Alternative Therapy for Rheumatoid Arthritis Research Paper

Alternative Therapy for Rheumatoid Arthritis - Research Paper Example The classic symptoms of RA are swelling, stiffness and pain in the joints. [1] Characteristics RA is characterized by inflammation of the synovium, progressive bone erosion, joint malignant, and destruction of surrounding tissues and muscles. Quality of life Some factors that effect the RA patient’s quality of life are endemic to the disease. This helps to rule out the possibility of other disease. Patients rarely have RA as their only medical problem. It is estimated that seventy percent of the RA patients who are on DMARDS (disease-modifying ant rheumatic drugs) have at least one other disease. The combination of the RA and another co-existing disease ultimately leads to a higher rate of mortality as compared to healthy people. In other words, RA patients age faster than healthy people. This may or may not be the result of the initial onset of RA or whether the premature aging precedes the onset of RA. Statistics 2.1 million Americans (0.5% - 1.0%) are affected by rheumatoid arthritis. Women are twice as likely to have the disease as men. The onset of RA occurs between thirty to fifty-five years of age with a median age of fifty-five years. Forty-nine billion dollars is spent annually for direct medical and lost wages and productivity. This amounts to $8500 per RA patient per year as the average cost of pharmaceutical therapy for rheumatoid arthritis which amount to 9 million physicians’ visits and 250,000 hospitalizations per year. [2] Alternative Therapies Yoga Yoga is an alternative therapy that has its roots in ancient India. It was used by the Indian culture as a sort of psycho-spiritual treatment for various diseases. Yoga is considered to have a positive effect on mental and spiritual health. The National Health Interview Survey of 2002 on Yoga use in the United States discovered certain traits endemic to people who where regular practitioners. It found that yoga users were primarily Caucasian (85%) and female (76%) with a mean age of 39. 5 years. [3] In this study, it was found that the practice of yoga has a â€Å"modulating effect on physiological and neurophysiologic symptoms.† [4] Some of the documented effects of yoga practice found in this study were; decrease in resting heart rate, increase in baro- reflex sensitivity in healthy elderly patients in addition to significant blunting of heart rate and blood pressure. Other benefits included decreased symptoms of stress, enhanced quality of life, and normalization of mean daily cortical levels in patients with prostate and breast cancer. Yoga is used to treat depression, improve muscle strength, increase endurance, improvement of balance and flexibility. It has also been shown to reduce pain associated with osteoarthritis of the hand, osteoarthritis of the knee, carp tunnel syndrome and localized lower back discomfort. RA patients reporting depression and anxiety disorders saw significant improvement in their mental health. By decreasing disease activity, the RA patient has a decreased perception of pain. It was concluded that a yoga program may slow the progression of the disease, enhance physical function, and decrease the risk of falls. Exercise Exercise can be defined as a planned regime of physical activity with the aim of having the outcome of a positive health benefit. [5] Regular exercise is crucial in the battle against RA. The

The topic of sexual orientation Essay Example for Free

The topic of sexual orientation Essay The topic of sexual orientation has been attracting controversy for the past couple of years. In the past, it was even considered as taboo to talk about sexuality. However, times have changed. Now there are many television shows that feature openly gay men and thousands are watching. This paper aims to discuss how sexual orientation as a notion came into being and how it was viewed through different cultures in history. What does the phrase â€Å"sexual orientation† mean? The American Psychological Association defines the phrase as such: â€Å"Sexual Orientation is an enduring emotional, romantic, sexual or affectional attraction to another person†¦Sexual Orientation exists along a continuum that ranges from exclusive homosexuality to exclusive heterosexuality and includes various forms of bisexuality (qtd. in Tremblay and Ramsay 1). † This is a specific definition. However, it poses a problem. These terms are relatively new. It can help define sexual orientation at present, but it does not address the sexual issues of the past. The terms homosexuality and heterosexuality did not exist before; it was not until recently that these words came to being. Therefore, to further expound on the history of sexuality, one must not refer to these labels. In Ancient Greece, a relation between an adult male and young boy exists, but that does not mean they are homosexuals. Michel Foucault, who wrote three volumes of The History of Sexuality, has this to say: â€Å"It makes no sense to say homosexuality was tolerated by the Greeks†¦our division of sexual behavior between homo-and heterosexuality is absolutely not relevant (363). † The dichotomy of heterosexuality and homosexuality did not exist in ancient times; what they practiced was merely a normal part of their lives. This practice is called pederasty: â€Å"a relationship and bond between an adolescent boy and an adult man outside of his immediate family (â€Å"Pederasty in Ancient Greece† 1). † It also generally refers to â€Å"erotic love between adolescents and adult men (â€Å"Pederasty in Ancient Greece† 1). † This relation, however, varied in different places. Some places had both boy and man living together as a couple, while some did not allow it at all (â€Å"Pederasty in Ancient Greece† 1). This practice was known to have begun as a method to control population, along with the delay of marriage and the seclusion of women (â€Å"Pederasty in Ancient Greece† 1). Pederasty also has socio-political aspects as well. For starters, the boy-man relation is crucial in the educational system. It is the adult male’s responsibility to supervise his education or he could teach him himself. Pederasty had also come to function as â€Å"the introduction of the young man into adult society and adult responsibilities (â€Å"Pederasty in Ancient Greece† 1). † Furthermore, the relation is beneficial for the boy and his family since being under the influence of an older man can advance one’s social status. A man’s experience of being mentored by many influential men in his youth would be a testament to his good looks and would further his social standing (â€Å"Pederasty in Ancient Greece† 1). Pederasty also has a political advantage. Aside from the relation being crucial for democracy, it was another method used to curb crimes. This is because when an adolescent boy commits a crime, it is his lover who is punished, not him. Therefore, pederasty not only benefited the two parties involved, but the state as well. Seventeenth century Western society had presented a different view on sexuality (â€Å"The History of Sexuality† 1). Back then, the pervading notion was that of a repressed sexuality. It was taboo to speak about it, somehow sexuality in general became forbidden. However, Foucault begs to differ. The repression we refer to has resulted in a preoccupation with sexuality. A discourse was created about and around it, and the term sexuality itself became a result of discourse (â€Å"The History of Sexuality† 1). This discourse then lead to the creation of the â€Å"sexual identities and multiplicity of sexualities (â€Å"The History of Sexuality†1). † According to Foucault, there are two views of sexuality. The first view is â€Å"ars erotica†, or erotic art. In places like Japan, China and India, sex is an art form and a sacred experience. It was not spoken openly about because it was considered too sacred for discussion. Take the Kama Sutra, for example. It embodied sexual intercourse as an artistic and pleasurable experience. The other view is â€Å"scientia sexualis,† or the science of sexuality. As opposed to the first one, this view required open discussions about sex. Foucault refers to it as a period of confession. The society became a confessing society; everything from innermost thoughts, desires, and dreams were revealed. This whole business of revelation brought about psychoanalysis, which was considered â€Å"the legitimization of sexual confession (â€Å"The History of Sexuality† 1). † Homosexuality only came to the fore because of the need for confession. It presupposes that â€Å"there seems to be a compulsion to reveal one’s sexuality to confirm its existence in our society (â€Å"The History of Sexuality†1). † The nineteenth century further legitimized the science of sexuality. Since it became a legitimate science, it was dealt with logically, and any unnatural leanings resulted in labels or distinctions. The distinction of being a homosexual then appeared. According to Foucault, â€Å"The homosexual of the 19th century became a person: a past, a history, an adolescence, a personality, a life style; also a morphology, with an indiscreet anatomy and possibly a mystical physiology. Nothing of his full personality escapes his sexuality (qtd in â€Å"The History of Sexuality†1). † As time went by, more and more distinctions are made. The term ‘homosexual’ referred to same-sex attractions, ‘heterosexual’ came to denote opposite sex attractions, while ‘bisexual’ came to distinguish those with varying degrees of attractions to either gender (Tremblay and Ramsay1). Thus, the existence of one’s sexual orientation came to being. The 20th century brought problems to those distinctions. The American Psychiatric Association and American Psychological Association considered homosexuality as a mental disorder, and this created quite a heated debate between homosexuals and professionals. It was not until the 1970s when the label was removed, due to the insistent demands of those who were targeted by the mental health professionals (Tremblay and Ramsay 1). On the other hand, many of the mental health experts did not even consider homosexuality was a mental disorder. Billings described sexual orientation as â€Å"a continuous characteristic of human populations (qtd. in Tremblay and Ramsay 1). † It is safe to presume from this definition that sexual orientation is not fixed; it can change through time. At present, the topic of sexuality has been more open, and different sexual orientations can mingle within the same sphere. This is not to say the homosexuals have been accepted by all; there still are cases of hate crimes and discrimination still exists. However, there is more tolerance now for homosexuality than before. Take for example, the celebrities of Hollywood. In recent years, more and more celebrities are coming out about their sexuality. This means that the cultural landscape has become friendlier to gays and lesbians. Moreover, pop culture has exhibited some form of support for this movement, as evident in the increase in number of television shows that feature homosexuals or homosexuality. The list includes Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Queer as Folk and The Ellen de Generes Show, just to name a few. Sexual orientation as a notion did not exist until recently; therefore, a critical discussion of the history of sexuality in different cultures is necessary for it to be understood. With the existence of the new distinctions of sexuality, it is now crucial that we should try to respect and understand other people’s sexual orientation. Sensitivity to one’s sexual orientation is needed to develop healthier relationships with people. The world consists of different types of people; that difference should be celebrated, not shunned. Works Cited Foucault, Michel. Foucault Live (Interviews 1966-84). Trans. John Johnson. New York: Semiotext(e), 1996. Pederasty in Ancient Greece. 3 December 2006. Arikah. 21 November 2007 http://www. arikah. com/encyclopedia/Pederasty_in_ancient_Greece. The History of Sexuality-About Foucault. N. d. The Ipce Web Site. 21 November 2007 http://www. ipce. info/ipceweb/Library/history_of_sexuality. htm. Tremblay, Pierre, and Richard Ramsay. The Social Construction of Male Homosexuality and Related Suicide Problems: Research Proposals for the Twenty First Century. N. p. :University of Calgary, 2000.

