China 1400’s

In the early 1400’s most people did not venture outside of their birthplace. Most did not live long lives. They died either from child birth, famine, or sickness. Their knowledge of Arts, medicine, work, and law was confined to the small village and the families that lived there. They would have traveled only a few miles to the next village to trade or shop for necessities. The bulk of their food intake would have been corn, wheat, sorghum, rice and barley. But not too far away in the same world there were missionaries, pilgrims, explorers, conquerors, seaman, caravan leaders and merchants.Explorers and conquerors made their way to villages and took people into their web of networks most against their will. In the beginning merchants were like lower class people. They were watched closely, and their activities were regulated. However as the world got bigger the merchants grew in power, wealth, and status. China was a power house in the early 1400’s. They were an advance d region and would have been best prepared for the emerging world market. They were trading silk, spices, tea, religion, and sickness. Sickness was a drawback/ disadvantage of having travelers, merchants and traders in your area.China had a fleet of ships that traveled to places such as Calicut, Thailand, and other countries. But in 1421 a emperor named Yongle stopped a voyages by the Ming Fleet, and in 1436 emperor Zhu Qizhen ordered the destruction of all shipbuilding plans. China became isolated from other countries and isolated from itself merchants and traders were not supported by the government and were not protected from pirates. The population almost tripled in size from the 1400’s to the 1600 to a staggering 160 million. The majority were poor and could not purchase from Chinese traders.

Getting To Yes

I played the part of the agent for this exercise and Chloe played the role of business manager. In this case, I was trying to negotiate a deal for Sally Soprano. Basically my job was to make sure that she got the lead role of Norma. Sally did not care how much she was going to get paid; she just wanted the role because it was going to revitalize her career. This lead role would then give her momentum to get into different mediums such as movies and television.Right off the bat in the negotiations I tried to separate the person from the problem. Instead of coming right out and telling Chloe that I wanted this, this, and this, I asked her about what she thought about Sally and how she might affect the show. I also asked her about what she felt about having Sally be the lead performer instead of telling her how great Sally would be for the part. I wanted to make sure that we talked about all of the outstanding issues at hand before we even started negotiating about who get what in the s ituation.While I was using this technique I felt that Chloe was becoming much more comfortable with my approach and me. Instead of putting her on the defensive and guarding her position. I felt that she was much more willing to work with me and cooperate on the negotiations. It worked because in the end I feel like we came to a deal that worked very well for all parties involved.I remember Chloe using the technique of generating options for mutual gain. So my main goal we discovered was to make sure that Sally Soprano could have enough publicity that would launch her into tv and movies. Chloe wanted to make sure the theatre could sustain itself and stay financially viable. So we exchanged many different ideas about how we could both mutually benefit from each other. We discussed profit sharing and different ways to split up the money. I had to relay to Chloe that Sally Soprano was a veteran who could guarantee a great show/ performance. Yet Chloe was hesitant to want to sign such an ageing star, this lead to some conflict.A part that I could have used more would have been focusing on interest and not so much on positions. I tried to stay open and accommodating yet I had to hammer home the fact that Sally needed to get the lead role and there was no other way around it. This may have led to some roadblocks in out bargaining and may have been a poor choice on my part. Yet in the end we decided on Sally would get the main part for 18,000 and would be guaranteed three additional shows in the future to ensure that she got the kind of exposure that she wanted.As a person who is new to the GTY method of negotiating I think that separating the people from the problems is the hardest part of negotiating with this new technique. Some people are hard wired into thinking that they must fight for what they have to get and are on the opposite team as the other person. Yet I feel like what GTY teaches most is making deals the benefit both parties involved. Which in the end i s what both people want.

Sally Hemings & Thomas Jefferson - The Scandal Essay

Sally Hemings & Thomas Jefferson - The Scandal - Essay Example Each member relies on what each knows of human nature, using common sense and the ability to reason If the assumptions seem ridiculous, throw them out, if the reasons make sense, convict. Here Jefferson will be convicted, but free from scandal. Jefferson was a man of passion and conviction, like many a good leader, and it is just these characteristics upon which he will be judged as well as the elemental conditions of the evidence available. As with any fair trial we must first presume that Thomas Jefferson is innocent before we can bring evidence against him. This presumption will lie in the testimony of his statements and those of his contemporaries. Thomas Jefferson himself never commented publicly on the issue, though some of his remarks have been interpreted as indirect denials. For example, he publicly stated his opposition to miscegenation (a word not yet coined at the time): "Their [blacks] amalgamation with the other color," he wrote, "produces a degradation to which no lover of his country, no lover of excellence in the human character, can innocently consent."1 Why would a man with these opinions ever think to "consent" to relationships outside his own race? The Jefferson Family also vehemently denies any possible impropriety on Jefferson’s part equally sighting his high moral character and his veracity. The family also states as fact that Mr. Jefferson was never geographically present at the times in which Ms. Hemings would have conceived any of her children. â€Å"Thomas Jefferson Randolph [grandson of Thomas Jefferson], holds basically that Jefferson was not at Monticello when Sally Hemings children were conceived, and that they were fathered instead by one of his nephews, either Peter or Samuel Carr.†3 However, careful studies of Jefferson Farm Book and the detailed chronology of his public life record tend to reveal otherwise (see Timeline on page ten). Also the Author of Thomas Jefferson: An Intimate History reveals

