Music 101 Midterm Speedbacks Flashcard

Music 101 Midterm Speedbacks

Diplomacy and How America Does It

Diplomacy and How America Does It In its basic social sense, â€Å"diplomacy† is defined as the art of getting along with other people in a sensitive, tactful, and effective manner. In its political sense, diplomacy is the art of conducting polite, non-confrontational negotiations between representatives, knows as â€Å"diplomats,† of various nations. Typical issues dealt with through international diplomacy include war and peace, trade relations, economics, culture, human rights, and the environment. As part of their jobs, diplomats often negotiate treaties   formal, binding agreements between nations which must then be approved or â€Å"ratified† by the governments of the individual nations involved. In short, the goal of international diplomacy is to reach mutually acceptable solutions to common challenges facing nations in a peaceful, civil manner. How the US Uses Diplomacy Supplemented by military strength along with economic and political influence, the United States depends on diplomacy as the primary means of achieving its foreign policy goals. Within the U.S. federal government, the presidential Cabinet-level Department of State has primary responsibility for conducting international diplomatic negotiations. Using the best practices of diplomacy, the ambassadors and other representatives of the Department of State work to achieve the agency’s mission to â€Å"shape and sustain a peaceful, prosperous, just, and democratic world and foster conditions for stability and progress for the benefit of the American people and people everywhere.† State Department diplomats represent the interests of the United States in a diverse and rapidly-evolving field of multi-national discussions and negotiations involving issues such as cyber warfare, climate change, sharing outer space, human trafficking, refugees, trade, and unfortunately, war and peace. While some areas of negotiation, such as trade agreements, offer changes for both sides to benefit, more complex issues involving the interests of multiple nations or those that are particularly sensitive to one side or the other can make reaching an agreement more difficult. For U.S. diplomats, the requirement for Senate approval of agreements further complicates negotiations by limiting their room to maneuver. According to the Department of State, the two most important skills diplomats need are a complete understanding of the U.S. view on the issue and an appreciation of the culture and interests of the foreign diplomats involved. â€Å"On multilateral issues, diplomats need to understand how their counterparts think and express their unique and differing beliefs, needs, fears, and intentions,† notes the Department of State. Rewards and Threats are Tools of Diplomacy During their negotiations, diplomats may use two very different tools to reach agreements: rewards and threats. Rewards, such as the sale of arms, economic aid, shipments of food or medical assistance, and promises of new trade are often used to encourage agreement. Threats, usually in the form of sanctions restricting trade, travel or immigration, or cutting off financial aid are sometimes used when negotiations become deadlocked. Forms of Diplomatic Agreements: Treaties and More Assuming they end successfully, diplomatic negotiations will result in an official, written agreement detailing the responsibilities and expected actions of all nations involved. While the best-known form of diplomatic agreements is the treaty, there are others. Treaties A treaty is a formal, written agreement between or among countries and international organizations or sovereign states. In the United States, treaties are negotiated through the executive branch by the Department of State. After diplomats from all countries involved have agreed to and signed the treaty, the President of the United States sends it to the U.S. Senate for its â€Å"advice and consent† on ratification. If the Senate approves the treaty by a two-thirds majority vote, it is returned to the White House for the president’s signature. Since most other countries have similar procedures for ratifying treaties, it can take sometimes take years for them to be fully approved and implemented. For example, while Japan surrendered to allied forces in World War II on September 2, 1945, the U.S. did not ratify a Treaty of Peace with Japan until September 8, 1951. Interestingly, the U.S. has never agreed to a peace treaty with Germany, largely because of the political division of Germany in the years after the war. In the United States, a treaty may be nullified or canceled only by the enactment of a bill approved by Congress and signed by the president.   Treaties are created to deal with a wide array of multinational issues including peace, trade, human rights, geographic borders, immigration, national independence, and more. As times change, the scope of subjects covered by treaties widens to keep pace with current events. In 1796, for example, the U.S. and Tripoli agreed to a treaty to protect American citizens from kidnapping and ransom by pirates in the Mediterranean Sea. In 2001, the United States and 29 other countries agreed to an international agreement to combat cybercrime. Conventions A diplomatic convention is a type of treaty that defines an agreed-upon framework for further diplomatic relations between independent countries on a wide variety of issues. In most cases, countries create diplomatic conventions to help deal with shared concerns. In 1973, for example, representatives of 80 countries, including the United States, formed the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to protect rare plants and animals around the world. Alliances Nations typically create diplomatic alliances to deal with mutual security, economic or political issues or threats. For example, in 1955, the Soviet Union and several Eastern European communist countries formed a political and military alliance known as the Warsaw Pact. The Soviet Union proposed the Warsaw Pact as a response to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), formed by the United States, Canada and Western European nations in 1949. The Warsaw Pact was dissolved shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Since then, several Eastern European nations have joined NATO. Accords While diplomats work to agree on the terms of a binding treaty, they will sometimes agree to voluntary agreements called â€Å"accords.† Accords are often created while negotiating particularly complicated or controversial treaties involving many countries. For example, the 1997 Kyoto Protocol is an accord among nations to limit the emissions of greenhouse gases.   Who Are the Diplomats? Along with an administrative support staff, each of the nearly 300 U.S. embassies, consulates, and diplomatic missions worldwide is overseen by one presidentially appointed â€Å"ambassador† and group of â€Å"Foreign Service Officers† who assist the ambassador. The ambassador also coordinates the work of representatives of other U.S. federal government agencies in the country. At some large overseas embassies, personnel from as many as 27 federal agencies work in concert with the embassy staff. The ambassador is the president’s top-ranking diplomatic representative to foreign nations or international organizations, like the United Nations. Ambassadors are appointed by the president and must be confirmed by a simple majority vote of the Senate. At larger embassies, the ambassador is often assisted by a â€Å"deputy chief of mission (DCM). In their role as â€Å"chargà © daffaires,† the DCMs serve as the acting ambassador when the main ambassador is outside the host country or when the post is vacant. The DCM also oversees the day-to-day administrative management of the embassy, as well as the work if the Foreign Service Officers. Foreign Service Officers are professional, trained diplomats who represent U.S. interests abroad under the direction of the ambassador. The Foreign Service Officers observe and analyze current events and public opinion in the host nation and report their findings to the ambassador and Washington. The idea is to ensure that U.S. foreign policy is responsive to the needs of the host nation and its people. An embassy generally houses five types of Foreign Service Officers: Economic Officers: work with the host nation’s government to negotiate new trade laws, ensure internet freedom, protect the environment, or fund scientific and medical advances.Management Officers: are the â€Å"go-to† diplomats with responsibility for all embassy operations from real estate to staffing to budgeting.Political Officers: advise the ambassador on political events, public opinion, and cultural changes in the host nation.Public Diplomacy Officers: have the sensitive job of building support for U.S. policies within the host nation through public participation; social media; educational, cultural and sports programs; and all manner of daily â€Å"people-to-people† relations.Consular Officers: assist and protect American citizens in the host nation. If you lose your passport, get in trouble with the law, or want to get married to a foreigner overseas, the Consular Officers can help. So, what qualities or traits do diplomats need to be effective? As Benjamin Franklin said, â€Å"The qualities of a diplomat are sleepless tact, unmovable calmness, and a patience that no folly, no provocation, no blunders may shake.†