General Components of an EHR System

General Components of an EHR System Electronic health records and presents the advantages and benefits that will provide for hospitals and health institutions. Doctors, physicians, and nursing become an important factor of the EHR; Barbara A. Gabriel did a research to see whether electronic medical records made the doctors and the patient outcome better. Also Jeffrey Linder, an internist and assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School asked these questions: Does having an EMR really help you? Are patients more likely to get the tests they need, timely diagnoses, and proper treatments? Do you code more accurately now that your EMR is a part of your daily work flow? Does this result in higher reimbursements? And for Doctors he asked in brief Are you a better doctor both clinically and operationally with an EMR than you were without one?These questions were asked by Jeffrey to improve his study that was about the relationship between electronic medical record usage and quality care. A recognized supporter for electronic medical record implementation, he got the impression that made him strongly sure the answer to all these questions would be a resounding yes. 1.1 Definition of EHR: EHR stand for Electronic Health Record according to the policy journal of health sphere. It accumulates patient health files in a computer database more willingly than with physical paper. The data that is accumulated in the computer is producing by several users in any care delivery institutions. The data contains patient demographics, past health history, diseases, progress notes, very important signs, vaccinations, laboratory data and radiology repots. One of the elements of the Electronic Health Record is that it can generate a complete record of a clinical patient user consisting of quality management, outcomes reporting, and evidence-based decision. It is essential to state that an EHR is developed and maintained within organizations, like hospitals, integrated delivery network, clinics, or medical doctor offices. History of EHRs: In the fifth century B.C the earliest health record was produced by Hippocrates. He put two main objectives: A medical record should accurately reflect the course of disease. A medical record should indicate the probable cause of diseases These objectives are still proper, but the latest technology that identified as electronic medical record adds functionality, such as interactive flow sheets, interactive alerts to clinicians, and every feature that can not be made with manual system. In 1960s: a problem-oriented medical record was planned by Dr. Lawrence weed which is a kind of EHRs. His aim was to provide better health care by integrated the medical data of patient from special doctors. According to his idea, in 1970s the first Electronic Medical Record system established at the Vermont University. Its structure was uncomplicated, as it worked with touch-screen technology offered at the period to record procedures and various kind of pharmaceuticals used throughout those procedures. In 1967: a premature Electronic Medical Record system was implemented and applied at the Latter Day Saints Hospital in Utah, this project was developed by (HELP) the Health Evaluation through Logical Processing. In 1968: the Multiphasic Health Testing System (MHTS) and Computer-Stored Ambulatory Record (COSTAR) were produced Until 1973: the MHTS was applied at Kaiser Permanente in San Francisco Until 1980s: the COSTAR was applied at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston In 1973: the Regenstrief Electronic Medical Record program was applying in Indiana, and is yet in progress today. 2.2 Development: In 1969: the initial main shift of manage patient information was completed with the Problem-Oriented Medical Record, making use of the so-called SOAP structure that included knowledge about the topic, the health goals, evaluation and a plan for the patient. 2.3 Technology: In that time while a large amount of medical offices continue to accumulate patient data on paper using manual system in huge Chart Libraries where the system was used the alphabetical order, and some technological developments have made by medical imaging. The LanVision system catalogs logical images that have the ability to move without difficulty from one office to another on the system. The most important components of Electronic Medical Record applied in hospitals contain patient billing, pathology, radiology, admission, laboratory, scheduling, discharge and transfer, intensive care and Emergency Room units, pharmacology records, and the master Patient Index (MPI). 2.4 Governments Role: The federal government decides to set a time limit for computerized patient record system for 1999, but that time limit was neglected when groups disagreed with computerization on patient-privacy grounds. The group also mentioned the inability of programs to integrate images, texts and numbers, but all of these factors had definitely incorporated by latest computer programs. Benefits of EMR: Electronic Medical Record systems are much more fitting, important, and efficient than manual medical records, says the Mayo Clinic. Several Doctors have the ability to update patient record at the same time. Furthermore, Electronic Medical Record does not need huge capacity of space and manual work to record and accumulate data. Organization The most important benefit of EMR is the way that a patients records can be managed and arranged. Paper records or files can simply be misplaced in a file room at the clinic, but an electronic medical record is accumulated on a network that is available throughout the service. Also IT professional are searching for the best way that connects the specialists with a network that give them the ability to treat the patient that are sent from another city. 2- Access Physicians can access quickly to patient file using electronic medical record system. In each of the patients room and practice rooms there are computers that are provided with the facilities that are prepared with this technology. The patients record can be log on from any computers to update conditions, medications and procedures that have been performed on the patient. 3- Decision Support Improved health decisions can be prepared for the patient, when his EMR is accessible by more than one physician. Repeatedly a patient is sent from physician to another when health problem appear to be dangerous or need to be diagnosed. These physicians may not have the ability to communicate or transmit the patients medical records to every facility. In this case, the patient can be subjected to repetitive or unwarranted actions because of the lack of transmission. 4- Standardization Electronic medical record system will also provide better standardization once it takes place to keeping patient records throughout the health care system. Several medical services apply various terminologies for the similar procedures. Other services apply structures that are totally dissimilar from another facilitys. Electronic medical record system will make it easier for physicians and nurses to get the information they want for every patient by providing a standard way of filling out data on patients file. 5- Patients A few Electronic medical record systems give the Patients the ability to log on their test results and other vital information from their health record through a protected site on the internet. This help patients better understand their health-care choice. Also the patients with restricted access to their personal Electronic medical record systems will be better notified and can be feasible with the decision that they require to generate. Key Components of Electronic Health Records Nearly all the commercial Electronic Health record system are made to merge data from the huge ancillary services, such as radiology, laboratory, and pharmacy with diverse health care components (for example medication administration records [MAR], nursing plans, and physician orders). The Electronic Health record possibly will bring in information from the ancillary system throughout a tradition interface or may provide interface for clinicians in order to log on the silo system through a portal. Administrative System Components The main components of electronic health record are registration, admissions, discharge, and transfer (RADT) data. These data contain essential information for correct patient classification and evaluation, also it include name, demographics, next to skin, employer information, patient disposition, chief complaint, etc. the section of registration in electronic health record system has a unique patient identifier which generally consisting of numeric or alphanumeric order that is unidentifiable external the company or institution in which it serve. The medical data of the patient will be collected for use in medical analysis and research while use the RADT. All medical observations, tests, procedures, criticisms, assessments, and diagnosis to patient will be linked by the patient ID because it is the core of the electronic health record. The ID is sometimes known as medical record number or master patient index (MPI). Nowadays in computerized information systems the master patient index enterprise has applied extensively in the organizations or institutions, called enterprise-wide master patient indices. Laboratory System Components Laboratory systems are interfaced to electronic health record systems which commonly are independent systems. Also there are (LIS) that stands for laboratory information system that are applied as centers or hubs to combined orders, schedules, billing, results from laboratory tools and other administrative data. Rarely laboratory information is integrated completely with the electronic health record. Lots of technologies and analyzers are applied in the diagnostic laboratory procedure when laboratory information system is prepared by the similar vendor as the electronic health record which is not simply integrated with electronic health record, such as the Cerner laboratory information system interface with more than 400 various laboratory tools. Cerner, a very important vendor of both systems the (laboratory information system) (electronic health record system), stated that 60 percent of laboratory information system installations were not included with electronic health record sys tem, and electronic health record system are implemented in federal form, which lets the user to log on the laboratory information system from a link within the electronic health record system interface. 6.3 Record keeping and mobility Electronic health record systems gain a unique trait which is the benefit of being capable to connect to various EHR systems. Patients are shopping for their procedures, in the recent global medical environment. Also patients can easily check in their files whether they have been admitted to such a health center or if they contain any kind of allergies since they have been admitted before. Other Advantages of Electronic Medical Records Software Chart Room. By converting a paper chart digital, a procedure can change the physical place of a chart room into workplaces, or extra rooms for exams, procedures, imaging equipment, labs, or other income generating spaces. Managing Paper. A lot of procedures waste numerous hours of workers time searching for, moving, and organizing paper charts. By computerizing the health record, this procedure is rationalized and costs are eliminated. Other cost savings are achieved by the elimination of the paper, printers, toner, and other physical costs of the paper world. Archived Records. Health practices are needed to remain patients health record for 7 years in nearly all countries. Accumulated an inactive patients chart offsite is a shared procedures. This cost is eliminated by accumulating the reports electronically. There are more advantages of an entire EHR, which both Chart Logic EMR and Chart Logic iAchieve electronic medical record consist of: Best Practices. By integrated a model based health office software; a medical procedures may ensure that all providers are achieving the needed goals of documentation and process. Increased Reimbursement. The EM coding tool can also indicate methods to properly up-code your document to a higher level, rising reimbursement. Efficient Charting. Using templates lets the physician to finish documentation rapidly. By tinplating shared words or phrases, the documentation is quick, reliable, correct, and complete. Cost and return on investment It is not easy to measure the return of investment (ROI) of information technology systems for any commerce. Nearly all research has been alert on how to calculate the return of investment for medical information technology systems such as electronic health record systems. The cost of implementing the EHRs will differ considerably; depending on what systems are now in place and what is being implemented. Fundamentally, in order to smooth integration and make customer commitment the vendors add the electronic health record capabilities at a favorable rate. However, there are installations that can be very expensive, e.g. Across the whole Kaiser Permanente network the roll out of an Electronic Medical Record was reported to cost over $1 billion. A new American Hospital Association analysis and survey noticed that the median yearly funds investment on information technology was greater that $700,000 and stand for 15 percent of all fund expenses. And above $1.7 million were the Operating expenses, or 2 percent of all operating expenses. Barriers to using EMR Technical Barriers It is expensive to implement an Electronic Medical Record system in a physicians office, mainly for minor practices. Moreover, install such a system in minor hospital institutions require external industrial support. Cultural Barriers According to For the Record Magazine the patients and doctors could feel unsafe risking patient MRs to possible electronic theft. Furthermore, an Electronic Medical Record will extensively change a physicians flow and potentially decrease the quality of service the doctor provides by giving him more patients, however, before physicians expected a specific amount of work flow, because they were spending time filling out paperwork. Significance According to Robert H Miller and Ida Sim of the Policy Journal of health Sphere In 2004 just 13 percent of physicians stated that using an Electronic Medical Record and 32 percent said they would consider as using an electronic filing system. EHRs keep your health information safe and private: You can choose and decide who gets to see your information: EHRs are locked. Nobody can access your account except you because there is a special password that will keep your health information private. EHRs have many security settings. The only ones that can access to your information and can see them your health provider, and the office staff can only see your name, address and birth date. Whether or not your health care provider uses EHRs, you sign a consent form if you want to share your information. Ask your doctor for a copy of your consent and explanation of what it means Private notes can be made in EHRs that only your health care provider can view. The patient can ask his doctor to see his information and tell him dont let anyone else see them and keep them in secure that only you can read. Electronic Software People go to hospitals to better their state; they rely on hospitals and physicians to practice the most advanced standards. The staff that works at the hospital faces many challenges at the day. They need highly efficient software and instrument to work properly and to finish their jobs requirements. Electronic software helps them meet the demands of the hospitals setting. In order to make sure that the health practice takes care of its operations in a prepared and well-coordinated manner Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Software is essential. The cost is around $850 dollars for setup and about $2500 for annual maintenance but is worth it for the reason that they save time and run the operations using the best defense mechanisms against liabilities electronic medical record software is used to manage and maintain EMR systems, patient or insurance billing, patient information management, multi-provider scheduling, electronic faxing, instructions and lab management, document management , and custom report templates. And an example of that software is a Visionary Dream EHRs Dream EHR Workflow When converting from a paper-based organization to a nearly paperless organization planning, preparation, training and a person within the office to make easy the change is an essential. A process that relies on an electronic health record, the visual signs are on the desktop computer or tablet PC screen rather than placed on the wall or taking up space in the records room. Shifting from a paper-based practice to an electronic health record provides the process with the opportunity to assess its workflow for an electronic environment. Several administrative and operational steps may be considerably simplified. The workflow steps in an electronic health record can be decreased significantly. The workflow in the health office has two main categories: administrative and clinical. Lets have a look at some administrative and clinical workflow procedures so you can evaluate how the work flows in a paper-based environment and what that similar workflow procedure looks like in an electronic environment. Paper-based Environment Electronic-based Environment Patient comes, signs in Patient comes and enters new data into electronic health record desktop Patients name be seen Administrative employee is gave notice that patient has came and patients MR are got over from the procedure management scheduler and prepared for the days appointments. Receptionist confirm for scheduled appointment Receptionist greets patient, checks updates and sends record electronically to nurses in-box. Receptionist asks for updated personal and insurance information Patients record is into nurses in-box. Patient returns data form with updates Nurse calls patient into examination room, release patient records, takes and check in family history, medications, vitals, presenting symptoms, and makes a face sheet on the Tablet PC. Medical records clerk drags chart and insert updated data. Once done, nurse sends MR electronically into physicians in-box. Clerk gives chart to nurse Patients file is in physicians in-box. The doctor can look at this file before to entering the examination room. Chart is located in nurses review stack Physician enters the examination room and visits with patient. Nurse checks chart and calls patient Nurse captures crucial signs and files show symptoms on face sheet. Nurse places medical chart out of examination room door. Doctor looks into medical chart on door, knows that patient is waiting and checks information on face sheet. physician enters and visits with patient Features and Software Screens Point-and-Click Chart Entry Rapidly capture and produce chart notes with pre-defined medical templates. It presents hundreds of specialty templates to lessen the operation time. Check chart notes, allergies, medications, procedures, diagnoses and further in one simple to navigate screen. Customizable, user-definable chart areas. Easy to Use Files with electronic handwriting stylus pen, pre-defined or user defined templates, macros and / or voice dictation. View or edit patient information from a desktop or tablet PC. Simple direction-finding menu is planned to raise usage speed while streamlining the information recording process. Point-of-Care Decision Making Manage your reports with quick chart access and file patient documentation at the point-of-care. One-click retrieval of patient notes, medications and very important documentation to assure the greatest medical decision. Managing Orders / Lab Tracking Check and get back test results, makes orders, doctor consultations or surgical procedures immediately from the patients chart. Track past due lab tests and procedures as well as inform users through e-mail. Lab results review reports feature side-by-side history of results and permits inter office lab result communications. Differential Diagnosis Simply file one or more differentials associated with a diagnosis. This module can in addition be used to rapidly replace with a specific diagnosis for a non-billable or non-specific code. Furthermore diagnosis connected practical codes, prescriptions and lab orders can be selected while seeing that diagnosis. Coding Assistance