Camping out Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Camping out - Essay Example Camping may be sturdy or even impracticable, but this should not be the issue, it should be fun and enjoyable. Going on audacious activities, discovering nature, all these can be attained in camping only if a person goes camping with the right mind. There is no hot shower in camps; one has to bathe in rivers, lakes and any other alternative. When one thinks about camping, he or she should think of both the affirmative and the downbeat sides. The activities in camping, which are fishing and gathering wild fruits are quite audacious. These can be the healthiest foods one takes in the span of a year. Contrast these foods with the canned foods people carry when going camping. The canned foods do not have nutrients they are just like junk food, but the fish and the wild fruits are fresh and have many nutrients. These activities should not be tough on a person. Someone should do them as fun activities, by doing so they become fun, and the activities make people appreciate nature. People should stop living on their placate zone, by allowing themselves to be adventurous. An example is Earnest’s statement that any man of average office intelligence can make at least as good a pie as his wife (Thurston 201). The challenges that people face when going out on camps should add fun to their activities. Being attacked by mosquitoes and bugs and even camping in flies infested areas should be thrilling. This sounds sickening and horrendous, but why should a person go camping if he or she will not be able to stand these challenges. The presence of insects is because; most of camping activities take place in forests and sometimes on top of hills and mountains. When the activities take place in the forest, it is expectable to find insects like flies, because this is where they cohabit. Camping is tough and sometimes the activities look unattainable. These activities serve to make going out on camps gratifying and fulfilling. There is no need of going out on a camp when

The Parthenon in Athens and the Pantheon in Rome Essay

The Parthenon in Athens and the Pantheon in Rome - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that in comparing the Greek and Roman cultures one must first study a brief history of the cultures surrounding the cities in which these magnificent buildings were first built. Athens began as a great limestone rock, a holy or sacred place rising to the Attica plateau. The Acropolis as it is called means in Greek, â€Å"the highest point of the town.† Many ancient cities were built on principles of height as a fortress for protection; however, the Acropolis has special meaning as a sacred place for an emerging Greek dynasty. The great limestone rock measures from the basin to 70 meters and levels out at the top at 300 meters long and 150 meters wide. The top has become very flat due to many landfills over the course of history which allowed construction of its temples and buildings. The Acropolis was a prime location for habitation and worship due to its shallow caves and underground water springs. Its steep slopes were also a great source of protection during an unstable time in history. A deep well dug at the north end of the rock was very useful to the defenders during a long siege. It provided an almost endless underground water supply. The Acropolis functioned also as a residence for royalty, a place to worship for the Goddess of fertility and nature, and her male companion God Erechtheus. The Acropolis hill is sometimes called the â€Å"sacred rock† of Athens and is seen as holding the most important sites of the city and secrets of the ancient Greek culture. This sacred rock is the beginning of some of the architectural masterpieces of Greek history and culture. Relics of offerings made to the Goddess Athena in marble, korai, bronze and clay date back to the Archaic period around 650-480 B.C.). The Parthenon: The Parthenon was built on the site of other cultures that came before them. It was considered a sacred place. The purpose of the Parthenon was to cement the temples of earlier cultures as well as experience and praise the Greek goddess Athena. The name Parthenon refers to the worship of the goddess who is the patroness of the city of Athens. Mythology has it that she was born fully-grown out of the head of her father Zeus. This reverts back to the Greek belief that she represented the greater order of spiritual development with the gifts of intellect and understanding. She is seen as a symbol to the human aspect of wisdom. Two architects, Ictinus and Callicrates, supervised by the sculptor, Phidias, built the Parthenon. Considered a temple, the Parthenon was built according to the Doric order of architecture, the simplest of classical Greek architectural styles. It represented simplicity along with power; built to precise dimensions using mathematical ratios of sacred geometry. The building is rectangular and measured 101.34 feet wide by 228.14 feet long from the top of its base. When new it was constructed of white marble, 46 columns, and tile roofing. It contained a nearly 40 foot tall statue of the goddess Athena. The statue was constructed of wood, gold and ivory. Athens most significant and prosperous time in history was the 5th century BC under the reign of Pericles. During this time the Greeks developed a constitution that gave all citizens the right to participate in the governing of the state. Democracy was the most significant achievement of the early Greeks. Considered the Golden Age of Athens, the Parthenon was built when arts, philosophy and drama were at their highest point. Unfortunately, the Peloponnesian War with Athenians and Sparta ended development. The building has been damaged over past centuries by looters, modern day automobile exhausts, industrial pollution and acid rain.