Strategic Business Plan-Harley-Davidson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Strategic Business Plan-Harley-Davidson - Essay Example In December, 2011 the company had 6,000 employees and total revenue was US$5.31 billion. The assignment will study the different aspects relating to the company under consideration that includes the factors affecting the global economy, corporate leadership and a summary of the strategic issues. Introduction The company under consideration provides over thirty models of customized product (motor bikes) through a worldwide network of over 1000 dealers. The main competitors of the H-D are BMW, Suzuki, Yamaha and Honda. The study looks to analyze the key motivating factors that have led to the global expansion of Harley Davidson, competitive advantage of H-D in global market, international market entry strategy and the digital marketing strategy of the company. Study also focuses on the overall organizational design, structure, culture and leadership traits of the company (Cowan, 2005, p.131). Factors Affecting Global Economy Global Expansion Strategy Global Marketing can be defined as the process by which a company looks to target the international customers by delivering high quality products to the foreign consumers. It is understandable that compared to domestic marketing global marketing there is much more complex, and risks are associated as the company has to deal with various political, social, economical and cultural issues. However, with great risks come great rewards (Henry, 2008. P. 251). Motivating Factors North America is the largest market for motorcycles. It includes USA and Canada. This market accounts for almost 60% of the sales. H-D is the industry leader in domestic market. However, over the last few years things began to take shape. The baby-boomer generation in North America started to get old. This happened to be premier target market segment of H-D. Therefore, the company decided to enter the markets of Europe and Asia. After America, Europe was supposed to be the most prospective market for H-D due to the high level of disposable income. H owever, things did not go very smoothly in the year 2008; Europe and U.S. in particular were badly hit by the recession. As a result there has been a change in the consumer behavior and dip in the purchasing power of the people. Hence the company decided to shift focus to the virgin yet perspective Asian markets. This included China, India, Taiwan and Korea. Among these, India and China are two of the most emerging economies in the world. Since 2007, China has become the largest automotive industry. The company looks to succeed in the foreign markets through effective marketing approach, efficient distribution network, robust after sales service. Add to this, the company also needs to understand the demand of the local consumers and satisfy the global standards (Brown, 2009, p. 351). Risk Factors Considering the modern scenario, one of the biggest risk factors in case of global expansion is going to be the economic factor. The global economy is still looking to get over the downturn since 2008. This has reduced the purchasing power of the consumers, especially in Europe. Other major factors the new