Anne Frank Remembered: Review Essay example -- essays research papers

Anne Frank Remembered: Review Anne Frank Remembered is the autobiography of Miep Gies, the woman who helped the Frank family survive during their two years in hiding. Her book is a primary source or first hand account of the persecution of Jewish people in Nazi occupied Holland during the second world war. It is also the first hand account of the hiding of Jews such as the Frank family, the Van Daan family, and Dr. Albert Dussel during this time. In regard to the book's autobiographical format, the author, Miep Gies, does not present the reader with a clear thesis statement. Instead, throughout the book the author discusses her main views toward the actions of the Nazis and their oppression of the Jewish people. Her disapproval of German Nazi actions is evident in the following quotation, when she was asked to join the Nazi Girls' Club: " 'How can I join such a club?' I icily asked. 'Look at what the Germans are doing to the Jews in Germany.' ...Let her take a good look at me and see with her own eyes that some 'Aryan' woman was not to be swept in by the Nazis." (Gies, p. 41, 1987). The main source of background to the author's viewpoint is her own story. In order to further discuss her main points and views, a summary of her story must be given. The book began with a brief history of the childhood of Miep Gies. She was born in Vienna, Austria in 1909, where she lived with her parents until the age eleven year. She was then sent to Amsterdam by a program in the aid of undernourished and sick children and was to be adopted by a Dutch family. She became used to the Dutch way of life as she grew older and soon she began to consider herself Dutch, not Viennese. Her association with the Frank family began when she was given a job with the Pectacon Company, owned and operated by Mr. Otto Frank. His company made and sold pectin, which was used for making jam. Miep's first part of the job was to make jam with different formulas of pectin. After becoming an expert jam maker, she was placed at a desk in the office to do office work. She became very close to the Frank family and was invited to their home regularly for meals. She also began a relationship with a man named Jan, whom she later married. &... ...e Nazis were doing to people. It indicates an intended audience of most likely those who have already read The Diary of Anne Frank and are looking for further investigation on the topic. However, it is not required that the reader has read The Diary of Anne Frank before reading this book. Miep Gies starts from the very beginning of her association with the Frank family and completes the story of their life. Although this book is recommended to anyone who is interested in this topic, the book may also be directed towards those of Jewish decent who experienced similar instances and want to find out what happened to others. In final evaluation, I have found this book to be very convincing, as it is a true story. The reader is left at the end of the book to draw their own opinions on the topic and the author's account of the story. I found that the author's use of evidence in her book was very good because her main source was her own story as an eye witness, with pictures and copies of documents to prove that the information is true. The book is very useful in understanding the issue of the persecution of Jews during the Holocaust in the second world war.

Explain each of the areas of learning and development and how they are interdependent Essay

It is important to remember that each area of learning and development does not work in isolation but they are all in fact interlinked. Good quality activities will cover more than one area of development. For example, allowing children to access the outdoors will not only support their physical development, but encourage their communication and exploration of their environment. Where a child experiences a delay in one area, it is likely to limit their learning and development in the other five†¦ child with cerebral palsy who experiences hand-eye coordination difficulties is likely to find completing a puzzle difficult therefore hindering her problem solving, reasoning and numeracy. It is therefore vital that settings recognise each child’s individual needs and plan holistically in order to help children achieve their full potential across the six areas of learning. The physical development of babies and young children must be encouraged through the provision of opportunities for them to be active and interactive and to improve their skills of coordination, control, manipulation and movement. They must be supported in using all of their senses to learn about the world around them and to make connections between new information and what they already know. They must be supported in developing an understanding of the importance of physical activity and making healthy choices in relation to food. A child’s physical development may have an impact on their self-confidence as they grow older, if a child is unhappy with their appearance e. g. oung girls may feel their friends are physically developing at a faster rate to what they are, this may affect their social development and maybe even intellectual, when a child loses self-confidence they may become distracted in lessons and therefore fall behind in their school work. On the other hand if a child or young person is very physical and active and lives a healthy lifestyle, it is proven that this improves concentration, better sleep and a healthier life in general. This will impact on a child or young person’s intellectual development as they will be more alert and ready to learn, physical activity is also likely to encourage social and emotional development as schools will provide sports clubs and after school activities, giving children and young people the opportunity to socialise and progress in self-esteem. For a child to understand the world, he/she will understand that people have different beliefs, colour skin and religion, the world and technology. A child will also learn other children’s names, talk about family and friends. This has a huge impact on a child’s social development; they will have awareness of the world and the people around them, and therefore are able to confidently make new friends as they go through transitions such as moving schools. It is important that children and young people are given the opportunity to speak about themselves, their lives at home and also listen to others, and this gives them a perspective on the fact that everybody does different things, others’ lives differ to theirs and this is something that needs to be recognised and respected and not judged. Expressive arts and design means a child or young person making new things, designing and inventing a piece of art that is unique to them and their style, using a variety of materials and equipment. It is important to introduce this at a young age, not only does this encourage a child to express themselves creatively but also contributes to physical, intellectual, social and emotional development. Creativity relates to physical development from a young age as the movements required to make marks such as brush strokes improves both fine and gross motor skills, feet painting is a great activity to do with children to improve both creative and physical development, you could ask them to hop, skip, jump to make a variety of marks with the paint on their feet, children love doing activities like this as they are free to create whatever they like. You could introduce pattern making to expressive arts and design, progressing the child’s intellectual development; you could do this by providing a range of materials allowing the child to create their own pattern or engaging in the activity with the child engaging in discussion about what pattern they can make or get them to identify a pattern you have made and see if they can make one similar. Some children or young people use expressive art and design as a â€Å"get away† from any stress, they find it relaxing and calming. Personal and emotional development means a child developing skills to be able to make relationships and bonds, having self-confidence and self-awareness, understanding that actions may affect others and be able to learn positive dispositions such as empathy. We can encourage this in setting through â€Å"circle time† allowing children to talk about a topic of their choice, it is also important to discuss things such as disabilities and learning difficulties, so that if there is a child with these things in setting the child’s peers can empathise and help support the child as well as the adults. Personal and emotional development can be affected through a number of ways, one being if a child has a severe disability, they may feel that they are unable to take part in the same activities as their peers or may have a low self-esteem, this is why it important to promote equality, diversity and inclusion in setting it is important to plan activities around children’s needs leaving no child to feel left out. Physical disability often disturbs intellectual development, the reason for this being the main focus would be improving the child’s physical abilities e. g. he child may need to attend physiotherapy or regular hospital appointments, this also results in the child or young person missing a lot of time in school. It is important to focus on more than one area of development; this is why children with physical disabilities may also have a special worker helping them with the school work they have missed, so they do not get too far behind. From working in a childcare setting I have become more aware of how development areas are interdependent and try my best to support children in all areas of learning and development, taking into account any difficulties they have when planning activities.

Abstract and Concrete Nouns Explained

Abstract and Concrete Nouns Explained Abstract and Concrete Nouns Explained Nouns are naming words and an essential part of the English language. They fall into two main categories: concrete and abstract. It is vital to learn how to use both types in your written work, particularly abstract nouns, which can be tricky. This blog post will take a quick and simple look at the basic definitions of these nouns and offer examples to clarify how they should be used. Concrete Nouns Concrete nouns are fairly simple to understand, as they basically refer to things that are solid, like concrete, and that physically exist around us. This means that we can experience concrete nouns through our five senses, in that we can touch, see, smell, taste, and/or hear them. Examples of concrete nouns include: People (man, woman, dentist, proofreader) Animals (dog, cat, bird, bee) Objects (clock, book, computer, pizza) Places and geographical features (mountain, valley, Norwich, France) Abstract Nouns In contrast to concrete nouns, abstract nouns name things that do not exist physically, such as thoughts, ideas or concepts. They are therefore used to denote things that we cant see, smell, taste, and/or hear. Examples of abstract nouns include: Qualities and characteristics (beauty, kindness, wit) Emotions and states of mind (love, happiness, anger) Concepts and ideas (justice, freedom, truth) Events and processes (progress, Thursday, Christmas) If youre still unsure about the difference between concrete and abstract nouns, let the experts at Proofed help you with your noun usage today!

