract pose a major significance to some of the tale’s implied themes of January’s age, his intentions for marriage and of the forthcoming deception he will encounter. The mythical gods which are introduced in this extract enables the reader to comprehend the sheer significance of the garden and reinforce the beauty. In particular, Proserpina and Pluto are especially significant later in the tale and their initial connection with the Garden at this position in the tale allows the reader to understand their domestic debate later featured which constitutes to the outcome of the entire tale. Arguably, one of the most predominant significance of this extract is the comparisons of January’s private garden with the Garden of Eden. References have been made beforehand, likening the relationship and characters of January and May to Adam and Eve. The main difference between the two couples is Adam and Eve had sex after Eden whereas for January, his Garden has been built purely to satisfy his sexual desires. This extract can also be compared to the wedding feast, where January appears the more dominant of the couple as he eagerly awaits his guests to leave in order to sleep with May. However, this extract proves significant in the power exchange, as here, the initiative rests with May as the reader learns that January’s joy will be short lived ‘worldly joy may nat alwey dure.’ The extract possess many ‘Courtly Love’ references the obvious one being the reference to the ‘Romance of the Rose’ a French courtly love poem where the woman is represented as a rosebud in a beautiful garden. Also through the description of the garden the and the ‘welle, that stood under a laurer alwey grene’ ‘Courtly Love’ is explored and remains a highly comical literature devise throughout the tale. January and May’s incompatibility is significantly challenged during this extract which bears an enormous relevance to the tale. The beautiful garden represents spring, which is astronomically associated with the month of May and also the character; therefore ‘he [January] wolde paye his wyf hir dette in somer seson’ significantly reinforces their incompatibility and makes way for the adultery. The extract, in relevance to the tale as a whole, provides an insight as to what will happen later on in the tale. Various sexual images and references including ‘thinges whiche were nat doon abedde he in the gardyn parfourned hem’ allows the reader to identify and relate this extract to the adulterous actions which later happen. The frequent references to mythical people and Gods are also present within this extract, however, these actually bear a direct significance to the tales scheme. How to cite Consider the Significance of the Extract (Lines 816-844) and Discuss its Relevance to the Tale as a Whole, Papers

Paige Turner free essay sample

Number of weeks that Paige has to promote the book 5. Number of books 6. Advance 7. Number of countries where the book will be sold 8. Number of book clubs that will adopt the book What is your BATNA? Reservation Price? Target? Find another publisher that is as good as Bestbooks Reservation price: 10100 Target: 17600 What are your sources of power? ? Find another publisher that is as good as Bestbooks. Another publisher, Barney’s book provides good offer to Mr. Turner. ? Paige is a best-selling author and many people would like to buy, Bestbooks could earn more money. ? Paige is a best-selling author, and if he signs contract with Bestbooks, he will remain the Bestbooks’ reputation in publishing. What specific issues are most important to your opponent? Prioritize in order of importance) 1. Number of books 2. Number of book clubs that will adopt the book 3. Number of countries where the book will be sold 4. Royalties 5. Contract signing bonus 6. We will write a custom essay sample on Paige Turner or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Advance 7. Number of prints runs for the book. Number of weeks that Paige has to promote the book What is your opponent’s BATNA? Reservation Price? Target? BATNA: Find another author who is as good as Paige Turner Reservation price: 11000 Target: 17000 What are your opponent’s sources of power? Find another author who is as good as Paige Turner. ? Have a long history of publishing and have a good reputation. ? Bestbooks is in charge of many book clubs, which will affect the adoption of new books written by Paige. What is your opening move/first strategy? What are the tactics you will be using? I am the representative of Mr. Turner. Since Mr. Turner is careful about changing publishers, that’s why I am here to represent him to discuss several aspects with you before signing a contract. It seems like two different parties have different priorities in order of importance, I’ll try to get as many points as I can in the most important ones from my side which might be not that important in Bestbooks’ side. What are some framing/persuading/talking points based on your interests and power? A good offer provided by another publisher-Barney’s book Best-selling books Mr. Turner wrote Mr. Turner could remain the good reputation for Bestbooks Since books wrote by Mr. Turner is popular worldwide, it can help Bestbooks to explore the international market.

The Easy Trick to Convert Celsius to Fahrenheit

The Easy Trick to Convert Celsius to Fahrenheit SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips In every science class, you must know how to use and interpret the Celsius temperature scale. But this can be difficult for students who are used to using Fahrenheit instead. How do you convert Celsius to Fahrenheit? What about Fahrenheit to Celsius? We answer these questions below, giving you the mathematical formulas for converting between these two temperature units, a handy conversion chart, and a quick conversion trick you can use without having to grab a calculator. Celsius vs Fahrenheit: Key Differences Before we explain how to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit (and Fahrenheit to Celsius), let’s review the main differences between the two temperature scales. Celsius (written as  °C and also called Centigrade) is the most common temperature scale in the world, used by all but five countries. It’s part of the International System of Units (SI), or what you might know as the metric system, which is typically used in science classes (think centimeters, meters, kilograms, milliliters, etc.) and in science as a whole. By contrast, Fahrenheit (written as  °F) is only used officially by five countries in the world: United States Belize Cayman Islands Palau Bahamas Fahrenheit is not part of the metric system; rather, it’s part of the Imperial system, which includes forms of measurements such as inches, feet, pounds, gallons, etc. Moreover, unlike Celsius, it is not typically used in science. Celsius to Fahrenheit Formula Unfortunately, converting from Celsius to Fahrenheit isn’t easy to do quickly or in your head. Here are the formulas used to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit and Fahrenheit to Celsius. These formulas will give you the exact conversion from one unit of temperature to the other: Celsius to Fahrenheit Formula: ( °C * 1.8) + 32 =  °F Fahrenheit to Celsius Formula: ( °F - 32) / 1.8 =  °C For example, say the temperature outside is 18  °C and you want to know what this would equal in Fahrenheit. Here’s how your equation would look once you plug in 18 for  °C: (18 * 1.8) + 32(32.4) + 32=64.4  °F Here’s another example if you want to convert Fahrenheit to Celsius: say you’re feeling ill and your body temperature is 101.3  °F. To find out what this equals in Celsius, simply plug 101.3 into the  °F part in the second equation written above: (101.3 - 32) / 1.8 (69.3) / 1.8=38.5  °C As you can see, these conversions aren’t particularly hard to carry out, but they do take some time and aren’t the easiest to do without a calculator on hand. Luckily, there’s a shortcut. By memorizing some of the most common temperatures that come up in daily life, you should have no problem being able to convert from Celsius to Fahrenheit and vice versa. We’ll take a look at how to do this next. It's gettin' hot in here. Celsius to Fahrenheit Conversion Chart Below is a conversion chart listing some of the most commonly used temperatures in everyday life when converting from Celsius to Fahrenheit. Memorize these and you’re sure to have an easier time converting from Celsius to Fahrenheit (and vice versa) fast. Note: I’ve bolded all temperatures that don’t apply to weather but are still important to know, especially for science class. Temperature in Celsius ( °C) Temperature in Fahrenheit ( °F) Boiling Point of Water 100 212 Extremely Hot Day 40 104 Body Temperature 37 98.6 Hot Day 30 86 Room Temperature 20 68 Chilly Day 10 50 Freezing Point of Water 0 32 Very Cold Day -10 14 Extremely Cold Day -20 -4 Parity* -40 -40 Source: NIST.gov *The point at which the two temperature units are equivalent (-40  °C = -40  °F). As you can see from this chart, Fahrenheit temperatures are typically