Marketing Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 8

Marketing Plan - Essay Example The taxation polices and international relations of these countries have influenced the functioning of the organization (Acton, 2013). High inflation rates and global economic condition have increased poverty and unemployment in different counties that has affected the charities and expenses. In addition, social changes and behavior of the contributors have changed. The technological development has enhances online access of the people for awareness. 1. Under the section 501(c)3, the organization chosen to present is the ‘GuideStar’. The non-profit group ‘Plan International USA Inc.’ is a GuideStar organization aims to provide relief services and aims to end the cycle of poverty, the organization is exempted from federal income tax and works for the charity and welfare people. 2. The organization aims to end the cycle of poverty among the children all around the world. It aims to provide welfare services to these poor children in fifty developing countries through collaboration and contributions of different communities. It provides healthcare program, education projects, and child protective initiatives to children suffering from poverty. 4. I selected ‘GuideStar’ group because it works for the prosperity for the poor children around the world. In addition, the organization provides different charity, welfare educational and health institutions for poor children. Analyzing situation analysis of GuideStar, it can be determined that the operations of the organization have improved (Ferrell & Michael, 2012). The management emphasizes on the development and encouragement of its voluntary that has decreased the administration expenses of the company. In addition, the contributors of the organization have increased their charities to the organization. One of the major weaknesses of the organization is that it focuses on projects in only fifty counties, whereas the other organizations are focused on a

Organization Leadership Experience, Communication and the Power of Essay

Organization Leadership Experience, Communication and the Power of Questions - Essay Example In my organizations coaching process, good communication is demonstrated through effective use of technological aids, and conduction of surveys regularly to get the reviews and insights from the coach as well as the coachees. These surveys reveal information about the level of satisfaction of both the coach and the coachee with the coaching process, and their proposed measures for making the communication more effective. â€Å"What [the coachees] do want is ongoing communication with their executives concerning the "big picture" -- how their work is making a difference and suggestions on how they can improve† (Goldsmith, 2009). In my high school, I had experience of coaching as I had to prepare myself for a Football match between my school and another school’s team. I was assigned a coach who was very good at communication. By telling us hand symbols and their meanings, he provided us with a way to communicate with each other over long distances and in loud and noisy grounds. Our coach remained curious as to whether we were all able to understand him from a distance; â€Å"Curiosity on the part of coaches empowers teachers to find their own answers, to be more resourceful, and to discover new possibilities for moving forward† (Tschannen-Moran and Tschannen-Moran, 2010). At the end of each session, the coach would ask us what we understood when he made a certain symbol, and our responses reassured him that we had received his messages correctly. Contrary to this, another coach with whom I worked in the sports complex employed the use of mobile phones for communication over long distances, whic h was impracticable since we either ran out of signals or something else would happen to disrupt the communication or the quality of game such as accidentally dropping the mobile phone while running. Rather than asking us whether we found communication over mobiles effective or not in

Evidence of achievement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Evidence of achievement - Essay Example b. An understanding of work preferences is integral to developing a bond of understanding between the student, the mentor and the demands of the nursing profession itself. In addition to the outgrowth of trusting working relationships among professionals, the mentorship development program provides a 'safety net' to blunt the consequences of learners' errors. This supervision allows me to learn from my mistakes safely, while at the same time advancing to greater positions of responsibility to achieve integration. c. During internship, the practicalities of classroom fundamentals come into play as a physical reality. While it has long been said that hands-on training is the only means to achieve true comprehension of a functional task; having the intellectual background provides a stronger basis for 'jumping in' to new learning environments. It gives my supervisor-mentor an easier point of reference to begin the induction to new departments, and new learning environments as needed. .. . If the student has already completed a portion of a structured training program, and as the student progresses, the mentor will gain an appreciation for learning style, and be able to tailor instruction accordingly. b. Learning strategies are integral to academic success; but largely come from within the self, from the student's self-determination to advance themselves towards the purpose of becoming a true nursing professional. Having the added experience of having once been a beginner at the task at hand, the professional mentor has the ability to advise, and assist in the deployment of these strategies in a way that meshes most effectively with the particular demands of the position. c. A good mentor will be experienced with the inner workings of the learning process as it pertains to the nursing position at hand, and will be able to reflect on their own needs, questions, and uncertainties when the mentor was new at the position. This lets an effective supervisor-mentor to devise impromptu tests, questions, and brief quizzes, with no fore-knowledge of what was challenging for them personally. A strategy personally useful in learning is when the mentor/instructor gives a lesson, or hands-on demonstration followed by an immediate quiz. c. 3.) a. Professional growth is intertwined with personal growth within a modern nursing environment, as the student grows into a more complete person on an individual level, who becomes therefore also a competent nursing professional. Mentorship/supervision is essential in that it allows a safer means for the student to perform real medical procedures and care to gain an appreciation for the