Exhibition Report essays

Performance/Exhibition Report essays For the final exhibition report I went to The National Shrine: Grotto of Lourdes. Being of Catholic religion, I have visited this area before. This is a spectacular exhibit that was a real delight. It's a serene walk in the woods passed several statues, markers, shrines, etc. There are stations of the cross and many biblical sayings. There are benches where you can stop to pray or meditate. It's very low-keyed. . There's a chapel which holds different services at various times. With the surrounding woods, it was nice to move at your own pace. Others passed by but they were very quiet and respectful. I would recommend to anyone wanted to lift their spiritual side. The Grotto has been established in Emmitsburg in 1805. In the year 1728, a group of Catholics left St. Marys City in Maryland, and traveled westward seeking peace and religious freedom. After the Revolution and the constitutional grant of religious freedom, Father John Dubois, a refugee priest from France, came to this area. This priest, who later became Bishop of New York, was appointed pastor of Frederick in 1794. On St. Mary's Mount he built, St. Mary's Church at the site of the present Grotto parking lot. For over a century this church was a beacon calling the faithful to Mass from the Valley and a reminder to them to keep the Faith. Numerous paths, traceable to this day and all converging on the church, show with what fidelity the Catholics practiced their faith. Along with wooded areas engraved with pathways to view biblical messages, there are churches located here. I entered the Chapel of Mary on the hill, and was astonished by its beauty. The smell of cedar and rose filled the air as I sat in one the pews. Candles burned and illuminated the ceiling and the cross that stood at the front of the church. The scene was majestic and alluring. The art works on the walls are all religious and sentimental. All the religious artifacts here are bright and descriptive. ...

The Truth About Lying General Statements English Literature Essay Essays

The Truth About Lying General Statements English Literature Essay Essays The Truth About Lying General Statements English Literature Essay Paper The Truth About Lying General Statements English Literature Essay Paper Willy is ever lying to his household about his success in his occupation, but in the terminal he can non command himself and he bursts out stating the truth. He begins by stating Linda, Oh, I ll strike hard em dead following hebdomad. I ll travel to Hartford. I m really good liked in Hartford. You know, the problem is, Linda, people do nt look to take me. I know it when I walk in. They seem to laugh at me. ( Miller, 36 ) He finishes with stating Linda how fat and foolish he looks. Explanation 1: Lies are ever pretermiting one s true abilities which tears one down to a point where one can non command his or her emotions when the truth seems to face them frequently. Initially lies stand in forepart of one to protect them from experiencing ashamed of the truth and in the terminal that favour injuries one so profoundly that they want to decease. Example 2: In Death of a Salesman , Willy explodes at Linda by stating, There s nil the affair with him ( Biff ) . He s got spirit, personality Loaded with it. Loaded! What is he stealing? He s giving it back, is nt he? What did I state him? I neer in my life told him anything but nice things. ( Miller, 40-41 ) Explanation 2: Once one begins to conceal the truth from him or herself, he or she begins to believe that, that prevarication has become their world and starts to go aggressive. As a consequence, lies cause one to go emotionally weak ; therefore one can non command his or her emotions. As shown in this state of affairs Willy becomes angry and makes Linda call and does non recognize that he is harming Biffs life by learning him non so nice things. Reasoning Sentence: Lies emotionally stress out each and every person to a certain extent that can harm one s life because for every minute one stands by these lies the prevaricator becomes weaker and weaker to support themselves against person. Topic Sentence: Furthermore, lies cause one to miss communicating accomplishments and lose their connexions with people around them. Example 1: Mr. Miller clearly shows this in his drama, mentioned before, when Willy asks Howard for a new arrangement at his occupation utilizing prevarications. Willy demandingly provinces, I averaged a hundred and 70 dollars a hebdomad in the twelvemonth of 1928! ( Miller, 82 ) Howard replies impatiently, You ll hold to pardon me, Willy, I got ta see some people. ( Miller, 82 ) Explanation 1: Lies make one become a individual that will non take no for an reply. While implementing their prevarications upon everyone they meet, persons lack the ability to pass on with one another professionally because they sound ill-mannered and objectionable. This causes people to believe twice before they talk to this individual. Example 2: This is besides demonstrated in the drama Death of a Salesman when Biff says, How the snake pit did I of all time get the thought I was a salesman at that place? I even believed myself that I d been a salesman for him! And so he gave me one expression and -I realized what a pathetic prevarications my whole life has been! ( Miller, 104 ) Explanation 2: Liing contributes to the failure to pass on with person because one can non warrant why one needs something because one realizes his or her life is a prevarication and feels ashamed of anticipating a batch more out of their prevarications. Reasoning Sentence: As said before, lying merely means injury to each person ; it causes one to lose all their contacts from the past and hereafter. Restated Thesis: Lies are harmful words that destroy one from within their organic structure to outside their organic structure. Claims: 1. The trust between persons or groups is broken. 2. Lies cause one to go sensitive and sometimes forceful. 3. Liing besides causes communicating with one another to lessening. General Statement: One must understand prevarications are non reality, but are instead what take one to their day of reckoning. *Ms. Weisman I did non cognize if for the thesis we were suppose to include the rubric of the drama so I merely included it in general statements because I was taught non to from old English classes* Work Cited Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. New York: Penguin Books, 1976.

Tree Planting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tree Planting - Essay Example If you are planting a tree just for the purpose of planting, your choice may differ. However, if you are planting the tree so that you can grow it and eat its fruit your overall effort may be different. It is therefore extremely important to define the purpose for which the tree is being planted. 2. Selecting the right time of the year is another important step because not all trees can be planted in every season. Planting trees in summer or late spring may not be suitable as the heat may not allow the plan to grow properly and may ultimately die down. It is critical that right time of the year must be chosen to plan the tree. 3. Digging the hole in right size and width is another important step to be performed in order to successfully plant the tree. Many a times, people dig holes which are either large or wider and thus may not be suitable for the planting of the tree. One can learn from the intuition as to what should be the right width and depth of the hole considering the size of the tree being planted. A typical standard to dig the hole of right size is to dig it at least twice as large as the root ball of the tree. You may also need to check the local requirements for digging the hole of right size especially if you are digging it near a telephone booth or other public places. There may be certain restrictions on digging the hole over the particular size in local areas so better check with the local requirements. 4. Once hole is dug, next step is to place the tree in the hole in a manner that it can easily fit the tree inside the hole. The overall process to place the tree in the hole is however, different for large and small trees. If you are planting a small tree, it is easier to upside down the pot and remove the tree to plant it. However, if the tree is large, you may require a large scissor or knife to actually cut through the packing and then place the tree in the hole of right size. Sometimes, large trees have

Tanglewoods recruiting methods Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tanglewoods recruiting methods - Case Study Example Measure of staffing quality Quality customer service is a decisive aspect in determining the success of a retail business. This fact is well known by the management of the Tanglewood stores. Businesses nowadays realize the importance of a talented staff. This has led to organizations keeping track of their valued human resource capabilities. This capability is bolstered by the hiring of skilled individuals, who increase the value of human resources in a company. In the case of Tanglewood stores, they needed to find the best way for staffing, while keeping the costs considerably low. They need to establish â€Å"The Quality of Hire†. This makes it possible to determine how a hired individual’s performance varies from the hiring requirements. It is paramount that the hired staff meets the conditions set prior their employment. This will ensure that the stores get the expected output from the staff. Criterion-Related Validation Test Tanglewood store will have to conduct a Criterion-Related Validation Test. This will be carried out using the benchmarking process whereby, the success of a job will be measured by comparing the individual result of a new employee to the sample of a successful employee currently holding the position, who will be used as the benchmark for success. This will be useful in determining if the employee is striving for excellence, is average or even poor. Through these results Burkholder, et al, 203), Tanglewood stores will know how was effective was their recruitment.

Comparison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Comparison - Essay Example He cannot do anything without the use of digital technology. Both the sides of the story are interesting and own a dash of reality in them. Summary 1 In his article, Carr (2008) has discussed the effects of digital technology on our minds, and how it is affecting our concentration. The way information is reachable on the internet is programming our minds in a novel fashion, in which we are getting void of deep thinking and meaningful concentration. Just like Google, there are a lot of search engines where we can find any kind of information we want; and, we only jump from one chunk of information to another without delving into longer pieces of writing. The fast retrieval of information, or our skimming of information, has taken away our power to read books and informative pieces of writing. New technologies like connecting brains with internet are being proposed, which will very likely snatch away our ultimate power to read, think, and analyze. Summary 2 Pinker (2010) states in his article that technology is not to be blamed when it comes to issues related to attention spans, concentration, and information retrieval. He is of the view that it is the fault of human who gets distracted by constantly arriving ads and glowing packets of information on the internet. We, as humans, must tame ourselves to maintain our attention spans and not get distracted. Moreover, the ability to read, critique, analyze and evaluate never came naturally to human beings even before the advent of technology. Instead, even in older times, these abilities were learnt through instruction and practice. These abilities can still be polished even today through practice and experience. Technology and internet is only helping us in our professional fields. Style Analyses Carr’s style of presenting his argument is very easy to understand and self-explanatory. It is an article that even a layman can well understand. It provokes a thinking that is very much related to every individual wh o uses computer these days. However, the latter half of the article seems to be going a bit off-road, but the overall impression is nice. On the other hand, Pinker’s style is very professional. His article is not very easy to understand in the beginning, but the latter half is easy to comprehend. Both the writers, with their own lucid styles, have presented their arguments in a very beautiful manner. Personal Reflection Since I am a tech savvy, I agree with Pinker more. I find his article very effective, since I believe that technology has brought much ease and novelty into our personal and professional lives. I do not agree with Carr when he says, â€Å"Our ability to interpret text, to make the rich mental connections that form when we read deeply and without distraction, remains largely disengaged† (2008, par. 9), because ability to interpret and analyze comes with learning, age, and experience. That has nothing to do with technology. I second Pinker (2010, par. 10) when he says that these abilities â€Å"must be acquired in special institutions, which we call universities, and maintained with constant upkeep†, since it is not in control of internet to take them away. I believe that technology has created great seismic impact on every level of our professions. For example, educators have been trying to modify the instructional process with the help of technology. Teachers started feeling the necessity of incorporating information and communication technology in teaching language. Children can