a lot higher than their equivalent Celsius temperatures are. Also, notice how the difference between Celsius and Fahrenheit starts to get smaller the lower you go in temperature- until, that is, they're the exact same! As the chart indicates, -40  °C is the same temperature as -40  °F. This point is called parity, meaning the two scales use the same value to represent the same temperature. Unfortunately (or fortunately, since this is pretty cold!), you likely won’t come across this temperature in your daily life. Note that parity only happens at -40 °. The lower you go after parity (i.e., the further you go into the negatives), the bigger the difference starts to become again between Celsius and Fahrenheit. How to Convert Celsius to Fahrenheit: Quick Trick If you find yourself needing to quickly convert Celsius to Fahrenheit, here is a simple trick you can use: multiply the temperature in degrees Celsius by 2, and then add 30 to get the (estimated) temperature in degrees Fahrenheit. This rule of thumb is really useful and also pretty accurate for most weather-related temperatures. For example, if the temperature outside is 15  °C, this would come out to around 60  °F: (15 * 2) + 30(30) + 30= 60  °F (In reality, 15  °C is equivalent to 59  °F- that’s pretty close!) Of course, expect the actual temperature to be a few degrees off, but for the most part, this is a reliable and easy way to convert temperatures in your head fast. If you want to convert Fahrenheit to Celsius, do the opposite: subtract 30 from the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit, and then divide by 2 to get the temperature in degrees Celsius. For example, if the temperature outside is 84  °F, this would be roughly equal to 27  °C: (84 - 30) / 254 / 2= 27  °C (In reality, 84  °F is equivalent to 28.89  °C- again, that’s a pretty close estimate!). What’s Next? Are you studying clouds in your science class? Get help identifying the different types of clouds with our expert guide. Now that you know how to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit, the next question to answer is what kinds of spiders live in what sorts of climates? Learn more with our articles about camel spider myths and reasons not to fear the garden spider. Want even more practice with conversions? (Who wouldn't?) Learn how many cups 4 quarts is here. Working on a research paper but aren't sure where to start? Then check out our guide, where we've collected tons of high-quality research topics you can use for free. Need help with English class- specifically with identifying literary devices in texts you read? Then you'll definitely want to take a look at our comprehensive explanation of the most important literary devices and how they're used. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Ipso, Meso, and Peri Substitutions in Organic Chemistry

Ipso, Meso, and Peri Substitutions in Organic Chemistry   The prefixes ipso-, meso-, and peri- describe ring substitutions in organic chemistry. They are part of the IUPAC nomenclature used to specify the position of any non-hydrogen substituents in an aromatic hydrocarbon. Ipso Substitution The ipso- prefix is used when  two substituents share  the same ring position in an intermediate compound. This could occur  in an  electrophilic aromatic ring substitution. Meso Substitution The meso- prefix is used when  substituents occupy a  benzylic  position when the  first carbon covalently bonds  adjacent to a benzene or other  aromatic  ring. It is seen in acridines and calixarenes. PeriSubstitution The peri- prefix is used to describe substituents at the 1 and 8 positions. It is seen specifically in naphthalenes. In addition to ipso, meta, and peri, there are two other ring substitution patterns you may encounter. There is the ortho, meta, and para substitution and the cine and tele substitution. Cine and Tele Substitution In the cine- substitution, the entering group is positioned adjacent to the one that was occupied by the leaving group. This is seen in aryne chemistry. In the tele- substitution, the new position of the entering group is more than one atom further away on the aromatic ring.

Credit Crunch and Its impact on UK's Real Estate Market Dissertation

Credit Crunch and Its impact on UK's Real Estate Market - Dissertation Example Bernanke and Lown (1991) define a credit crunch as a decline in the supply of credit that is abnormally large for a given stage of the business cycle. Credit normally contracts during a recession, but an unusually large contraction could be seen as a credit crunch. The credit crunch is the result of multiple factors. These multiple factors adversely affect the ability of the banks to supply credit at a time when banks’ ability to adjust to these factors was unusually limited. A credit crunch that continues for a long time is actually opposite of easily available and plentiful lending practices .These cheap lending practices are sometimes called â€Å"Easy Money† or â€Å"Loose Credit† .As it been stated earlier that credit crunch is a cyclic process . During the upward phase in the credit cycle it is seen that the prices of the assets undergo lot of fervent competitions .Upward credit cycle is also marked by the presence of leveraged bidding with inflation in a p articular asset market. These all situation can then lead to formation of a speculative price bubble. During the upswing of the cycle increase in the money supply happens because of new large debt creation. This in turn stimulates the economic activities. Finally there is also chances of temporarily raise in economic growth and development.(Cooper,2008) The reason of credit crunch can be diverse. Few of the reasons are given below: 1. If there is an anticipation about the decline in the value of the collateral. The collateral is used by the banks to secure the loans that are taken. If the decline in value continues then it will lead to credit crunch.(Bizer ,1993) 2. If there is perception in the market about the risk of insolvency of other banks in the banking system. In this situation the traditional financial institutes will tighten the credit lending regulations (Kleege and Stephen,1992) 3. When the central government is imposing direct credit controls or are implementing monetar y changes then lending of the loans will be done very warily by the goverment. (Grant,1993) 4. When there is a prolonged carelessness in lending the loans. The process of lending the loans is inappropriate and doesn’t take into account the intricacies of market and interest rate. This leads to losses to the lending institutions. The debtor is not able to pay the debt and finally the financial institutions will reduce the availability of credit. The prolonged defaults by the debtors leads to credit crunch.(Peek ,Joe and Eric,1993). 5.When the assets which were overpriced, before ,suddenly sees a sharp fall in their prices then it leads to financial crisis because of price collapse. If this price collapse continues then many banks and investors will face insolvency and bankruptcy. The financial institutions will become more alert .As the result the financial institution restore to restrict the regulations for lending the loan and as a result the market will face the credit crun ch.( Rosenblum.1991) The last two points were the main reason for the recent credit crunch that struck the world’s economy. This was caused due to the bursting of housing bubble in

Changes in Formerly Communist Nations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Changes in Formerly Communist Nations - Essay Example However, the fact of the matter is that the nations which have already been listed had rather developed economies. Due to the fact that the Soviet Union was primarily concerned with its defense against the West, it built up a high level of economic strength, industrial production, infrastructure, and other means of economic development within the nations of Eastern and Central Europe. However, when one considers the level of overall economic development that existed within the remainder of the Soviet Union’s vast empire, the states of Central Asia for instance, it is rapidly understood that as disastrous as the collapse of the Soviet Union was for the individuals living within Eastern and Central Europe, it was in order of magnitude more disastrous for the undeveloped nations within Central Asia. As a function of this, this brief analysis will consider the case of Uzbekistan and trace the hardships that it was forced to face immediately following the collapse of an empire that defined this region for the better part of 60 years (Goff et al, 2008). One of the most powerful effects that the collapse of the Soviet Union had was with regards to the economic integration that had previously existed between the empire. Although the Soviet Union engaged in outside trade, almost all of the domestic needs of production were realized within its contiguous borders. In such a way, scientists were moved to remote regions as a means of conducting further research, cotton was specialized