Bible vs. Mythology Essay Example for Free

Bible vs. Mythology Essay There are many similarities and differences between Greek Mythology and The Bible. Whether it’s the creation of man and women, or the universe, stories have been told throughout time and some can be alike and others completely different. There are people that have gathered, translated and recorded all of these events for us now to learn about. Whether a person believes it is true or not is up to them but if a God is real how come the stories between these two different beliefs can be so similar. A strong similarity is the creation of man and the universe. However the Greek Myths and the Bible have many differences when it comes to how and why everything happened. A comparison between these two is the creation of the universe. In Genesis 1:1 it states that â€Å"the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters† (Genesis 1:2). Then throughout seven days, God created light, the sky, the sea, plants, stars, birds, animals that live in water, livestock, and finally mankind to rule over all the others. Everything starts off as a dark, empty void much like in the Greek Myths. In Mythology there was a lot of chaos to begin until Tethis the first mother mated with an endless river to create Gaia, Tartarus, and Eros. After that, Gaia (Mother Earth) mated with Ouranos (the sky) and created the Titans. The Greek God’s created all the living beings on Earth because they were bored and had nothing else to do. Unlike God it did not take seven days to create all. The Greek God’s would just think of something and it would happen. Prometheus was given the task to mold the animals from clay and Epimetheus gave them their unique abilities. In the Bible, whatever Adam called the animal was what it was named. With humans however, it took many tries for mankind to be created and with both the Bible and Mythology, there was a flood to wipe out everything. In the creation of men, both in the Bible and Myths, he was created from the earth. In the Bible man was formed from dust and God breathed life into him. When humans became so corrupted, God sent a flood to kill everything on earth. He spared Noah and his family along with seven pairs of every animal on Earth to repopulate once the flood had passed. There are two versions  from which men were created in Greek Mythology. Homer’s version is that man was molded from clay by Prometheus but was not given any special power because Epimetheus forgot about them. Hesiod’s version was that of a series of races: gold, silver, bronze, heroes, and iron. The time of the golden men was when Kronos ruled and everything was an easy, perfect paradise until they vanished. Silver was under Zeus’ rule when man had a short maturity and horrible old age. They were arrogant and disappeared under the earth. During the bronze era of man there was constant warfare until Zeus sends a flood to kill all of mankind. After that, the heroes followed, a time of mighty mortals who battled monsters and had a peaceful afterlife. Finally the era of the iron man, a balance towards fighting and attitude to the Gods. This time is also the time of the creation of women. Nowadays people don’t see women as evil but in the Bible and Myth’s women are defined as â€Å"beautiful and evil creatures† (Gods and Goddesses). The first woman, Eve, was created from the rib of Adam so women are the flesh and blood of man. Adam and Eve are the first humans in the Bible and at first all is serene and happy that is until Eve eats from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The serpent tricks her into eating the fruit and Eve shares it with Adam. Because of this Eve is evil for sharing the knowledge to Adam and leveling with God. In Greek Mythology, Prometheus and Epimetheus warn their children Deucalion and Pyrrha about the impending flood. They build an ark on which they survive and reach Mount Parnassus. That is where they consult the goddess Themis on how to repopulate the Earth. Deucalion was told: â€Å"You and your wife are to veil your heads, and as you walk from my sanctuary, throw behind you the bones of your mother† (Waterfield, Robin). So Deucalion and Pyrrha threw behind them rocks, the bones of Gaia and the rocks that Pyrrha threw formed women and the rocks Deucalion threw formed men. Another version on the creation of women is the story of Pandora and her box. Prometheus as the God of mankind is always looking out for them. He tricks Zeus into choosing the worthless offering and gives humans the better portion. As punishment Zeus takes fire from humans but Prometheus steals it back. Outraged, Zeus asks Hephaestus to forge a woman. Athena and Aphrodite taught her womanly skills, grace, and allure. Hermes gave her a cunning mind and a thieving temperament. Pandora  was sent down to Earth with a box in which all the horrible things in the world were inside. Eventually her curiosity got the best of her and Pandora opened the box unleashing all the evils into the world. This is why women are seen as beautiful and evil. Although people might think that these two subjects seem totally unrelated. They have much more in common than thought possible. This is only scratching the surface of the enormity of the comparisons between these two subjects. The main idea may be the same of a lot of these but there are many different versions separating the Bible from Greek Mythology. Works Cited Gods and Goddesses. AE Television Networks The History Channel, 2001. DVD Waterfield, Robin, and Kathryn Waterfield. The Greek Myths: Stories of the Greek Gods and Heroes Vividly Retold. London: Quercus, 2011. Print. The Bible

At universities and colleges Essay Example for Free

At universities and colleges Essay In today’s society, a large number of the students in universities and colleges have less physical exercise than ever before and hardly go out of the campus to have some social activities. Many people argue that students pay more attention to the study than their health which may because they[SQQ1] do not get enough financial support. As to this problem, I hold the opinion that sports and social activities are just the same significant as classes and libraries and receiving equal financial support can have many benefits though it still has some shortages[SQQ2]. In what follows, I will illustrate my point of view. First of all, today’s students need to face more challenges which means they specially should have a better body[SQQ3] to fight for their future. Enough sports and social activities can help them become healthy not only physically but also mentally. As we can see, some of the students in universities choose to end their own lives because of their pressure on scores or other things and we can easily find most of these students hardly do exercise and even never go out to do social activities such as volunteer work. If this part of the students can regard sports and social activities quite important, they may have a healthier psychology and may not end their own life[SQQ4]. Secondly, if the universities can give sports and activities equal financial support as classes and libraries and build up enough gyms and exercise areas, it can be more convenient for students to keep fit. Because of the schools’ support, the students do not need to go out of the school to do social activities and they can find more chances in school campus like joining the school’s Red Cross to visit the local welfare center for children. Also, the increasing sports place can even bring students the convenience to do any sports any time they like. However, it can still have several disadvantages. For example, the schools  may have less money than before to support students’ study which means the school may invite less famous professors from all over the world to make speech for students. In conclusion, I hold the view that sports and social activities should be regarded as important as classes and libraries and should also get the same large amount of financial support which can help the students have a healthy body physically and mentally. These two facto