Planning Report for the Computer Forensics Lab Essay

Planning Report for the Computer Forensics Lab - Essay Example On the other hand, the second administrative employee would assist the first administrative employee and would also serve as a ready hand replacement when the first administrative employee is absent. In addition to the above, these administrative employees would also be responsible for the safety and privacy of the computer data being investigated (Anderson et al., 2003). The technicians hired to do computer forensics work would be trained and qualified computer personnel geared to deal with forensics work. However, not all technicians hired to deal with computer forensics work would have the same amount of experience. Two of the technicians would possess at least five years or more of computer forensics experience while another technician would possess at least three years of computer forensics experience. The last two technicians would be recently qualified and lightly trained computer forensics experts that would train under the more senior technicians. This distribution of employ ee structure on the technical side would ensure that senior technicians are available to deal with the more complex work while new technicians are being trained to deal with future work. In case that the senior technicians leave at a later stage, there would always be backup in the form of more junior technicians. 2. Lab budget planning (what kind of facilities you want to acquire?) The lab’s budget would be split into two major heads namely being set up expenses and running expenses. The set up expenses would cover one time installation costs such as buying hardware, acquiring a place for the lab, electrical fittings etc. On the other hand, running expenses would comprise of regular expenses that could be expected to occur at the month’s end such as paying the utility bills, paying employee salaries, buying new hardware and software etc. As far as the set up costs are concerned, the major part of the expense would be the acquisition of fitting hardware for forensic pu rposes. In order to mitigate the expenses, a mix of new hardware and customizations would be introduced. The senior technicians would assemble certain pieces of hardware such as read write blockers in order to lower the amount of overall expense (Prosise & Mandia, 2003). Work stations would be acquired from branded companies such as Dell or HP. However, one work station for heavy duty purposes would be assembled in house from market acquired hardware in order to lower costs (Dominguez, 2007). The other major setting up expense would be acquiring a place to set up the lab as well as acquiring the furniture and electrical fittings such as cables and extension cords etc. The typical running expenses of a forensics lab would include the salaries of employees, any new hardware or software purchases, utility bills and the rent of the acquired lab. When the lab is being set up, the running expense would be covered by having at least six months worth of running expenses in hand in order to deal with slow business at start up. 3. Certificate / training plan Previously there was little trend for proper certification and training for computer forensics work. However, the need for training and qualification in the computer forensics field has gone up significantly. At this point in time there are a number of

Book review Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Book review - Coursework Example Capitalism is based on accumulation of wealth by ignoring the social facets of life; it embeds in us the evils of alienation, bitterness and takes away our compassion for others. With influence of capitalism creeping in our daily lives, we intend to make every social interaction a business transaction or something that can give us value or return. The essential of a worker’s society is obsession with work and the attraction and content one finds in working for corporations is enormous these days. Children who see their parents’ working day in day out witness the financial well being of their family and an assured status in society also get obsessed with it and follow the same path while unemployed men and women also inspire to find work with no real concern for work environment or consequences to social life. The modern worker in this society is in worst situation then in the era of industrialization and Fordism; which at least assured that work would not entrench in li fe and weekend leisure would remain intact. In those times death was feared and work was a means to an end although these days death is not feared but welcomed in comparison to the hell a worker lives in. Hence the fear is of living a life that is not worth living. According to the book, â€Å"Entering the workforce is like entering your grave while you pretend that you are interested in the work you do (Cederstrom & Fleming, 2012)†. Organizations tactfully mixed our lives with our work and strategized new ways to keep us going through the same routine and silently encouraging worker to work all the time. The slogans of ‘be yourself’ and ‘work is fun for us’ or ‘work leisure’ have diluted our identities, deprived us of real fun and leisure, as a result workers are either working or thinking about the work all time. The so called independence at work, motivational activities, parties and team activities brought formalized informality in t o action. While the whole corporation calls for informal practices, the worker who resists or finds these activities uninteresting is considered to be committing a crime. So are workers doing something about this? The authors suggest that the worker is an equal contributor to his demise by accepting such a life and responding to the ever increasing demands from the employer (Cederstrom & Fleming, 2012). A series of blunders were made by the government and later on by the organizations, the first being over reliance and obsession with the capital system which led to the exponential development of the private enterprise. What was initially controlled by government is now in hands of profiteers accumulating for themselves with amount of wealth that was not witnessed before in human history. Individual freedom that was once controlled by the government is now controlled by a more heinous motive, the motive of selfishness along with a hunger for more power and enhanced control. Poverty a n evil in our society is still prevalent and capitalism has not played a role in reducing it, similar to the old days poor are still dependent on governments and private enterprises are only concerned with their own profits and sustainability, cutting back jobs and closing operations on their will without any respect given to the worker or his

Medical tourism in Thailand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Medical tourism in Thailand - Essay Example The term dictates the travelling across the borders for quality healthcare. A number of countries of the world are working in this field for economic benefits. Thailand has developed medical tourism as her national industry. This industry has now turned up as a major revenue generation industry for Thailand. Thailand has quality tourist medical hospitals in and around fascinating tourist resorts. These hospitals and care centres offer treatment for number of health problems both for male and female (Corness 63). Tourist hospitals mainly offer cheap but quality treatment in the fields of breast cancer, dentistry, cardiac problems, orthopaedic, infertility, cosmetic surgery and abortion related issues (Andrews and Siengthai 128). Massage centres are also famous for attracting medical tourists in Thailand. Bangkok, Pattaya, Hoa Hin, Chiang Mai, Samui and Phuket are the destinations attracting millions of tourists annually (Woodman 72). The question arises, why Thailand is chosen by medi cal tourists as healthcare destination. Well, there are a number of factors and those would be highlighted in the paper. Apart from quality treatment, luxuries and accommodation offered by medical tourist destinations there are number of risks and challenges, which a tourist may face while travelling abroad for medical treatment. These challenges include language problems, legal issues and certain ethical issues. Infectious diseases and travel problems also pose challenge of recovery for a medical tourist (Berger 54). Medical tourists also face the problem in knowing the right hospital for their specific health issues. Access to classified specialists for special treatment is also a problem due to lack of knowledge about a new place and care centres (Woodman 74). Few treatment centres prefer making money than providing satisfactory treatment to patients. Different sorts of spas are available in Thailand for massage. Medical tourists also visit spas for massage of the body and differ ent organs. Traditional massage, massage for beauty and massage for health are the main categories of massage centres. Chiva-som is the most visited destination spa in Thailand. Medical tourists from different countries of the world visit this spa for relaxing their body muscles. Spas available in hotels and restaurants are known as hotel spas (Cohen 228). People in and around Bangkok visit Numbers of hotel spas. Day’s spas are located in the centre of major towns and cities. These really help busy people to feel relieved. The businesspersons mostly visit these after sparing time from their busy business schedules. Hideaway spa in Phuket is very famous in local businesspersons (Evans 142). Businesspersons from other parts of the world also frequently visit this spa for quality of massage and then it provides ideal environment for relaxation. Cruise ship spas are mostly used by the old aged medical tourists during the period of recovery (Corness 66). Tourist travel in the boat s and ships for fresh air and sea food is also served during the journey. Dentistry is one of the areas where Thailand got is recognized globally for curing all sorts of dental issues. Dental department in Thailand is committed to provide treatment for the issues like teeth bleaching, dental bridges, dental implants and dental surgery. Medical tourism for dental problems is known as dental tourism in the world. Silom dental clinic Bangkok of Thailand provides all dental treatments to

Planning Report for the Computer Forensics Lab Essay

Planning Report for the Computer Forensics Lab - Essay Example On the other hand, the second administrative employee would assist the first administrative employee and would also serve as a ready hand replacement when the first administrative employee is absent. In addition to the above, these administrative employees would also be responsible for the safety and privacy of the computer data being investigated (Anderson et al., 2003). The technicians hired to do computer forensics work would be trained and qualified computer personnel geared to deal with forensics work. However, not all technicians hired to deal with computer forensics work would have the same amount of experience. Two of the technicians would possess at least five years or more of computer forensics experience while another technician would possess at least three years of computer forensics experience. The last two technicians would be recently qualified and lightly trained computer forensics experts that would train under the more senior technicians. This distribution of employ ee structure on the technical side would ensure that senior technicians are available to deal with the more complex work while new technicians are being trained to deal with future work. In case that the senior technicians leave at a later stage, there would always be backup in the form of more junior technicians. 2. Lab budget planning (what kind of facilities you want to acquire?) The lab’s budget would be split into two major heads namely being set up expenses and running expenses. The set up expenses would cover one time installation costs such as buying hardware, acquiring a place for the lab, electrical fittings etc. On the other hand, running expenses would comprise of regular expenses that could be expected to occur at the month’s end such as paying the utility bills, paying employee salaries, buying new hardware and software etc. As far as the set up costs are concerned, the major part of the expense would be the acquisition of fitting hardware for forensic pu rposes. In order to mitigate the expenses, a mix of new hardware and customizations would be introduced. The senior technicians would assemble certain pieces of hardware such as read write blockers in order to lower the amount of overall expense (Prosise & Mandia, 2003). Work stations would be acquired from branded companies such as Dell or HP. However, one work station for heavy duty purposes would be assembled in house from market acquired hardware in order to lower costs (Dominguez, 2007). The other major setting up expense would be acquiring a place to set up the lab as well as acquiring the furniture and electrical fittings such as cables and extension cords etc. The typical running expenses of a forensics lab would include the salaries of employees, any new hardware or software purchases, utility bills and the rent of the acquired lab. When the lab is being set up, the running expense would be covered by having at least six months worth of running expenses in hand in order to deal with slow business at start up. 3. Certificate / training plan Previously there was little trend for proper certification and training for computer forensics work. However, the need for training and qualification in the computer forensics field has gone up significantly. At this point in time there are a number of

Medical tourism in Thailand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Medical tourism in Thailand - Essay Example The term dictates the travelling across the borders for quality healthcare. A number of countries of the world are working in this field for economic benefits. Thailand has developed medical tourism as her national industry. This industry has now turned up as a major revenue generation industry for Thailand. Thailand has quality tourist medical hospitals in and around fascinating tourist resorts. These hospitals and care centres offer treatment for number of health problems both for male and female (Corness 63). Tourist hospitals mainly offer cheap but quality treatment in the fields of breast cancer, dentistry, cardiac problems, orthopaedic, infertility, cosmetic surgery and abortion related issues (Andrews and Siengthai 128). Massage centres are also famous for attracting medical tourists in Thailand. Bangkok, Pattaya, Hoa Hin, Chiang Mai, Samui and Phuket are the destinations attracting millions of tourists annually (Woodman 72). The question arises, why Thailand is chosen by medi cal tourists as healthcare destination. Well, there are a number of factors and those would be highlighted in the paper. Apart from quality treatment, luxuries and accommodation offered by medical tourist destinations there are number of risks and challenges, which a tourist may face while travelling abroad for medical treatment. These challenges include language problems, legal issues and certain ethical issues. Infectious diseases and travel problems also pose challenge of recovery for a medical tourist (Berger 54). Medical tourists also face the problem in knowing the right hospital for their specific health issues. Access to classified specialists for special treatment is also a problem due to lack of knowledge about a new place and care centres (Woodman 74). Few treatment centres prefer making money than providing satisfactory treatment to patients. Different sorts of spas are available in Thailand for massage. Medical tourists also visit spas for massage of the body and differ ent organs. Traditional massage, massage for beauty and massage for health are the main categories of massage centres. Chiva-som is the most visited destination spa in Thailand. Medical tourists from different countries of the world visit this spa for relaxing their body muscles. Spas available in hotels and restaurants are known as hotel spas (Cohen 228). People in and around Bangkok visit Numbers of hotel spas. Day’s spas are located in the centre of major towns and cities. These really help busy people to feel relieved. The businesspersons mostly visit these after sparing time from their busy business schedules. Hideaway spa in Phuket is very famous in local businesspersons (Evans 142). Businesspersons from other parts of the world also frequently visit this spa for quality of massage and then it provides ideal environment for relaxation. Cruise ship spas are mostly used by the old aged medical tourists during the period of recovery (Corness 66). Tourist travel in the boat s and ships for fresh air and sea food is also served during the journey. Dentistry is one of the areas where Thailand got is recognized globally for curing all sorts of dental issues. Dental department in Thailand is committed to provide treatment for the issues like teeth bleaching, dental bridges, dental implants and dental surgery. Medical tourism for dental problems is known as dental tourism in the world. Silom dental clinic Bangkok of Thailand provides all dental treatments to