and grown in key areas, industry sprung up around natural resource deposits and access to rivers and the sea, and other industries were differentiated as a means of geography and need. However, this was a centrally planned economy and one in which a perfect level of natural growth could not be exhibited. In the case of all of the Soviet Union, the years immediately following its collapse were punctuated by extreme economic hardship, the lack of currency and/or currency stability, supply and demand issues, and a number of other factors directly related to transition from a centrally planned communist economy to free market economy. In the case of Uzbekistan, the nation had only a light level of industrialization, no access to the sea, no natural land barriers, over 10 distinct ethnicities, and an environment that was heavily polluted an increasingly arid (Goff et al, 2008). In such a manner, the collapse of the Soviet Union provided an extreme level of shock to the region due to the fact that it no longer had means to sustain itself, ability to trade with the outside world, or any level of developed industry upon which you could rely. One of the defining aspects of Uzbekistan within the Soviet Union had been its production of cotton. However due to the fact that the nation was almost predominantly arid, it lacks the water resources to continue this high output of cotton to trade with the outside world. Accordingly, as a result of the lack of resources and economic hardships that punctuated the years following the collapse of the Soviet Union, a series of order conflicts, Islamic uprisings, and failed Democratic efforts defined the way in which is Uzbekistan sought to integrate with the rest of the world. Whereas there is doubtless and myriad of key issues that

Dating on the Internet Essay -- Research Cyberdating Internet Essays

Dating on the Internet It has become today's method of communication, the wave of the future. The necessity to leave the home to do such things as shop for clothes or to go to the bank is diminishing. Business is being conducted more frequently from the home. Students will soon be able to interact with their teachers and fellow students while sitting in their bedrooms. The Internet will overtake all forms of personal interaction, and it stands to reason that this includes dating. From foreign pen-pals to heated Cybersex, the number of people who log on each day is growing rapidly. Those who used to race home from school to run outside and play, now race home to meet their best friend in a chat room somewhere; they've never met and yet they're soul mates. There are people who take these relationships so seriously, they will travel almost anywhere to meet the person of their dreams. Cyberdating is here to stay. According to Betty in California, it is the "nineties way for busy professional people to connect." She emphasizes, "Bars are out; computers are in!" (Women's Wire News). A survey conducted through Women's Wire News of 375 people revealed that 61% of those responding would "consider turning a Cyber-affair into a real-life one." (Women's Wire News). This being the case, what does this mean for society? Is personal socialization and face-to-face communication a thing of the past? Increasing reliance on computers certainly draws society in that direction. But possibly this isn't as new as people might like to think. Perhaps this is the direction in which society has been moving since the invention of the telephone. Fran in New Jersey supports this: I wonder if people got this worked up about the telephone? Because tha... ...ditha in Florida, Women's Wire News). Work Cited: "Do Boys Just Wanna Have Fun? Male Gender-Switching in Cyberspace (and how to detect it)," http://www1.rider.edu/~suler/ psycyber/ genderswap.html (May 1996,4/7/97) Sara Pitman. "From Keyboards to Human Contact: Love Relationships Through Computer-Mediated Communications," http://edie. cprost.sfu.ca/~chiklink/ sarticle.html (undated, 3/24/97) John Suler, Ph.D."Communicative Subtlety in Multimedia Chat How Many Ways Can You Say "Hi" at the Palace?" http://ww1.rider.edu/ ~suler/psycyber/hilucy.html (March1997, 4/7/97) John Suler, Ph.D. "The Psychology of Avatars and Graphical Space in Visual Chat Environments," http://www1.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/ psyav.html (May 1996, 3/24/97) "Women's Wire News, Cyberdating: The Dirt," http://women.com/wwire/archives/html/backtalk/ 960221.ba.html (1997, 3/24/97)

What Was the American Diet Like 50 Years Ago

at was the I. What was the American diet like 50 years ago? a) Over the past 50 years, American diets have changed from leisurely family meals that were usually prepared at home using natural ingredients to today’s prepackaged, processed and convenience foods that are often eaten on the run with little thought towards nutrition or content. b) American diets have evolved in the last 50 years from natural ingredients to processed, high fat ingredients and will continue in the future to include convenience foods but with a greater emphasis on healthier choices. ) This wasn’t always the case. â€Å"Fifty years ago, people sitting down to a meal were simply looking for something hot, filling and, in most cases, inexpensive† (Heymsfield 142). c) Throughout the century, Americans experimented with various diets. d) In the 1950s, Adele Davis published a cookbook exploring a healthy approach to food. e) In the 1960s, there was a movement to use unprocessed food, natural i ngredients and macrobiotic cooking (Klem 439). f) The notion of a balanced diet was still quite abstract. ii) People weren’t as well informed about nutrition as they are today. ) While nutritional research was revealing new information about everyday foods, the American household underwent an important structural shift (Klem 438). h) In the 1940s and 1950s women began to enter the workplace in large numbers, it was then that the country became caught up in an explosion of convenience items. iii) Time for food preparation became more limited, and the industry responded with a wide variety of pre-packaged foods. iv) Products like Bisquick, Spam, instant oatmeal, canned tomato sauce and pre-sliced American cheese began to appear (Klem 438). ) By the 1950s, the refrigerator had replaced the old-fashioned icebox and the cold cellar as a place to store food. v) Refrigeration, because it allowed food to last longer, made the American kitchen a convenient place to maintain readily av ailable food stocks (Heymsfield 144). vi) This also allowed for pre-prepared foods such as TV dinners, which became very popular. j) Swanson’s was one of the first TV dinners, which came out during this time. k) Frozen dinners and fast food chains arose and became a growing trend. vii) Meals became quick and simple. viii) People started eating things for taste and popularity, not for ealth reasons. l) In the 1960s and 1970s, when nutritional research really began to gain the nation's attention, food manufacturers started to offer options that were both quick and health- conscious. ix) Instant orange juice and vitamin-fortified cereals appeared (Klem 440). m) Cereals came out to make people eat more grains, but over the years, large companies have decided that to make their cereal sell, they have to make it taste better. x) They added things like sugar, candy pieces, chocolate flavors, and numerous other things which are high in calories and high in fat in order to make their product taste better. i) This has made the idea of something healthy turn in to something less healthy over the years. n) The movement toward convenience finally caught up with movement toward healthy eating. o) This represents a drastic change from the 1950s, when people ate far more of their meals at home, with their families, and at a leisurely pace. p) â€Å"A hundred years ago there was no such thing as a snack food—nothing you could pop open and overeat,† says Mollie Katzen, author of The Moosewood Cookbook and many others, and a consultant to Harvard Dining Services. ii) â€Å"There were stew pots. Things took a long time to cook, and a meal was the result of someone’s labor. † q) The 1950s were also an era in which the kitchen—not the television room—was the heart of the home. r) In 1941, the federal government established the first Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs), and the concept of basic food groups was introduced. xiii) This period was also the â€Å"golden age for food chemicals† with hundreds of additives and preservatives brought to market for the first time. ) Convenience was most important, and by the 1950s, a large variety of convenience foods made meal preparation easier than ever before. t) Advancements in technology also led to faster meal preparation. u) During the late 50s and 1960s, American’s attitudes towards nutrition changed as scientific research and other factors combined to heighten awareness. v) In 1959 came the discovery that eating polyunsaturated fats might lower serum cholesterol. xiv) This was followed in 1961 by