Tidal Energy Solutions SWOT Analysis

Tidal Energy Solutions SWOT Analysis Running header: SWOT Analysis SWOT Analysis In todays world there is a major dependence on fossil fuels for our power needs. There are other forms of energy out there like solar and wind but they do not currently offer a good supplement to easing our use of fossil fuels. That is where Tide Energy Solutions (TES) comes in. There goal is to cut its use in half. Allowing for our limited supply to be used primarily for vehicle use and leaving our country to be run by its most prevalent resource, water. The ocean which covers 70 percent of the earth has massive potential in electrical production. The California based company has developed a new buoy based power generating plant which will take the â€Å"motion of the ocean† and turn this into useable energy. The simple description of how it works is easy to explain. Have you ever used a bobber when you went fishing? If you have or even have seen it done then you know that if there is any disturbance in the water then the bobber will rise with the water level. In the ocean there are constantly waves. By placing a much larger â€Å"bobber† they are able to take the rising motion created by the oceans waves and turn it into energy. The bottom of the buoy is heavily weighted so as a wave comes in, the buoyant top pulls away from the bottom driving the generators piston creating power. This power can then be transferred to land by a cable connected directly to the buoy or transferred to a ocean power management facility which can then send it out. Using SWOT analysis we can take a closer look to see the viability of the company. Internal Strengths Weaknesses 1. Unique patented product that is not easily duplicated. 2. Cost of sustaining energy production is marginal when compared to cost of sustaining fossil fuel production. 3. Renewable energy allows continuous operation. 4. Relatively new field. 5. Environmentally friendly. 6. Unique coating will protect product parts from salt water erosion for many years. 7. Company located on the coast so highway transport is not needed, saving cost. 1. High initial production cost. 2. Manufacturing process has low turnaround. 3. Maintenance can be costly/difficult on an in-place unit. 4. Degradation of metal parts will eventually occur in salt water and the unit will need to be replaced. 5. Limited data on length of life of product. 6. Geographically limiting factors External Opportunities Threats 1. Need for new forms of power. 2. Ability to produce power without limiting factors such as sun light or wind. 3. With more advancement cost to implement will become lower. 4. Environmentally pollution free. 1. New company could imitate or create more effective product. 2. Power giants. 3. Larger company with infrastructure could take over. 4. Environmental concerns over effect on sea life. 5. Cost could out weigh gains. Strengths There are many strengths to TES and they are as follows. First is the patented equipment developed and employed by them. No other company currently offers a product that uses our specific technology. This means that the ability for another company to attempt to catchup down the road is much less likely. Also given the limited nature of other companies in the market there arent many competitors that offer buoy specific technology. Another great strength is that compared to the daily cost to run fossil fuel processing plant, with workers, transport of raw materials, processing, etc. the daily operating cost of their product is virtually nothing. Although there are many aspects to keeping a processing plant running on a day to day basis, however the product simply needs to be put in place and wired to a power plant. While the cost of energy production remains so low there is also the fact that the main source the product is renewable, non-polluting, and widely available. Also through a partnering with a marine aquatics company they have been able to find a new underwater coating that will prevent damage to the metal components for 30 years compared to many of todays current products which will only last half that. Then there is the fact they are located on the coast with their own water access. This allows them to ship directly anywhere in the world and because they are used in the ocean there is no need to transport them over highways. A benefit to this is the money and time saved not having to determine logistical routes, obtaining transportation permits, and additional problems with road travel. Weaknesses Where there are strengths there are bound to be weaknesses. The first is the high initial cost of the power plant. There are many factors that have to be accounted for when they are being placed. They have to be built and loaded on to a properly equipped ship to be taken to there location, cable has to be run from the buoy location to an appropriate power plant and if one doesnt exist one may have to be built or a new location selected. Another weakness is the amount of time to produce the devices. Due to the newness of the field and low demand, manufacturing techniques are not at a level for quick mass production. Maintenance will also be a concerning issue. Maintenance will have to be performed underwater or by removing the power plant so that it may worked on out of water. Although both tasks are simple in itself the equipment and training required would be a unique skill set among todays market. Product life is an area were there is an element of uncertainty. While confident that the product is quality made, unpredictable factors could occur as they have not had a model subjected to 30 years of real world use. There are also factors that could cause limited geographic placement of the product. Things such as the wiring that is run to the power plant, existing underwater obstructions, and current marine shipping routes. The final weakness to mention is the fact that although there is an anticipated 30 year life, saltwater will eventually cause a degradation of metal components that will lead to large scale part replacement or replacement of the entire unit. Opportunities Next we will look at the opportunities that are available. Firstly anyone can tell you that there is a greater need for alternative energy sources. While this does not propose a solution to all of them, it can alleviate and substitute a growing need. The benefit to this energy source is greater than current technologies with solar and wind. Solar and wind technologies have their limiting factors. Such as solar on being viable in sunny open areas and only useable obvious during the day. Wind turbines have a limited amount of places that they can placed, require good wind flow, and take up land space. With this being a newer technology advancements in the field will only lead to a lower production cost and faster turn around times in the future. One of the most beneficial parts of the product are its environmentally friendliness. It has no harmful emissions, requires to external input, and takes up minimal space when compared to the vastness of the ocean. Threats Lastly there are the threats that are possible to look at. While this field is limited in competitors they are not the only ones currently in production of similar or different products that harness tidal energy. There is always the possibility of new form of tidal harvesting that could be discovered to have a much lower cost associated that would leave our product obsolete. Also there is a possibility of the larger power companies trying to gain a greater advantage by venturing into the tidal energy market, and if this was the case then we could not compete on a financial level with them. As for environmental concerns, while there is no emissions or pollution to speak of there are various oils and hydraulic fluids housed in the power plants. If they were to become damaged there is a possibility contaminating the ocean. Also different environmental groups are concerned that the introduction of our power plant on indigenous sea life. Mainly if they would still be able to inhabit the a rea surrounding said power plant or will be driven away. If the viability of our product does not pick up it is very possible that the initial costs will scare away the long-term gains of the our project. Overall there is quite a bit to consider in with this company. While the potential for growth in the field is quite great there are many unknown variables. It is possible that the high initial costs will be to great and overshadow the chance for the product to develop to a common use stage. Based on the SWOT analysis conducted I dont feel that continuing this product at the this time is wise. With the development of new technologies and better integration into the current system their exists the chance for a re-examination at a later date. References Dess, G. G.,Lumpkin, G. T., Eisner, A. B. (2010). Strategic management creating competitive advantages, (5th Ed.). New, York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin Humphrey, A. S. (August 2004). SWOT Analysis. http://www.businessballs.com/. Retrieved January 16, 2014, from http://www.businessballs.com/. Ocean Power Technologies. (2002). Retrieved from http://www.oceanpowertechnologies.com/ January 16, 2014. Renault, V. (2013). SWOT Analysis: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. ctb.ku.edu. Retrieved January 17, 2014, from ctb.ku.edu.