The Effects of the Harlem Renaissance to the Life of the Afro-Americans Essay Example for Free

The Effects of the Harlem Renaissance to the Life of the Afro-Americans Essay History tells us that the Blacks were initially known nothing but slaves in the United States. They have been introduced in the United States as slaves in the tobacco plantations and since then they have always been treated as inferior and subordinate to the White folks. â€Å"As dark-skinned people, African-Americans have identified themselves and been identified by others as different from first-class citizens. Their color stands for poverty and poverty’s stigma (Andersen 4). † There has been great effort for a few of them to resist this oppression among the Whites but they did not in any way succeed. They have become a subject of tortures, lynchings, and abuses. Their ways were seen as backward and not modern. The American Civil war was said to have ended slavery but never the oppression that goes along with it. After the abolition of slavery by the former President Braham Lincoln, the Blacks were no longer employed as slaves, laundrywomen, workers, and tenants to the White folks but they remained to be discriminated. They were not acknowledged as human beings. They were loathed. They were seen as different and not worthy of respect. As a consequence, they hated their color, their culture, and their origin. They were insecure of themselves. And while they weren’t able to gain respect from others, even more disheartening, is they did not gain respect for themselves (Andersen 285). These dire situations of the Black changed during the Harlem Renaissance and forward. While there are many black people who were lynched in the South and most African Americans were not allowed to exercise their right to vote as citizens of the United States, â€Å"the leaders of the Harlem Renaissance questioned the value of democracy for their people (Painter 193). † They encouraged the wealthy and the educated Whites to work with then in converting the racist ideologies of most of the White masses. They worked with their white allies and discovered a lot more talented African-American writers. They shepherded their works of literature to printing. For the first time in the history of the Blacks, major publishers agreed to bring out their works. The main objective as Jessie Fauset saw it was to â€Å"find our own beautiful and praise-worthy, an intense chauvinism that is content with its own types (Painter 194). † As established in the preceding paragraphs, the Harlem Renaissance drew out from the Negros all the necessary racial pride and connection among themselves in order to gain self-identity and eventually emancipation (Painter 189). What Hurtson has to do with it and all other Black American writers is the responsibility of providing a path for the advancement of racial consciousness through literature and the other arts. They publicize and romaticize the Black experience as unique in itself and something that is worthy of attention and appreciation. They have inculcated among the African-Americans the vitality of knowing themselves apart from what the Whites imposed upon them by looking back and deep into their cultures and origins. Through these efforts and endeavours by Hurtson and many other writers, they were able to weaken the demeaning stereotype that surrounded the Black ego since time immemorial and has made them realized their place in America as an independent and free group of people. Works Cited Andersen, Margaret and Taylor, Howard Francis. Sociology: Understanding a Diverse Society. Connecticut: Thomson Wardsworth, 2006. Campbell, Josie P. Student Companion to Zora Neale Hurtson. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2001

Drug Promotion in the Media

Drug Promotion in the Media THE GHANAIAN MEDIA AND CONSUMER PROTECTION: THE CASE OF THE (TRADITIONAL) MEDICINE INDUSTRY The issue of consumer protection has been widely discussed in many countries across the world and especially in the advanced countries. In recent times, this discussion has diffused into developing countries, especially in Africa and most particularly in Ghana. Also, the media’s integrity and ethics of Journalism has been extensively debated. The subject matter of using the media to promote drugs and drug related products to consumers directly has undergone much scrutiny lately. The literature on these issues is profuse, yet some notable ones will be reviewed in the subsequent paragraphs. To begin with, Julie Donohue in her article, â€Å"A History of Drug Advertising: The Evolving Roles of Consumers and Consumer Protection† (2006) queried the importance of direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) on drugs. Although she agreed on the fact that â€Å"the main tool of consumer protection laws is the disclosure of information in order to level the playing field between buyers and sellers† (p662), to her, this phenomenon actually encourages â€Å"self-diagnosis† and is therefore detrimental to consumer’s health. She blamed this problem on the legal and cultural changes in health care. In her own words, she argued that the â€Å"legal and cultural changes in health care brought about by the patients’ and consumers’ rights movements laid the groundwork for the DTCA of prescription drugs. DTCA was surely an unintended consequence of these social movements and may, paradoxically, serve to frustrate future efforts to protect patients and consumers† (p691). She further argued that the use of mass media advertising for prescription drugs misleads consumers into taking costly prescription drugs that they do not need. She opined that mass media advertisements were only intended to be a â€Å"vehicle for pharmaceutical manufacturers to tell end users about their products’and ‘not to help businesses market their products† (p662). According to her, drugs that advertised to consumers had the advantage of established brand recognition, and this is what has accounted for most pharmaceutical companies pushing their products to the mass media to be advertised. Also, in the book The Truth About the Drug Companies (2004), Angell Marcia, apprised us thoroughly on underpinnings of drug companies. Tracing their eruption from 1980, Angell, lamented the manner in which the pharmaceutical industry has not been innovative. To him, â€Å"only a handful of truly important drugs have been brought to market in recent years, and they were mostly based on taxpayer-funded research at academic institutions, small biotechnology companies or the National Institutes of Health. The majority of ‘new’ drugs are not new at all but merely variations of older drugs already on the market. These are called ‘me-too’ drugs†. (p3). He explained that the thinking behind these â€Å"me-too† drugs is to grab a share of an established, lucrative market and make profit. Thus, to him, drug companies spring up almost every day, not because they intend to bring any new product onto the market, but only to reproduce drugs which are already in existence, and with the motive of making profit. This motive informs their resort to the mass media for direct-to-consumer advertisements (DTCA) so as to gain advantage over their competitors. He thus advocates that the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) must stiffen their approval of new drugs coming unto the market. Thus, to him, â€Å"the me-too market would collapse virtually overnight if the FDA made approval of new drugs contingent on their being better in some important way than older drugs already on the market† (p12). He is of the view that this measure would make drug companies focus on finding truly innovative drugs and also reduce the incessant and enormously expensive marketing necessary to jockey for position in the me-too market. Furthermore, in their article â€Å"Media Credibility and Informativeness of Direct-to-Consumer Prescription Drug Advertising†(2004), Huh et al evaluated consumer perceptions of the media credibility and informativeness of direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertisement and examined how those perceptions were influenced by consumer predispositions and demographic characteristics. To them, DTC advertisements are targeted mostly at â€Å"older consumers’’a segment that is particularly susceptible and vulnerable to commercial persuasion† (p29). This is because, to them studies have documented â€Å"various physical, psychological and social changes that accompany aging, including reduced sensory abilitiescognitive impairmentsthat can alter the communication process and result in decision-making difficulties and decreased resistance to persuasion† (p34). This trend, they argue is what has necessitated the insistence on media credibility because †Å"audience tend to rely on media they consider credible and informative† (p29) in choosing which drug to buy or not to buy. They argued that, in recent times, the basic objective of DTC advertisements are to â€Å"inform, persuade and remind consumers to take prescribed actions toward advertised drugs-to learn, to prefer, to ask for, and to ask for again† (p30). This, to them, is a significant departure from the original form of advertising, which concentrated on â€Å"influencing and maintaining demand for prescription drugs through the use of the push promotion strategy† and which took the form of â€Å"trade advertising directed at physicians and was used to deliver information that would work with other promotional tools to educate, persuade and help sell advertised drugs to physicians† (p29). Notable among their findings was the fact that â€Å"consumers place greater value on the information utility of the media of DTC drug advertising than its credibility as an information source about prescription drugs† (p53). Moreover, Burke et al in their article â€Å"Deception by Implication: An Experimental Investigation† (1988) set out to, among other things, measure the â€Å"misleading of two common types of advertising claims and their relative effectiveness for increasing consumer brand preference and purchase likelihood† (p484). These types of advertising claims include, those â€Å"that might lead the consumer to have a false impression of a product not by literal interpretation, but by implication† (ibid). To them, there is a need for consumer protection for products such as â€Å"pain relievers, where brands offer similar or identical performance and consumers lack a rigorous reality test of the truthfulness of ad claims† (p492). This is because, they found out that â€Å"expanded and qualified claims can enhance consumers’ images of advertised brand and related purchase intentions† (ibid). They then proffered that in view of the potential of these ad vertisements to â€Å"mislead consumers in cases where the advertised brand has no real competitive differentiation, advertisers are advised to use such claims judiciously† (ibid). To add to, in his article â€Å"Self Regulation and Television Advertising: A Replication and Extension† (2001), Abernethy Avery opined that â€Å"although television stations have the right to reject almost any advertisement submitted for broadcast, exercising that power to protect consumers from potentially false or misleading claims can directly lower station revenues† (p1). Thus to him, because of the possibility of television stations, like other media platforms, of losing revenue or not making much profit, these media outlets accept any advertisement from advertisers and air them on their platforms, without recourse to whether or not the advertisement can harm or mislead the consumer. Though he agrees that there are state and federal laws regulating the advertising of certain products such as tobacco, and also specific punitive measures for false and misleading or defamatory advertisements, he is of the view that much responsibility rests on media houses to engage in â€Å"self-regulation† (p2) or â€Å"clearance process† (p3) to sieve advertisements before putting them out for the public’s consumption. In his own words, â€Å"owners and managers of media vehicles have great power to determine the type of advertising they carry’’and determine if it is acceptable for their audience† (p2). He believes this process has the potential to â€Å"provide considerable consumer protection from false, misleading, or, inappropriate advertising† (p3). He found out through his research that â€Å"only 3% of stations substantiate the claims of every submitted advertisement and 2.5% of stations reject 10% or more of advertisements submitted for broadcast† (p9). These results to him, indicate that the â€Å"consumer protection provided by television advertisingis uneven† (ibid). As part of measures to curb this anomaly, he posits that the Federal Communications Commission must â€Å"require stations to submit their advertising review policies during license renewal and that those policies be part of public record† (p10). He believed that this measure would improve consumer protection since media houses and advertisers will be under obligation to put out true information about products. REFERENCES: Donohue, J., (2006) â€Å"A History of Drug Advertising: The Evolving Roles of Consumers and Consumer Protection† in Milbank Quarterly, Vol. 84, Issue 4, pp 659-699 Marcia, A., (2004) â€Å"The Truth about the Drug Companies†. Huh et al., (2004) â€Å"Media Credibility and Informativeness of Direct-to-Consumer Prescription Drug Advertising† in Health Marketing Quarterly, Vol. 21, No. 3, pp 27-61 Burke et al., (1988) â€Å"Deception by Implication: An Experimental Investigation† in Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 14, No. 4, pp 483-494 Abernethy et al., (2001) â€Å"Self-regulation and Television Advertising: A Replication and Extension† in Journal of Adertising Research, Vol. 41, Issue 3, pp 31-37