further evidence linking cholesterol with arteriosclerosis. ) By 1962, nearly 25% of American families said they had made dietary changes that included less cholesterol. x) That same year, Rachel Carson’s book, Silent Spring, provided fodder for the debate concerning the possibility of synthetic chemicals reaching humans through the food chain. xv) There was controversy about food chemicals in general, and the modern consumer movement was launched in 1965 following publication of Ralph Nader’s book Unsafe At Any Speed. y) 50 years ago women still managed to burn up many more calories than their counterparts today. vi) Research suggests the housework and general exercise that stay-at-home housewives did in 1953 were more successful at shedding the pounds. z) The mothers and grandmothers of today's generation burnt well in excess of 1,000 calories a day through their domesticated lifestyle, according to the study by the woman's magazine Prima. xvii) But females today get through only 556, even though seven in ten think they are healthier than the post-war generation. {) Modern women also consume a lot more calories, 2,178 a day now as opposed to 1,818 then. viii) This could be down to eating more junk food, the study suggested, as women in 1953 were more likely to cook meals from scratch with a mixture of ingredients. |) Not everything in ‘the old days' appears to have been healthier, according to Prima, which compared the lifestyles of women in 1953 and those of today. xix) They would often eat twice as many eggs and used almost twice as much cooking fat and oil as women today. xx) They also ate more sugar and less chicken. }) Most meals were served with vegetables, although it was more likely to be swede, turnips and sprouts rather than the aubergines, mange- tout or rocket favored today. ) Appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers have also played their part in reducing the amount of calories burned, the research showed. xxi) Women in 1953 would spend three hours a day doing the housework, an hour walking to and from the shops in the town center, an hour on the shopping itself and another hour making dinner. ) Many had lunch to prepare, too, as many husbands came home to eat in the middle of the day. ) More calories would have been burned, of course, walking the children to and from school, since the family car was still a rarity. Today, women drive, rather than walk, have freezers, which mean fewer shopping trips, and use supermarkets, which provide everything under one roof. xxii) It is all a far cry from 50 years ago when they would have to traipse between the butcher's, to the baker's, the greengrocer's and other specialist stores. ) Women 50 years ago didn't, however, have the benefit of 45 minutes on the treadmill or an evening class in Pilates. xxiii) In 1953, their idea of relaxation was listening to Housewives' Choice while they washed up the breakfast things or Mrs.Dale's Diary when they stopped to enjoy tea and a biscuit for elevenses. ) The children needed playing with, too, as few families had a TV set to keep them quiet. xxiv) Evening entertainment involved listening to the radio again, curling up with a book or playing board games. xxv) And in a less disposable age there was always plenty of darning and mending to do by the fire. ) Prima edi tor Maire Fahey said the magazine decided to study the contrasting lifestyles following an earlier survey, which revealed how today's women were neglecting their health. xvi) ‘It is telling that modern technology has made us two-thirds less active than we were. It goes to show the importance of exercise in the battle to maintain a healthy balance. ‘ ) Exercise and diet are not the only things to radically change over the last half-century. xxvii) Fitness and nutrition in the United States have changed tremendously in the past five decades. ) Cutting calories and exercise was the most popular method of weight loss 50 years ago. xxviii) Some fad diets such as the Mayo Clinic diet–created in the 1930's–were existent, but not the most common option in weight loss.II. Where do most of our foods come from other than America? a) Here in the US, we have several key issues. b) Specifically, every year we produce less and less of the food that our ever-growing popula tion needs. c) There’s one word that sums up nearly everything we need to know about the food industry in the United States: conglomeration. d) According to the USDA, only about 1/3 of our fruit and nuts and 1/8 of our vegetables are imported. i) About two-thirds of those imports occur during the months of December to April, showing a strong seasonal component to it. ) Mexico is far and away our biggest supplier of fruits and vegetables, taking the top spot in both categories by about a 2-to-1 margin over 2nd place. f) Canada takes 2nd place in vegetables with China a distant third. (Note that these are in dollar figures, not volume, but the relationships should hold when converted. ) g) In the fruit category, most of it comes from Central and South America, with only China (4th) to break up the Top 6 of Mexico, Chile, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Ecuador. ) The US actually does produce most of its own red meat. i) As of 2008, only about 10% of our red meat was imported, predom inantly from Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. j) Fish and shellfish are our major protein imports, with nearly 80% of those being imported. k) Most of that comes from China, Canada, and Thailand. l) There is one bright spot here: most of the food Americans consume is still produced here. i. Currently, between 10 and 15 percent of all food consumed by U. S. households is imported. m) According to the U. S.Food and Drug Administration (FDA), nearly two-thirds of the fruits and vegetables and 80 percent of seafood consumed domestically come from outside the United States. n) On the other hand, we are seeing a marked increase in imports over time. o) According to USDA data, from 1999 to 2010, there was a 43. 25% increase in import volume (111% increase on a dollar basis). ii. Population growth is a partial contributor, but in that same time period, the US population only increased about 10%. p) The top three countries that we import from are Canada, Mexico, and China. iii.We are actu ally Mexico’s largest trading partners, buying 77% of their exports. q) From 1995 to 2006, imports from China grew five-fold: r) According to the U. S. Department of Agriculture, the United States imported $4. 1 billion worth of seafood and agricultural products from China in 2006. iv. In 1995, it was $800 million. v. From 2006 to 2008, it went up another 25%. s) In 2008, Chinese imports reached $5. 2 billion, making China the third-largest source of U. S. food imports. About 41 percent of this import value was from fish and seafood, most of it farm-raised.Juices and pickled, dried, and canned vegetables, and fruit accounted for the other 25 percent. vi. According to the USDA, about 60 percent of all American apple juice, 50 percent of garlic, 10 percent of shrimp and 2 percent of catfish are imported from China. III. How has the typical American diet changed our health and affected rates of disease in this country? a) The sedentary 20th-century lifestyle and work habits brou ght its own unpleasant consequences, which were overeating and excess weight. a) The number of overweight Americans increased from 1970 to 1990 (Klem 440). ) By the 1990s, Americans had become more conscious of their diets, eating more poultry, fish, and fresh fruits and vegetables and fewer eggs and less beef. ii) They also began appreciating fresh ingredients. c) As Americans became more concerned about their diets, they also became more ecologically conscious. iii) Some Americans turned to vegan or vegetarian diets, or only started eating organic foods, which are foods grown without chemical fertilizers or pesticides. d) At the end of the 20th century, American eating habits and food production were increasingly taking place outside the home. v) Many people relied on restaurants and on new types of fully prepared meals to help busy families in which both adults worked full-time. e) Another sign of the public’s changing food habits was the microwave oven, probably the most widely used new kitchen appliance, since it can quickly reheat or cook food and leftovers. v) Since Americans are generally cooking less of their own food, they are more aware than at any time since the early 20th century of the quality and health standards applied to food (Heymsfield 147). ) Two-thirds of American adults are overweight, and half of these are obese. (Overweight means having a body mass index, or BMI, of 25 or greater, obese, 30 or greater: to calculate BMI, a widely used measure, take the square of your height in inches and then divide your weight, in pounds, by that number; then multiply the result by 703. g) Even adults in the upper end of the â€Å"normal† range, who have BMIs of 22 to 24, would generally live longer if they lost some fat; add in these people and it appears that â€Å"up to 80 percent of American adults should weigh less than they do,† says Walter C.Willett, M. D. , D. P. H. ’80, Stare professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the School of Public Health. h) The epidemic of obesity is a vast and growing public health problem. i) He notes that three aspects of weight—BMI, waist size, and weight gained after one’s early twenties—are linked to chances of having or dying from heart disease, strokes and other cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and several types of cancer, plus suffering from arthritis, infertility, gallstones, asthma, and even snoring. i) â€Å"Weight is much more important than serum cholesterol,† Willett asserts; as a cause of premature, preventable deaths, he adds, excess weight and obesity rank a very close second to smoking, partly because there are twice as many fat people as smokers. vii) In fact, since smokers tend to be leaner, the decrease in smoking prevalence has actually swelled the ranks of the fat. j) The obesity epidemic arrived with astonishing speed. k) In 1980, 46 percent of U. S. adults were overweight; by 2000, the figure was 64. 