Technological Advances in World War 2 :: World War II History

Technological Advances in World War 2 New advances in technology changed warfare in WW2. The change in technology since WW1 has produced such things as Atom Bomb, and new and improved sea and air warfare. New techniques had to be used because of technology, techniques such as 'mouseholing'. More people were killed because of technology, as more people died in WW2 than WW1.The technological advances in WW2 changed the battlefield completely as more deadly auxiliary was introduced. The technological advances since WW1 introduced such things as the atomic bomb and new and improved sea and air warfare. The atom bomb was a big part of WW2 as people could be killed from a bomb from a long distance. This bomb also covered a long area killing more people and people of the area bombed could still be feeling the effects in the form of cancer. New air warfare such as fighter jets were introduced in WW2. These planes carried deadly bombs and could take out a large number of people. New sea warfare was introduced, such ships as the corvette were popular, and the corvette was mostly used for shipping ammunition to Europe from North America. Also, submarines proved deadly as they were out of radar and carried deadly bombs such as the torpedo. New techniques had to be used in WW2 because of the updated technology. Techniques such as 'mouseholing' and 'lightning warfare' were some of the new techniques used. Mouseholing is when the soldiers would blow a hole in the wall of a building and move through the building capturing the nazi soldiers instead of going out on the open street and getting snipered. Lightning warfare was used by the Germans and it was when planes were first sent in to a designated area and bombed the area and then the tanks would be sent through then finally the soldiers. This was done to take over countries and to get the country to surrender and clear the area out. More people died because of technology in WW2. More people were killed in WW2 then WW1, as the technology was updated in WW2. Technology can be great but in the case of WW2, it proved tragic. Updated technology such as the entire auxiliary used in WW2 proved to be working because way more people died in WW2 than WW1. Rapid advances in bombs and guns proved deadly, WW2 was a very bad example of technology.

Student Loan Debt Should be Forgiven Essay examples -- Student Loan De

Does the amount of student loan debt have an effect on the economy? If so would forgiving student loan debt help lower the national debt or would it just increase it? According to Mary Claire Fischer, a writer for Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine, â€Å"two-thirds of students who receive bachelor’s degrees leave college with an average debt of twenty-six thousand dollars† (Fischer). This means that the average student debt has doubled since 2007 (Ross 24). The total student loan debt is $1.2 trillion with $1 trillion being from federal student loans (Denhart). This debt accounts for six percent of our nation’s $16.7 trillion debt (Denhart). Since student loan debt is such a big part of the national debt, if the student defaults on their loan then the United States tax payer has to carry the burden of the loan (Denhart). Students who are graduating with debt do have a couple of different options that they can choose from. There is a six month grace period after graduation to allow the student time to find a job and programs to try to help eliminate debt. â€Å"The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau estimates that one-fourth of the American workforce may be eligible for repayment or loan forgiveness programs† (Atteberry n.p.). The problem with these programs however, is that they are hard to get into and stick with. Some of these programs that are options for students may require that student to move to another city or even another country. This option would work well for someone who is able to move, but what about someone who cannot leave where they currently live. These graduates may not want to leave because of family for example. Another problem with these programs is that the student with loan debt must fully comp... ... Emily. â€Å"Student Loan Forgiveness: What you Don’t Know (but Should).† USA Today. 6 Dec. 2013. Web. 17 Feb. 2015. Denhart, Chris. â€Å"How the $1.2 Trillion College Debt Crisis is Crippling Students, Parents, and the Economy.† Forbes. 7 Aug. 2013. Web. 13 Mar. 2015. Fischer, Mary Claire. â€Å"Student Loan Forgiveness: What to Know.† MSN. 9 Oct. 2013. Web. 17 Feb. 2015 Morici, Peter. â€Å"Forgiving College Debt Won’t Help Students.† CNBC. 14 May 2013. Web. 24 Feb. 2015. Pisani, Joseph. â€Å"A Guide to Student Loan Forgiveness and Repayment Options.† Huffington Post. 26 Sept. 2013. Web. 21 Feb. 2015. Ross, Andrew. â€Å"Mortgaging the Future: Student Debt in the Age of Austerity.† New Labor Forum (Sage Publications Inc.) 22.1 (2013): 23-28. Academic Search Complete. Web. 13 Mar. 2015 Webly, Kayla. â€Å"Is Forgiving Student Loan Debt a Good Idea?.† TIME. 20 Apr. 2012. Web. 17 Feb. 2015.