Anne Moodys Coming of Age in Mississippi :: Anne Moody Coming Age Mississippi

In this autobiography of Anne Moody a.k.a. Essie Mae as she is often called in the book, is the struggles for rights that poor black Americans had in Mississippi. Things in her life lead her to be such an activist in the fight for black equality during this time. She had to go through a lot of adversity growing up like being beat, house being burned down, moving to different school, and being abuse by her mom's boyfriend. One incident that would make Anne Moody curious about racism in the south was the incident in the Movie Theater with the first white friends she had made. The other was the death of Emmett Tillman and other racial incidents that would involve harsh and deadly circumstances. These this would make Miss Moody realize that this should not be tolerated in a free world. First time she ever accounts racism was at the Movie Theater, before she had even realized what it was. This incident made her start questioning what racism was and what made blacks and whites different. In Centreville, Mississippi where she lived with her mother and a sister (Adline) and brother (Junior). In Centreville they meet two other kids that just had happened to be white. Essie Mae had never been a friend with white kids. The two white children Katie and Bill would always ride their bikes and skates in front of Essie Mae yard. So they got their attention on one afternoon by making Indian noises to draw them to play with the others. Katie and Bill would let Essie ride their bikes and skates all the time, the others where too young to let them try. So they would grow a close relationship not knowing what others might think of these two groups playing. Every Saturday Essie's mother would always take them to the movies, where the blacks would have to seat in the balcony and whites could seat in the bottom level. But they saw Katie and Bill there so Essie and her bother and sister followed them to the bottom level. While mother was not noticing what was going on, when mother noticed she began to start yelling and pulling them out the door. The children begun to cry this would make mom just leave the Movie Theater.

Eliminating The Capital Gains Tax :: essays research papers

Eliminating The Capital Gains Tax One of the major obstacles facing all entrepreneurs in the United States when starting a new business or expanding an existing one is raising capital. Here capital refers to money that people invest in a business. Investment and entrepreneurship are the heart and soul of a lively economy. There is no other economic task more important than investing one's capital into new ideas and new enterprises. Therefore capital raised from one person or a group of professional investors remains a crucial source of funding for these type of enterprises. In the type of economic world which is present today the opportunity for good returns on a person's money must be in abundance to allure investments in such ventures. Capital gains taxes significantly diminish these returns, therefore reducing the incentives to invest. Eliminating the capital gains tax will spark entrepreneurship and new investments in the economy, which in turn will elevate economic growth and increase the number of jobs. In order to stimulate economic growth in the United States, taxes on capital gains should be eliminated. Members of Congress once considered a reduction in the capital gains tax rate from 28% to 19.8%. Combined with indexation, which is , reducing the capital gains tax by any amount would be a vital pro-growth step taken by Congress. However, given the fickle and high risk nature of investments and entrepreneurships, and the importance of maintaining a competitive economy in a global environment, capital gains should be exempt from taxation altogether. A zero percent capital gains tax would attract entrepreneurial risk taking, which is very important to economic growth. It would entice wealthy investors to invest in a certain enterprise, which in small numbers would immensely increase the economic growth in the United States. In the Wall Street Journal the U.S. Commission on civil rights said, "Reducing the tax on capital gains effectively increases the flow of financial 'seed corn' to budding entrepreneurs." Also, from a global perspective, the United States has one of the biggest capital gains tax rate. Depending on inflation, sometimes the United States has the largest capital gains tax rate in the world. In a competitive global economy a zero percent capital gains tax rate would make the United States a haven for capital, which in the long run will spark economic growth in the United States. Eliminating the capital gains tax altogether would not only promote a "boom" economy in the United States but will give the United States an edge that it needs to compete in the global world, not to mention create new jobs. The potential benefits for eliminating the capital gains tax are clear.

The development of aggression and violence in the American youth

In the introductory portion, the writer introduces the relevance of the study to the present reality by briefly indicating the focal areas that are covered in the paper. Basically, the thesis statement or argument is presented in prà ©cis to complete this part.Problem statements and milieuThe paper seeks to explain the development of an individual’s aggression and or violence in the context of society, family and internal mental or thinking patterns. Whether the results are a combination of the factors will be posed as inquiry in this section with a corresponding hypothesis.Review of Related StudiesThis portion explains the peer-reviewed works of psychologists and sociologists and others in the profession with the intention of analyzing the important and strategic breakthroughs in science on the issue and which the present paper seeks to accentuate considering the need of the hour (Works of Bjork, Furst, Sidney, Wacker, David,   Tremblay et al, Harris, Mary; Hogh et al, Hob bs, Brackney et al,II. Results and findings   A. Definition of termsUsing DSM and other credible sources for the operational definition of the foremost significant terminologies employed in the paper. (Works from Aggression from Encyclopedia of Science, Technology, and Ethics, DSM definition)   B. Theoretical Framework  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ~ Factors influencing Aggression  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Explores different perspectives in the understanding of AggressionII. Discussion of Results and FindingsIt is assumed that the following are major contributing factors that influence aggression and/or violence. Discussion section of the paper further establishes the researcher’s findings based on the problem statement and hypothesis made. The following are salient points that are developed by the researcher.â€Å"What can make an individual youth commit violent acts?†Ã‚  ~ Pornography and violence in the internet and media  ~ Depression among th e teens  ~ Domestic Violence (DV) and Aggressionâ€Å"What should or can be done to reduce the incidence or curtail youth violence or aggression?†Since the issue is a prevailing and existing individual, familial and societal problem, and many studies are already conducted to apply effective interventions, this section of the paper seeks to enumerate and describe the leading and effective treatments and/or interventions on the matter. It also attempts to give a balanced view on the plus and minuses or pros and cons of the prescribed interventions.III. Summary of findingsProvides a brief summary of the study’s findings.IV. Conclusion and RecommendationThe writer addresses the reader to his/her own reflections regarding the study he/she made on the problem. However, considering the limitation of logistics and other factors, she/he prescribes or outlines his/her own recommendation/s regarding the problem and it is to be undertaken in future studies.IV. ReferenceExact doc uments used or employed throughout the study are herein listed in APA format.

Obesity: Who Is at Fault?