5 percent: n early a 1 percent annual increases in the ranks of the fat. iii) At this rate, by 2040, 100 percent of American adults will be overweight and â€Å"it may happen more quickly,† says John Foreyt of Baylor College of Medicine, who spoke at a conference organized by Gifford’s Oldways group in 2003. l) Foreyt noted that, 20 years ago, he rarely saw 300-pound patients; now they are common. m) Childhood obesity, also once rare, has mushroomed: 15 percent of children between ages six and 19 are now overweight, and even 10 percent of those between two and five. ix) â€Å"This may be the first generation of children who will die before their parents,† Foreyt says. ) Today, Americans eat 200 calories more food energy per day than they did 10 years ago; that alone would add 20 pounds annually to one’s bulk. o) A recent paper in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition argued that the poor tend toward greater obesity because eating energy-dense, highly palatable, r efined foods is cheaper per calorie consumed than buying fish and fresh fruits and vegetables. x) One explanation for our slide into overconsumption is that â€Å"the character of modern Americans is somehow inherently weak and we are incapable of discipline,† says Ludwig. i) â€Å"The food industry would love to explain obesity as a problem of personal responsibility, since it takes the onus off them for marketing fast food, soft drinks, and other high-calorie, low-quality products. † p) Never in human experience has food been available in the staggering profusion seen in North America today. xii) We are awash in edibles shipped in from around the planet; seasonality has largely disappeared. q) Food obtrudes itself constantly, seductively, into our lives—on sidewalks, in airplanes, at gas stations and movie theaters. iii) â€Å"Caloric intake is directly related to gross national product per capita,† says Moore professor of biological anthropology Richar d Wrangham. xiv) â€Å"It’s very difficult to resist the temptation to take in more calories if they are available. r) People keep regarding it as an American problem, but it’s a global problem as countries get richer. † s) Still, the lavish banquet’s first seating is right here in the United States of America. t) â€Å"The French explanation for why Americans are so big is simple,† said Jody Adams, chef/partner of Rialto, a restaurant in Harvard Square, speaking at the Oldways conference. v) â€Å"We eat lots of sugar, and we eat between meals. u) Indeed, the national response to our glut of comestibles is apparently to eat only one meal a day—all day long. xvi) We eat everywhere and at all times: at work, at play, and in transit. v) But the most powerful technology driving the obesity epidemic is television. xvii) â€Å"The best single behavioral predictor of obesity in children and adults is the amount of television viewing,† says the School of Public Health’s Gortmaker. w) â€Å"The relationship is nearly as strong as what you see between smoking and lung cancer. viii) Everybody thinks it’s because TV watching is sedentary, you’re just sitting there for hours—but that’s only about one-third of the effect. xix) Our guesstimate is that two-thirds is the effect of advertising in changing what you eat. † x) Furthermore, in some future year when the Internet merges with broadband cable TV, advertisers will be able to target their messages far more precisely. â€Å"It won’t be just to kids,† Gortmaker says. â€Å"It’ll be to your kid. † y) Since the Industrial Revolution, and particularly in the last half-century, technology has enabled us to conduct an increasingly immobile daily life. ) Even a century later, before the invention of the automobile, many farmed or at least used their bodies vigorously every day. xx) â€Å"At higher levels of a ctivity, people seem to balance their caloric intake and expenditure extremely well,† he says. xxi) â€Å"If our grandparents were farmers, they were moving all day long—not jogging for an hour, but staying active eight to 12 hours a day. {) The way we do our work has changed, and so has the way we spend our leisure time,† he continues. xxii) â€Å"The average number of television hours watched per week is close to a full-time job! ) People used to go for walks and visit their neighbors. Much of that is gone as well. † xxiii) Not only do many adults spend their work lives in front of computer screens, but also the design of public spaces outside their offices eliminates physical activity. xxiv) In skyscrapers, it’s often hard to find the stairs; electronic sensors in public restrooms are eliminating even the most minimal actions of flushing toilets or turning faucets on and off. }) Furthermore, modern children â€Å"don’t have to forage or w alk long distances,† says Lieberman. xv) â€Å"Kids today sit in front of a TV or computer. xxvi) They ride to school on a school bus. xxvii) We even have them rolling their school backpacks on wheels because we are afraid of them overloading their backbones. † ~) In sum, we no longer live like hunter-gatherers, but we still have hunter-gatherer genes. xxviii) Humans evolved in a state of ceaseless physical activity; they ate seasonally, since there was no other choice; and frequently there was nothing to eat at all. ) To get through hard winters and famines, the human body evolved a brilliant mechanism of storing energy in fat cells. The problem, for most of humanity’s time on Earth, has been a scarcity of calories, not a surfeit. ) Our fat-storage mechanism worked beautifully until 50 to 100 years ago. xxix) But since then, â€Å"The speed of environmental change has far surpassed our ability to adapt,† says Dun Gifford of Oldways. xxx) Our bodies were not designed to handle so much caloric input and so little energy outflow. ) Different scholars and popular writers have argued that human beings have â€Å"evolved† to be carnivores, herbivores, frugivores, or omnivores, but anthropologist Richard Wrangham says we are â€Å"cookivores,† grinning at the neologism. xxi) â€Å"We evolved to eat cooked foods,† he declares. â€Å"Raw food eating is never practiced systematically anywhere in the world. † ) Cooking might be considered the first food-processing technology, and like its successors, it has had profound effects on the human body, as in the growth of bones. ) Various signals influence human growth; some come from genes, and others come from the environment, particularly for the musculo-skeletal system, whose job is engaging with the environment. xxxii) Less chewing of cooked food, for example, has altered the anatomy of our skulls, jaws, faces, and teeth. xxiii) â€Å"Chewing is a major activity th at involves muscular forces,† says skeletal biologist Daniel Lieberman. â€Å"It has incredible effects on how the skull grows. † xxxiv) Chewing can transform anatomy rather quickly; in one study, in which Lieberman fed pigs a diet of softened food, in a matter of months their skulls developed shorter and narrower dimensions and their snouts developed thinner bones than those of pigs eating a hard-food diet. ) The same thing happens with human beings. xxxv) â€Å"Since the beginning of the fossil record, humans have become much more gracile,† Lieberman says. xxvi) â€Å"Our bones have become thinner, our faces smaller, and our teeth smaller—especially permanent teeth—although we have the same number of teeth. ) More recently, with the Industrial Revolution, people have become more sedentary; they interact with their environment in a less forceful way. xxxvii) We load our bones less and the bones become thinner. Osteoporosis is a disease of industri alism. † ) In today’s world, where we not only cook but eat a great deal of processed food that has been ground up before it reaches our mouths, we don’t generate as much force when chewing.In fact, for millennia human food has been growing less tough, fibrous, and hard. ) â€Å"The