Voting Research Paper

Voting is privilege given to Americans. Many people don’t know how lucky they are to have the privilege to give their opinion on who leads our country. It took many years for the U. S to get voting rights equalized for all citizens; so everyone should take advantage of this. Participating in voting should be happening by every eligible person in the U. S. A person’s characteristics will effect whether or not they are going to participate in voting. It can either positively affect the person or negatively. Also registering and knowing where and how to register and where too actually vote can effect whether or not a person will participate in voting. A major aspect effecting voting is a person’s family history; if growing up in a family where your family isn’t participating in voting than most likely that young person will not feel the need/responsibility to vote when eligible. A person age can effect whether people will vote or not, usually the younger generation does not participate in voting. Also if people aren’t educated on how to register or even on what they’re voting on – tend not o bother on figuring out how too. The importance of voting is of interest to me because it directly affects me. Voting affects everyone and knowing how we got to where we are in regards to voting is interesting. Voting is so important for many reasons and I think it will be interesting to also find out by surveying young people how many of them actually vote and why or why they don’t participate in voting. The history of voting in the United States goes back to the colonial times. In colonial times the right to vote was limited to only adult white males who owned property. Majority of women were banned from voting with exceptions of widows who owned property during this time. By 1830, the property requirements were abolished and then all white male adults could vote. (History of Voting Rights 1). Throughout history voting laws expanded to eventually giving the right to vote to majority of U. S citizens. In 1870, the fifteenth amendment was established stating that the right to vote cannot be denied due to race. This was five years after the civil war was fought, finally giving African Americans and any other race the chance to participate in voting. Even though all races were allowed to vote, women did not fully gain that privilege until the nineteenth amendment was established in 1920. The nineteenth amendment states that â€Å"The rights of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any States on account of sex. † This was a huge accomplishment for women throughout the country. In 1971 the twenty-sixth amendment lowered the voting age to eighteen for all states, before this was established only ten sates allowed citizens under the age of twenty-one to participate in voting. (Mount 1). Having voting offered to American citizens eliminates discrimination of voting because everyone has a chance to voice their opinion. We have voting rights in the United States because the United States is about choices. Many countries do not get to voice their opinion as openly as we are in the United States. Voting is a very important part of our history; everyone should respect the struggles our country faced in order to give the people of the United States all the right to vote by voting. The rules of voting have changed many times throughout the years. As of now you must be eighteen years old, and you must be currently a U. S citizen. There is a lot of controversy on weather convicted felons should or should not be allowed to vote. The answer to that depends on where you live, seven states still have strict restrictions on letting felons vote. In order to vote you must be registered. You can register in different ways. One way is call a 800 number and get a registration form sent to your house fill it out and mail it back in to your local city or town hall. You must receive your confirmation to know you are definitely registered. Another way to register is to register in person at any registration location where you must complete a series of questions to qualify you to be allowed to vote. Some high schools automatically register you when they know you are turning eighteen they will send in the form for you. You can also register at motor vehicles by filling out a form. Galvin 1) When voting you must bring a form of identification. Acceptable identification can be; your voter’s registration certificate along with a drivers license and or a photo I. D that you can get from motor vehicles. In order to be able to vote you must be registered twenty days prior to Election Day. (Galvin 1) Registering to vote is very simple, does not take up time and is worth it. In order to find out first hand if young people are participating in voting or not and if certain characteristics truly do effect this I conducted a 100 person survey. Surveying people is the best method to find out about voting their take on voting because it’s a non judgmental way to hopefully get the truth. Also I got to pick mainly who I wanted to get surveyed; for this study I only surveyed people under the age of 30 because I was more interested on how younger people are or aren’t participating in voting. This was an easy task because my first thirty surveys got handed out throughout class, than the other seventy I distributed out at work where I in counter young people all throughout the day so it was still a random survey. In my survey I asked the person’s gender and age, whether they were registered to vote or not and how they got registered; if they participate in voting if so what they vote on; whether voting is important to them and their families; if their parents participate in voting; if they understand how our voting system works and where they found out how to vote; if they agree on how our voting system works why or why not and if they feel voting is an important part in our country. These were all questions to find out basics about young voters and young non-voters as to why or why they don’t vote, and also certain characteristics such as their ages and gender and family history and how that might affect the person. Before conducting this survey I wasn’t expecting to find many young people to take an interest on the topic of voting. I also believed most young people who say they are registered to vote and do participate actively in voting that their families also participate in voting. I expected to find more young women to participate in voting rather than young men. After finishing my survey and collecting the results I found out when comparing females to males that majority of females that are registered do participate voting, rather than the majority of