Obesity: Who is at Fault? Name University of International Business and Economics Obesity: Who is at Fault? It is no secret that an increasing amount of Americans are gaining weight and much of this blame is put on fast food establishments such as McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, and Krystal’s, to name a few. According to Warren Belasco and Philip Scranton (2002), â€Å"The increasing consumption of convenience foods is an international trend influenced by changing lifestyles† (p. 3) From a superficial perspective, this doesn’t seem like much of a problem.However, Robert Jeffery and Simone French (1998), authors of the article Epidemic Obesity in the United States: Are Fast Food and Television Viewing Contributing? assert that â€Å"Obesity is an important public health problem that, in recent years, has reached epidemic proportions† (p. 277). In fact, some are calling the problem the â€Å"obesity epidemic. † Several lawsuits against fast food establishments have been filed by those who are overweight. It’s a serious problem, one that cannot be ignored. Before anyone assumes that it’s just the United States, think again.With the increasing number of fast food establishments in countries other than the United States, such as China, Japan, and Brazil, so are obesity rates. The obesity epidemic can no longer be ignored and must be solved. While the problem is known, the source of it is not and must be traced. What exactly is the source of obesity? Many people believe it to be fast food restaurants such as McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Krystals, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Taco Bell. After all, are they not the ones distributing the food so unhealthy and high in calories? Are they not the ones advertising delicious, backstabbing food?Are they not the ones making the food so addictive that the consumers have no choice but to eat it and come back for more? It is not a secret that there have been countless lawsuits against fast food establishments. One of the most popular lawsuits, Pelman v. McDonald’s, has been nicknamed the â€Å"McLawsuit. † In this lawsuit, two overweight children (one of whom was nineteen years old) sued McDonald’s seeking compensation for their health related problems cause by obesity. There is no debate that most people understand that fast food is unhealthy, regardless of what the Pelman v.McDonald’s lawsuit claims. There have been documentaries recording, such as Morgan Spurlocks’ Supersize Me, in which he eats McDonald’s for three meals for a month. The result is irrevocable and much more severe than any of the three doctors he had hired imagined. It would be hard to find someone that denied that fast food was unhealthy. However, this does not mean that it is the reason for obesity. Fast food establishments should not be blamed for the obesity epidemic because when it all comes down to it, it†™s a simple matter of choice.Fast food establishments do not hold their consumers at gunpoint and force them to buy their food, nor do they additives in their products to make it chemically addictive, despite what the plaintiffs lawsuit claim. Todd G. Buchholz, an international economist, keynote speaker, and author of â€Å"Are Fast-Food Establishments Making Americans Fat† poses an interested scenario: The overweight baseball fan jumps to his feet in the bleachers of Wringley Field, screaming for the Chicago Cubs to hold onto their 3-2 lead in the bottom of the ninth inning.He squeezes a Cubs pennant on his left hand while shoving a mustard-smeared hot dog into his mouth with the right. The Dodgers have a runner on the first who is sneaking a big lead off the base. The Cubs’ pitcher has thrown three balls and two strikes to the batter, a notorious power hitter. The obese fan holds his breath, while the pitcher winds up and fires a blazing fastball. ‘Crack! â €™ The ball flies over the fan’s head into the bleachers for a game-winning home run. The fan slumps to his bleacher seat and has a heart attack. Who should the fan sue? a) The Cubs for breaking his heart? (b) The hot dog company for making a fatty food? (c) The hot dog vendor for selling him a fatty food? (d) All of the above? (p. 1) While this scenario seems completely absurd, there is quite a lot of truth in how today’s society works. The question that Buchholz proposes must be dealt with. Just who is to blame for obesity? The vendors? The fast food corporations? There have been lawsuits, many which are still prevalent today. The question has not been answered and people are still seeking answers.As stated earlier, many believe the fault lies with the fast food corporations, which is why countless lawsuits have been filed against them. However, perhaps there is more than one reason why fast food establishments have been under attack. Buchholz examines this very perspective. Lawyers are under pressure to take these cases for fear that if they do not, their reputation will be tarnished. Under any normal circumstances, it would be easy to turn the cases down. Unfortunately for them, it they are no considered normal circumstances.Despite the popularity of fast food, it has become quite popular for people to denounce the restaurants because of reasons such as: the food is making the people fat, the corporations brainwash kids, and they bribe the children with toys. Michelle M. Mello, Eric B. Rimm, and David M. Studdert analyze one lawsuit in particular. Pelman v. McDonald’s, or rather, the â€Å"McLawsuit,† as it was dubbed by the public, was filed against McDonald’s by two overweight children seeking compensation for their health problems caused by obesity. They had claimed that McDonald’s had deployed deceptive advertising, promotion, and sales.In addition, the corporation had produced food that was not only unsafe but had also failed to warn consumers of the dangers of its products. It is quite interesting to note that the plaintiff’s attorney had also filed a similar lawsuit against McDonald’s and other fast food restaurants on behalf of adults. Believing it would be unsuccessful, the attorney withdrew the case to pursue Pelman. With children as plaintiffs, it was believed that the success would be higher, as the children would be seen as representatives of the afflicted population (Mello, et al. 2003, p. 208).The judge, Judge Sweet, dismissed the case, stating, â€Å"Nobody is forced to eat at McDonald’s, except, perhaps, parents of small children who desire McDonald’s food, toy promotions or playgrounds and demand their parents’ accompaniment†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Stout 2003). In an interview with the plaintiff’s lawyer’s colleague, John Banzhaf, he admits: The biggest problem is what lawyers call causation†¦it’s hard to tell what cau sed a heart attack. What percentage is obesity, versus other factors? And was McDonald’s 4 percent, versus 2 perfect for Haagen-Dazs? Everybody knows that, if you want to lose weight, you eat less, less calorie input, and more exercise.You don’t have to learn that. (The Center for Consumer Freedom, 2003) The case drew national attention but many spectators realized it was more or less a farce in order to make a few extra dollars for the plaintiffs and their lawyer. The authors list key points of the case made by the plaintiffs’ lawyers, one of which the case is compared to those made against tobacco companies. However, there are significant differences. Unlike tobacco cases, there has been no evidence to prove that fast food contains chemicals that are addictive. Mello, Rimm, and Studdert are not the only ones to note this. Buchholz also acknowledges this key point.Additionally, no person has claimed that they have ever become sick from â€Å"second hand† eating. Another key point is that while cigarette research has been consistent over the years, diet research fails to do the same. In fact, their research is often contradictory. There are claims that the consumers are often too ignorant to understand the risks of the food they eat. However, this is a moot point of fast food restaurants. Consumers are becoming more aware of nutritional and caloric value of food and because of this, fast food restaurants, have reacted by making their nutritional value readily available to the public.Not only that, they have also changed their menu to feature more salads and foods with less calories. Buchholz brings up yet another important and crucial point: to understand the answer, you must understand the nature surrounding the problem. He states that even with the popularity of fast food establishments, people still eat two thirds of their daily calories at home. So while critics do a wonderful job of portraying fast food restaurants as manipulat ive, evil corporations, they fail to compare fast food to food made at home, school, or restaurants that do not fall into the fast food category.While plaintiffs’ lawyers condemn the nutritional value of fast food, they fail to acknowledge that alternatives are just as bad. For example, school meals are not much better than fast foods. While the schools provide few calories, in place is more saturated fat, more than fast food establishments provide. Saturated fat is â€Å"the more dangerous subset of fats† (Buccholz, p. 4). In fact, Buchholz notes, fast food actually has fewer calories today than they did four decades ago. In the 1970s, the fat content of fast food meals and home cooked meals were very similar.Even twenty-nine years ago, while home cooking may have won prizes for their extraordinary taste, very few would receive them from today’s nutritionists. Of course, that’s not the only thing to focus on. Modern jobs frequently require less physical work, meaning less time spent burning calories and more time being stationary. There are more desk jobs, which means workers are paid to sit in their seats rather than exert energy. Work at home jobs are also more prevalent. With the growing popularity of the Internet, money can be made without even taking a step outside of the house.A survey shows that while people are not eating larger meals, they are snacking a lot more, something that definitely contributes to the calorie count. According to Buchholz, people have actually doubled the calories consumed between meals. This is a crucial point to keep in mind when examining the cause for obesity. Portion size is something else that is also criticized harshly. While fast food restaurants such as McDonald’s have been super sizing meals, they seem to be the target of many consumers despite other places that have also been supersizing their food, with little or no criticism.Examples provided by Buchholz include movie theatre popc orn containers or all-you-can-eat buffets. Studies show that people can eat bigger portions of fast food-like meals such as hamburgers and fries not at the restaurants but in their own home kitchen. Home cooked hamburgers on average now weigh eight ounces rather than the five to seven ounces served in restaurants, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.Despite the movie theatre down the block selling super sized popcorn or the all-you-can-eat buffet, which encourages people to loosen their belt buckle, they are not under attack as a cause for obesity. Common sense dictates that McDonald’s, even if they have a super size option, does not encourage the consumer to eat all they can. All-you-can-eat buffets, on the other hand, do. Buffets encourage the consumer to exceed the limitations of their stomach and eat as much as possible. However, ironically, buffets have evaded the line of attack and blame by consumers.Yes, fast food restaurants contain plenty of calories and no one denies that this is not healthy. However, in comparison with other food alternatives, fast food does not seem as bad as the media portrays them to be. â€Å"Unlike smoking, fast food appears to be safe when consumed in moderation†¦scientists at snack-food companies have reportedly investigated how certain foods trigger overeating, but not damning evidence has emerged that food manufacturers manipulate the content of their products to get consumers addicted† (Mello et al. p. 211) Moderation is the key. In a study done by Robert W.Jeffery and Simone A. French, the objective was to observe the correlation of TV, fast food, and body mass index (BMI). The results showed that the former two were positively correlated with BMI in women but not in men, and predicted weight gain in women with high income. This information is supports the claims made by Buchholz. Buchholz stated before that there are more people simply staying in one place rather tha n burning calories. Such is what happens with television viewing. To watch television means to do little to not moving, equaling to no calories burnt. Epidemic Obesity in the United States: Are Fast Foods and Television Contributing† concluded that increases in availability of fast food and television may contribute to growing obesity rates. Fast food is a lot more prominent and available than it was in the past. It is simply a lot more accessible than before. However, Buchholz has this point covered; while fast food is a lot more prominent, so are jobs that require less moving and increase in time to eat and snack. Fast food may contribute to obesity but it simply not the only cause, nor should it be the main focus if people are looking to fix the problem.In â€Å"Fast Food: Unfriendly and Unhealthy† by S Stender, J Dyerberg, and A Astrup, association between fast food intake and weight gain is shown. The authors note ways in which fast food can be â€Å"obesogenic. à ¢â‚¬  One must look at necessary things such as the portion size, energy density and fat content. The authors then conclude that reducing portions to normal sizes, eliminating trans fat, switching to lean meat, and other such actions would benefit the consumers in their quest for lowering obesity rates. However, by reducing portions to one size takes away the right of the consumer to make choices, argues Buchholz (p. 0). Beyond medical research, Morgan Spurlock, an American independent filmmaker, produced the documentary Super Size Me in 2004. In this film, Spurlock undergoes a mission to see what would happen to his body if he eats McDonald’s three times a day for one month. The rules were simple: if it wasn’t on the McDonald’s menu, he couldn’t have it; he must sample everything on the menu within thirty days; he must have McDonald’s three times a day; he can only and must super size the meal when asked; and will attempt to walk as much as the t ypical American.Throughout the film, Spurlock goes through a change, both physically and mentally. His three doctors, nutritionalist, and personal trainer that he had hired all agreed that he was physically above average before his experiment began. Though all three doctors had predicted that the â€Å"Mcdiet† would have a negative effect on his body, none expected anything to be as drastic as what really happened, included but not limited to heart palpitations, and liver deterioration. Some of the results were irreversible.At the end of the documentary, Spurlock shows that some people do indeed eat McDonald’s more frequently than they should, resulting in their weight gain and obesity health issues. Spurlocks’ main focus is on the negative impact of McDonald’s and other fast food restaurants. However, this is unfair to the corporations. While McDonald’s may cause health problems, it only does so when consumed frequently. Even though he has shown t hat there are people who eat McDonald’s frequently, he failed to mention that the consumers have a choice.Fast food corporations are not holding their consumers at gunpoint and forcing them to buy their food but Spurlock presents his information in such a way as to convince his audience that it is indeed the corporations who are at fault and thus, it would be counterintuitive to his position on the subject matter. Daniel J. DeNoon (2006), author of â€Å"Obesity More Complex Than We Think? ,† suggests that even though doctors are blaming obesity on overeating and inactivity, there are other factors that play critical roles. Even if the other causes have little effect, they may together make a big difference.Other reasons include, but are not limited to, lack of sleep, pollution, and prevalence of air conditioning, side effects of medicine, genetics, and age. So while fast food corporations may contribute to the obesity problem by providing food high in calories, the co rporations cannot control any of the other factors that may lead to obesity. While it seems to be quite the trend for consumers sue fast food corporations for their obesity problems, one must reconsider if the question of whether the problem lies within the food or the corporation and reevaluate their position.It’s easy to point the finger and there is no denying that fast food, when consumed frequently, is harmful. However, there has been no evidence stating that when consumed in moderation it is harmful. Unlike the lawsuits against tobacco companies, there is nothing chemically addictive about fast food, nor has anyone died of second hand eating, since swallowing food requires self consent. In fact, fast food restaurants have been proven to not be physically addictive (Buchholz 3).By blaming corporations for the food the public is choosing to eat, it suggests that the public is incapable of making wise decisions and thus degrades the individual. Everybody wants a scapegoat for their problems because nobody likes to admit that it may not be their personal fault. Fast food isn’t to blame. The consumers are. Fast food establishments aren’t making consumers fat. Consumers are making consumers fat. Works Cited Belasco, W. , & Scranton, P. (2001). Food nations. Routledge. Buchholz, T. (2003). Are fast-food establishments making americans fat?.Journal of Controversial Medical Claims, 10(4), 1-10. DeNoon, D. (2006, June 27). Obesity more complex than we think?. Retrieved from www. webmd. com/content/article/124/115592 Jeffery, R. , & French, S. (1998). Epidemic obesity in the united states: Are fast foods and television viewing contributing?. American Journal of Public Health, 88(2), 227 228. Mello, M. , Rimm, E. , & Studdert, D. (1998). The mclawsuit: The fast-food industry and legal accountability for obesity. American Journal of Public Health, 88(2), 207 216.Special report: Judge dismisses frivolous mclawsuit. (2003, January 22). Retrieved fr om http://www. consumerfreedom. com/2003/01/1753-special-report-judge-dismisses frivolous-mclawsuit/ Spurlock, M. (Director) (2004). Super size me [DVD]. Stender, S. , Dyerberg, J. , & Astrup, A. (2007). Fast food: Unfriendly and unhealthy. International Journal of Obesity, 31, 887-890. doi: 10. 1038 Stout, D. (2003, January 24). Obese teens lose mclawsuit. Retrieved from http://www. theage. com. au/articles/2003/01/23/1042911491525. html