size of the human face has gotten about 12 percent smaller since the Paleolithic,† Lieberman says, â€Å"particularly around the oral cavity, due to the effects of mechanical loading on the size of the face. Fourteen thousand years ago, a much larger proportion of the face was between the bottom of the jaw and the nostrils. † xxxviii) The size of teeth has not decreased as fast (genetic factors control more of their variation); hence, modern teeth are actually too big for our mouths—wisdom teeth become impacted and require extraction. The health hazards of sedentary life seem like an adult problem, but actually, the skeletal system is most responsive to loading wh en it is immature. xxxix) There is only one window for accumulating bone mass—during the first two decades of life. xl) â€Å"Peak bone mass occurs at the end of adolescence,† Lieberman explains, â€Å"and we lose bone steadily thereafter. Kids who are active grow more robust bones. ) If you’re sedentary as a juvenile, you don’t grow as much bone mass—so as you get older and lose bone mass, you drop below the threshold for osteoporosis. ) Furthermore, females get osteoporosis more readily than men because they start with less adult bone mass; as life spans lengthen, says research fellow in cell biology Jennifer Sacheck, of Harvard Medical School, older men will also begin showing symptoms of osteoporosis. ) Weight-bearing exercise only slows the rate of bone loss for adults; pre-adolescent bone growth is far more important to long-term skeletal strength. Hence, the sedentary lifestyles of today’s youngsters—and the cutbacks on school physical-education programs—may be sowing the seeds of widespread skeletal breakdown as their cohort matures. The dramatic upsurge in consumption of carbonated soft drinks, paired with the simultaneous decline in milk drinking, may also weaken future bones. xli) Both milk (lactose) and soda (sucrose, fructose) are sweet, but soda is sweeter, and today’s consumers are hooked on sugar. xlii) â€Å"We probably evolved our sense of sweetness to detect subtle amounts of carbohydrates in foods, because they provide energy,† says Walter Willett. ) â€Å"But now the expectations of sweetness have been ratcheted up. xliii) A product is not deemed attractive if it is not as sweet as its competitor. ) Sugars added to foods made up 11 percent of the calories in American diets in the late 1970s; today they are 16 percent. With agriculture, human health declined, says Lieberman, partly because farming is such hard work, and partly because it allows higher population densiti es, in which infection spreads more easily. ) â€Å"There was more disease, a decrease in body size, higher mortality rates among juveniles, and more stress lines in bones and teeth,† Lieberman says. ) Cultivating grain also allowed farmers to space their children more closely. liv) Hunter-gatherers have long intervals between births, because they do not wean children until age four or five, when teeth are ready to chew hard foods. (â€Å"You can’t feed babies beef jerky,† jokes Lieberman. ) xlv) Farmers, however, can make gruel—a high-calorie mush of roots or grains like millet, taro, or oats that doesn’t require chewing—and wean children much sooner. ) Grains, the source of products such as bread, baked goods, and corn syrup, did not become plentiful in the human diet until the establishment of agriculture. xlvi) So grain farming allowed bigger families and has changed the human situation in endless ways. But while people have eaten grains for a hundred centuries, until the last half-century, most grains consumed were not heavily processed. † ) In the last 50 years, the extent of processing has increased so much that prepared breakfast cereals—even without added sugar—act exactly like sugar itself,† says pediatrics specialist David Ludwig. ) In 1981, David Jenkins, a professor of nutrition at the University of Toronto, led a team that tested various foods to determine which were best for diabetics. xlvii) They developed a â€Å"glycemic index† that ranked foods from 0 to 100, depending on how rapidly the body turned them into glucose. This work overturned some established bromides, such as the distinction between â€Å"simple† and â€Å"complex† carbohydrates: a baked russet potato, for example, traditionally defined as a complex carbohydrate, has a glycemic rating of 85 (ffl12; studies vary) whereas a 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola appears on some glycemic indices at 63. xlv iii) Eating high-glycemic foods dumps large amounts of glucose suddenly into the bloodstream, triggering the pancreas to secrete insulin, the hormone that allows glucose to enter the body’s cells for metabolism or storage. lix) The pancreas over-responds to the spike in glucose—a more rapid rise than a hunter-gatherer’s bloodstream was likely to encounter—and secretes lots of insulin. ) But while high-glycemic foods raise blood sugar quickly, â€Å"they also leave the gastrointestinal tract quickly,† Ludwig explains. â€Å"The plug gets pulled. l) † With so much insulin circulating, blood sugar plummets. This triggers a second wave of hormones, including stress hormones like epinephrine. li) â€Å"The body puts on the emergency brakes,† says Ludwig. lii) â€Å"It releases any stored fuels—the liver starts releasing glucose. iii) This raises blood sugar back into the normal range, but at a cost to the body. † ) One cost, documented by studies at the School of Public Health, is that going through this kind of physiologic stress three to five times per day doubles the risk of heart attacks. ) Another cost is excess hunger. ) The precipitous drop in blood sugar triggers primal mechanisms in the brain: â€Å"The brain thinks the body is starving,† Ludwig explains. liv) â€Å"It doesn’t care about the 30 pounds of fat socked away, so it sends you to the refrigerator to get a quick fix, like a can of soda. ) Glycemic spikes may underlie Ludwig and Gortmaker’s finding, published in the Lancet two years ago, that each additional daily serving of a sugar-sweetened beverage multiplies the risk of obesity by 1. 6. ) Some argue that people compensate for such sugary intake by eating less later on, to balance it out, but Ludwig asserts, â€Å"We don’t compensate well when calories come in liquid form. lv) The meal has to go through your gut, where the brain gets satiety signals that slow you down. On the other hand, you could drink a 64-ounce soft drink before you knew what hit you. ) Since humans can take in large amounts of food in a short time, â€Å"we are adapted to receiving much higher glycemic loads than other primates,† says Richard Wrangham, speculating that nonhuman primates may be poor models for research on human diabetes because they have a different insulin system. lvi) The only component of the hunter-gatherer diet likely to cause extreme insulin spikes is honey, which Wrangham feels â€Å"is likely to have been very important, at least seasonally, for our ancestors. What is certain is that hunter-gatherers never experienced anything like the routine daily glucose-insulin cycles that characterize a modern diet loaded with refined sugars and starches. lvii) Constantly buffeted by these insulin surges, over time the body’s cells develop insulin resistance, a decreased response to insulin’s signal to take in glucose. lviii) W hen the cells slam their doors shut, high levels of glucose keep circulating in the bloodstream, prompting the pancreas to secrete even more insulin. This syndrome can turn into an endocrine disorder called hyperinsulinemia that sets the stage for Type II, or adult-onset, diabetes, which has become epidemic in recent years. ) Ironically, U. S. government agencies’ attempts to deal with obesity during the last three decades—encouraging people to eat less fat and more carbohydrates, for example—actually may have exacerbated the problem. ) Take the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Guide Pyramid, first promulgated in 1992. ix) The pyramid’s diagram of dietary recommendations is a familiar sight on cereal boxes—hardly a coincidence, since the guidelines suggest six to 11 servings daily from the â€Å"bread, cereal, rice, and pasta† group. ) The USDA recommends eating more of these starches than any other category of food. lx) Unfort unately, such starches are nearly all high-glycemic carbohydrates, which drive obesity, hyperinsulinemia, and Type II diabetes. ) â€Å"At best, the USDA pyramid offers wishy-washy, scientifically unfounded advice on an absolutely vital topic—what to eat,† writes Willett in Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy. â€Å"At worst, the misinformation contributes to overweight, poor health, and unnecessary early deaths. ) â€Å"Clearly, some food industries have for many years successfully influenced the government in ways that keep the prices of certain foods artificially low. lxi) David Ludwig questions farm subsidies of â€Å"billions to the lowest-quality foods†Ã¢â‚¬â€for example, grains like corn (â€Å"for corn sweeteners and animal feed to make Big Macs†) and