males that are registered less do actually participate in voting. Also as a whole I found out that when asking the people who do vote whether their families do vote majority of them claimed that their families do vote, and when asking people who are registered but do not participate in voting that majority of their families do not participate in voting. When going through my results looking at most people who are registered to vote but still didn’t participate in voting they did not register themselves, majority of them checked the spot saying that their high school automatically registered them. Surprisingly I found a lot of people do believe voting is an important part of our country but that they do not believe they way our system works is fairly, a lot of answers claim that they believe their vote doesn’t count and that is why they don’t bother participating in voting. It’s refreshing to see that many young people do believe in voting and even better seeing how many do actually participate. The results and my anticipation matched up to a point. More women than men do participate in voting from my calculations, but I didn’t expect to even find as many people interested in voting as I did. I believed more women take a part in voting and I found that is true because women didn’t always have the right to vote so now that we do and learning about the struggles it took to get women to vote may be why more women do participate in voting rather than most men who were almost always offered the right to vote. I learned that many people do not even know how our voting system works or where to register. Registering is so easy to do, I think the best way to register is to offer it in high-schools, not something that’s done automatically because than people aren’t really interested they are just registered but having it offered makes it an easy way for people right as they become eligible and also can teach them how and where they can participate in voting. Looking at voting from a functional analysis point of view would be pro-voting. The people who do believe voting is important and that their opinion does matter and does contribute to the outcome of what they’re voting on is the same as looking at society as a whole but knowing that each different part of society makes up a different part and has its own function. Society’s function is to vote on its leaders, the leaders function is to run and try to their best ability to satisfy the needs of its society. In one survey when answering if they find voting to be important in our country; do you think it makes a difference why or why not a person answered â€Å"Yes, every voice counts and can cause change. This is showing that some people do function and do their part in society. This is a macro way of looking at things; functional people gather data on the people they might be voting on and decide who will make a change to better their society and that’s who they chose to vote for. Looking at the topic of voting from a conflict theorist point of view you can split up society by many different groups for example democrats and republicans and how everyone who participates in voting votes one or the other do try and get their party into authority. This sort of conflict can cause a positive change if who eventually gets chosen makes a positive change in society. Again this is a macro way of looking at voting because people are researching on who’s running who’s part of which party and what that person represents and then they cast their vote hoping for the best outcome possible. I was pleased with my results because although not everyone participates in voting more young people than I expected are actually registered and do participate in voting which is a positive sign. I believe my survey could have been more conclusive if I surveyed a larger amount of people, 100 young people I thought would be more than enough but it really doesn’t give a big picture on the topic. Also if I could re-do this survey I would try to do an even amount of males surveyed as females surveyed just to keep that aspect of the survey equal. There are so many important reasons to participate in voting. The outcome of elections will have an impact on everyone in the United States lives. If you are unhappy with how our country is being run, or unhappy about a certain situation voting can help make a change for you. Many believe that there vote does not really count so they do not bother to even vote. They figure there are millions of other people voting so why should they even try; the fact of the matter is that everyone’s vote does count and every time you vote it does make a difference. A lot of people believe the government and the people in charge do not have an effect on them. Elected officials make many decisions that affect everyone. The president has the power to either raise or lower taxes for all Americans so how does that decision not affect everyone. (Importance of Voting 1). The more young people participate in voting the more it shows that there interested which will result in the government being interested in younger people’s problems and helping in making a change. You see and hear about so many complaints regarding our government and the problems they cause or the problems they aren’t helping, if you don’t vote how do you expect this to change. The United States is lucky that the citizens are allowed to participate in picking the country’s leaders, if they don’t participate though the democracy will not run properly or fairly. Voting is the fairest way for a leader to be chosen. It’s not racist, sexist or biased everyone get there voice to be heard by voting. Some believe voting should be considered mandatory. It’s a proven fact that enforcing mandatory voting that there will definitely be an increase in the amount of voters. In some cases there was a 94. 6 percent increase. (Lansford, 55). â€Å"We live in a country where no matter what you believe, no matter what your race, sex or religion you are allowed to voice it, so take advantage of it and vote. † (Stimpson 1). So many different characteristics play a part on voting including a person’s gender age and their family’s history and take on voting. Learning how and where to register to vote is also an important part of voting, I found out that a lot of people don’t understand how registering and voting in our country is done, this also reflects on a young person’s family and how they participate in voting – or how they don’t and that’s why young people aren’t interested in the topic. There’s many changes that can be done to help bring up the average of young people voting – and any person voting.

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?