wheat (â€Å"refined carbohydrates. â€Å") ) Meanwhile, the government does not subsidize far healthier items like fruits, vegetables, beans, and nuts. xii) â€Å"It’s a perverse situation,† he says. â€Å"The foods that are the worst for us have an artificially low price, and the best foods cost more. lxiii) This is worse than a free market: we are creating a mirror-world here. † ) Governmental policies like cutting school budgets by dropping physical education programs may also prove to be a false economy. ) â€Å"There’s fast food sold in school cafeterias, soft drinks and candies in school vending machines, and advertising in classrooms on Channel One. ) Meanwhile there are cutbacks in physical education, as if it were a luxury.What was once daily and mandatory is now infrequent and optional. † ) Consider the flap that arose after the United Nations’ World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organization issued a report in 2003 recommending guidelines for eating to improve world nutrition and prevent chronic diseases. lxiv) Instead of applauding the report, the DHHS issued a 28-page, line-by-line critique and tried to ge t WHO to quash it. lxv) WHO recommended that people limit their intake of added sugars to no more than 10 percent of alories eaten, a guideline poorly received by the Sugar Association, a trade group that has threatened to pressure Congress to challenge the United States’ $406 million contribution to WHO. ) By the last decade of the 20th Century, Americans had become much more adventuresome eaters. lxvi) Variety of choice is nearly unbelievable. lxvii) Ethnic cuisine, once shunned, enjoys increasing popularity and the new foods introduced via that route add greatly to the variety of food choices. ) The trend toward eating out of the home continues to grow; in 1998, 47% of the food dollar was spent away from home. xviii) However, the concern for nutrition was higher than ever and that fact probably contributed to keeping some meals at home. ) Today’s families seem busier than ever. lxix) Rushing between work and school often leaves parents scrambling for time to prepare nutritious, good-tasting meals for their children. ) In fact, 44 percent of U. S. weekday meals are prepared in 30 minutes or less. ) As the quality of our diets has deteriorated over the last 50 years, certain diseases have become rampant. â€Å"Directly related to food, you hear a lot of talk about obesity-related problems in terms of diabetes, coronary artery disease and high blood pressure, and those happen in both men and women,† lxx) â€Å"Those are the general categories of ailments; there are also many specific diet-related disorders. † ) A majority of individuals are making less healthy food choices for better time management. ) Whether for good or bad, changes in diet and fitness have morphed the way people live. ) In the 1960s, it was still common to plant a garden or a fruit tree for food. xxi) Nowadays, this is not the case; in fact it is less common to grow a garden in the U. S than it was 50 years ago. ) Even quick, pop in the microwave or oven meals ha ve become more popular, despite the fact that the invention of the TV dinner occurred in 1944. lxxii) Between working and conflicting schedules, there are not as many home-cooked, healthy meals on the plates of children today. ) Obesity has reached epidemic proportions. lxxiii) In 2007 and 2008, 34 percent of Americans were obese and another 34 percent were overweight, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. xxiv) In 1960 and 1962, only about 14 percent of Americans were obese and 31. 5 percent were overweight. lxxv) Since 1976, the number of obese children from ages 2 to 5 has nearly doubled. ) In 2011, people are looking for weight loss at a quick pace with diet pills, diet shakes, surgery and different diets such as the cabbage soup diet. lxxvi) There are more fad diets and methods of weight loss than ever before. IV. Are food allergies on the rise? If so, why? a) The number of kids with food allergies went up 18 percent from 1997 to 2007, according to the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ) About 3 million children younger than 18 had a food or digestive allergy in 2007, the CDC said. c) A recent study in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology found that visits to the emergency room at Children's Hospital Boston for allergic reactions more than doubled from 2001 to 2006. i) Although this is just one hospital, the findings reflect a rise in food allergies seen in national reports, said Dr. Susan Rudders, lead author and pediatric allergist-immunologist in Providence, Rhode Island. d) One theory is that the Western diet has made people more susceptible to developing allergies and other illnesses. i) The children in the African village live in a community that produces its own food. iii) The study authors say this is closer to how humans ate 10,000 years ago. iv) Their diet is mostly vegetarian. e) By contrast, the local diet of European children contains more sugar, animal fat and calorie-dense foods. v) The study authors posit that these factors result in less biodiversity in the organisms found inside the gut of European children. f) The decrease in richness of gut bacteria in Westerners may have something to do with the rise in allergies in industrialized countries, said Dr.Paolo Lionetti of the department of pediatrics at Meyer Children Hospital at the University of Florence. vi) Sanitation measures and vaccines in the West may have controlled infectious disease, but they decreased exposure to a variety of bacteria may have opened the door to these other ailments. g) Another theory is that children need to get exposed to common allergens, such as nuts and shellfish, from a much earlier age, to avoid developing allergies. vii) Some doctors have been recommending waiting until 2 or 3, but Ferdman at Children's Hospital Los Angeles is a proponent of giving kids nuts very early. iii) This could occur through breastfeeding or an unintended exposure to highly processed foods in the Western diet that may contain hidden sources of the allergens. h) Cooking practices can also affect the development of food allergies. ix) For example, roasting a peanut enhances its allergenic potential compared to other forms of preparing peanut. x) Peanut allergy is more common in the U. S. where peanuts are roasted, as compared to China where peanuts are boiled. V. Is the fast food industry hurting our waistlines and our health? How? ) American emphasis on convenience and rapid consumption is best represented in fast foods such as hamburgers, French fries, and soft drinks, which almost all Americans have eaten. b) By the 1960s and 1970s fast foods became one of America's strongest exports as franchises for McDonalds and Burger Kings spread through the world (Klem 443). c) The effect of fast food chains was infectious; they had become accepted in American society. d) Traditional meals cooked at home and consumed at a leisurely pace gave way to quick lunches and dinners eaten on the run as ot her countries mimicked American cultural patterns. ) In some ways, American food developments are contradictory. f) Americans are more aware of food quality, yet are still eating unhealthy foods due to their increasing dependence on convenience, and are also regularly eating fast foods (Heymsfield 148). i) â€Å"It’s hard for people to give up traditions,† states nutrition expert, Kathy Johnson. g) Spurlock’s total immersion in fast food was a one-subject research study, and his body’s response a warning about the way we eat now. h) â€Å"Super Size Me† could be a credo for the United States, where people, like their automobiles, have become gargantuan. i) â€Å"SUVs, big homes, penis enlargement, breast enlargement, bulking up with steroids—it’s a context of everything getting bigger,† says K. Dun Gifford ’60, LL. B. ’66, president of the Oldways Preservation and Exchange Trust, a nonprofit organization specializ ing in food, diet, and nutrition education. i) Steven Gortmaker, professor of society, human development, and health at the School of Public Health, observes that the convenience-food culture is so ubiquitous that even conscientious parents have trouble steering their children away from junk food. ii) â€Å"You let your kids go on a ‘play date,’† says the father of two, â€Å"and they come home and say, ‘We went to Burger King for lunch. ’† j) He notes that on any given day, 30 percent of American children aged four to 19 eat fast food, and older and wealthier ones eat even more. k) Overall, 7 percent of the U. S. population visits McDonald’s each day, and 20 to 25 percent eat in some kind of fast-food restaurant. v) But taking the family to McDonald’s for, say, Chicken McNuggets, French fries, and a sugar-sweetened beverage—a meal loaded with calories, salt, trans fats (the most unhealthy, artery-clogging fats of all, typ ified in â€Å"partially hydrogenated† oils), fried foods, starch, and sugar—makes Gortmaker shake his head. â€Å"I can’t imagine a worse meal for kids,† he says. â€Å"They call this a ‘Happy Meal’? † l) Humans can eat convenient, refined, highly processed food with great speed, enabling them to consume an astonishing caloric load—literally thousands of calories—in minutes. ) Gortmaker, Ludwig, and colleagues did research comparing caloric intake on days when children ate in a fast-food restaurant to days when they did not; they soaked up 126 calories more on fast-food days, which could translate into a weight gain of 13 pounds per year on fast food alone. m) Pumping up portion size makes good business sense, because the cost of ingredients like sugar and water for a carbonated soda is trivial, and customers perceive the larger amount as delivering greater value. vi) â€Å"When you have calories that are incredibly che ap, in a culture where ‘bigger is better,’ that’s a dangerous combination,† says Walter Willett. ) Furthermore, â€Å"Portion sizes have increased dramatically since the 1950s,† says Beatrice Lorge Rogers ’68, professor of economics and food policy at Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. vii) For proof, consider a 1950s advertising jingle: â€Å"Pepsi-Cola hits the spot/12 full ounces, that’s a lot. † Well, it’s not a lot any more. o) For decades, 12 ounces (itself a move up from earlier 6. 5- and 10-ounce bottles) was the standard serving size for soft drinks. viii) But since the 1970s, soft drink bottles have grown to 20 and 24 ounces; today, even one-liter (33. 8 ounce) bottles are marketed as â€Å"single servings. ix) It doesn’t stop there. The 7-11 convenience store chain offers a Double Gulp cup filled with 64 ounces of ice and soda: a half-gallon â€Å"serving. † Surely, the 128-ounce Gallon Guzzle is on the horizon. p) Soft drinks are becoming America’s favorite breakfast beverage, and specialty sandwiches and burritos for breakfast are fast-growing items, part of the trend toward eating out for all meals. q) The restaurant industry—which employs 12 million workers (second only to government) and has projected sales of $440. 1 billion this year, according to its national association—ranks among the nation’s largest businesses. ) Today, Americans spend 49 cents of every food dollar on food eaten outside the home, where, according to Rogers, they consume 30 percent of their calories. x) That includes take-out food (which some parts of the restaurant industry now style as â€Å"home meal replacement†). s) â€Å"In some ways, you can see obesity as the tip of the iceberg, sitting on top of huge societal issues,† says Willett. xi) â€Å"There are enormous pressures on homes with both the husband and wi fe in the work force. t) One reason things need to be fast is that Mom is not at home preparing meals and waiting for the kids to come home from school any more. ii) She is out there in the office all day, commuting home, and maybe working extra hours at night. xiii) This means heating something in the microwave or hitting the drive-through at McDonald’s. u) There really is a time issue—people do have less time. v) Technology may have entrenched that passivity, while making food preparation easier and faster. w) Three Harvard economists, professors of economics Edward Glaeser and David Cutler, and graduate student Jesse Shapiro, argued in a recent paper that improved technology has cut the time needed to prepare food, allowing us to eat more conveniently. iv) For example, in 1978, they note, only 8 percent of homes had microwave ovens, but 83 percent do today. Food that once took hours to prepare is now â€Å"nuked† in minutes. x) Technology can also change what we eat. xv) Potatoes used to be baked, boiled, or mashed; the labor involved in peeling, cutting, and cooking French fries meant that few home cooks served them, the economists point out. xvi) But now factories prepare potatoes for frying and ship them to fast-food outlets or freeze them for microwave cooking at home. ) Americans ate 30 percent more potatoes between 1977 and 1995, most of that increase coming in the form of French fries and potato chips. z) In general, technology has enabled the food industry to do more of the work of preparing and cooking what we eat, increasing the proportion of processed victuals in the nation’s diet. xvii) Frequently, processing also folds in more ingredients; russet potatoes, for example, contain no added salt or oil, though most potato chips do. {) Within our laissez-faire system of food supply, the food vendors’ actions aren’t illegal, or even inherently immoral. viii) â€Å"The food industry’s major objective is to get us to intake more food,† says Gortmaker. xix) â€Å"And the TV industry’s objective is to get us to watch more television, to be sedentary. |) Advertising is the action that keeps them both successful. xx) So you’ve got two huge industries being successful at what they are supposed to do: creating more intake and less activity. xxi) And since larger people require more food energy just to sustain themselves, the food industry is growing a larger market for itself. † }) That industry spends billions of dollars on research, says Willett. xii) â€Å"They have carefully researched the exact levels of sweetness and saltiness that will make every food as attractive as possible,† he explains. xxiii) â€Å"Each company is putting out its bait, trying to make it more attractive than its competitors. ~) Food industry science is getting better, more refined, and more powerful as we go along. xxiv) They do good science—they don’t throw th eir money down the drain. ) What we spend on nutrition education is only in the tens of millions of dollars annually. xxv) There’s a huge imbalance, and it tips more and more in favor of the food industry every year. Food executives like to say, ‘Just educate the consumer—when they create the demand for healthier food, we’ll supply it! ’ xxvi) That’s a bit disingenuous when you consider that they are already spending billions to ‘educate’ consumers. † ) The food industry itself has begun to make certain investments in the direction of healthier eating. xxvii) â€Å"In the future, I see a convergence between food and health,† says Goldberg. xxviii) â€Å"The food industry has been warned of the backlash that could hit them, like it did tobacco. ) He suggests that the food industry will become more responsive to consumers’ health concerns regarding issues like bioengineered ingredients in foodstuffs. ) People â€Å"want a diversity of sources for their food, and traceability of sources,† he says. ) â€Å"The bar code will become a vehicle not just for pricing, but for describing and listing ingredients. † ) Even fast-food chains are changing; in the past year, they reported a 16 percent growth in servings of main-dish salads. ) Willet sees no reason why healthy eating should not be as delicious and attractive as junk food, and the franchisers may be headed that way as well. xix) McDonald’s is currently testing an adult meal that includes a pedometer and â€Å"Step With It† booklet along with any entree salad. In its kids’ meals, Wendy’s is trying out fruit cups with melon slices instead of French fries. xxx) Yogurt manufacturer Stonyfield Farm has launched a chain of healthful fast-food restaurants called O’Naturals. ) Doritos themselves are getting healthier. xxxi) Fitness expert Kenneth Cooper, M. P. H. ’62, founder of the Cooper Aerobics Center in Dallas, has been working with PepsiCo’s CEO, Steven S. Reinemund, to develop new products and modify existing items in a healthier direction. The company’s Frito-Lay unit last year eliminated trans fats from its salty offerings. xxxii) Frito-Lay introduced organic, healthier versions of Doritos and Cheetos under the Natural sub-brand. † xxxiii) As a result, 55 million pounds of trans fats will be removed from the American diet over the next 12 months,† Cooper says. ) PepsiCo is in 150 countries, and many of their healthier products will soon be promoted throughout the world. ) Physical fitness is good business for the individual and for the corporation. † ) PepsiCo sells plenty of food and beverages from vending machines, many of them in schools. xxiv) â€Å"You don’t resolve the obesity problem in children by taking the vending machines out of schools,† Cooper declares. â€Å"Kids will still get what they want. xxxv) Put better products in the machines and get physical education back in the schools. † ) Accordingly, PepsiCo is stocking some school machines with fruit juices from its Tropicana and Dole brands, Gatorade, and Aquafina bottled water; others offer Frito-Lay products that meet Cooper’s â€Å"Class I† standard: no trans fats and restricted amounts of calories, fat, saturated fat, and sodium. Fast food has become a staple for many individuals. xxxvi) Though fast food was developed in the 1930s, it has peaked in popularity during the past two decades. ) According to CBS HealthWatch, at least a quarter of all Americans eat at McDonald's once per day. 1) How have your own dietary practices changed over the years? 2) How have your dietary practices changed since taking a course in nutrition?