A Comparison of Moon River Breakfast at Tiffany's Essay

A Comparison of Moon River Breakfast at Tiffany's - Essay Example This essay focuses on ‘Breakfast at Tiffany's', that is a 1961 American film starring Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard. Also in the cast are Patricia Neal, Buddy Ebsen, Martin Balsam, and Mickey Rooney. It was directed by Blake Edwards and released by Paramount Pictures. The film is loosely based on the novella of the same name by Truman Capote. The screenplay was written by playwright and screenwriter George Axelrod, perhaps best known for his play, The Seven Year Itch. This essay not only describes the plot of a movie, it's actors and creators, but also explores the role of music in the film. The researcher compares three versions of one song, named Moon River in the essay - version sung by Andy Williams, version of Moon River sung by Audrey Hepburn and version of Moon River in the original soundtrack. The researcher then gives comparison and analysis of the recordings. Criteria that he used are the following: overall style, tempo, dynamics, instrumentation and expression of each one recording. In conclusion, the researches states that among these 3 different versions, he believes that the Williams version was the most successful. It begins at a more lively speed than the others, and the performer sings the lyrics strongly and meaningfully. He continues that way until the conclusion of the song. The artist follows the description of a satisfying finish to a song as described by Deborah Stein in a 2005 essay: ‘The strongest ending ,’ she says, ‘is the full, or authentic cadence.’

BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT STRATEGIES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT STRATEGIES - Essay Example Technology has already achieved its place in the modern business. Unlike the earlier days when technology was seen as just a requirement of the big businesses, in a modern world, smaller businesses have to also use technology to solve most of the challenges they have in order to avoid losing market competitiveness. As Proctor (2009) says, every business has a problem or a challenge which makes it harder to serve its customers in a good way and this means that these businesses have to know how to address these issues. In regard to this, the business should be able to seek to see how it can use technology to be able to overcome these challenges. Carnivore Urban is a city restaurant which offers customers interesting cuisine most of them based on beef. Barbeque is a major part of Carnivore Urban hence the name of the restaurant. Carnivore Urban also offers drinks of all kinds, and it considers itself an entertainment hub, targeted to the common working class people who like to go to the restaurant every day after work to relax. Customers come to the restaurant and order their favourite drink and their food. Each day in the week is a special entertainment treat day where music of different tastes is played, but always to take of the customers. The main advantage is that customers can come in and order a dish of their own unique recipe and have it prepared within a reasonable time. This not only helps the customers to have customized meals which are tuned to their specific taste, it also helps them to eat fresh meals. There is however one problem with this kind of arrangement. Stock management is hard, and some time Carnivore Urban buys too much food material of a certain type which them goes to waste if that day customers don’t order meals requiring that kind of food materials. As Webne (2008) says, managing logistics is a major and vital part of successful business management. For instance, it is possible

Marie Curie Essay | An introduction to her accomplishments

Marie Curie Essay | An introduction to her accomplishments Marie Salomea Sklodowska-Curie was born on November 7, 1867 in Warsaw, Poland (Borzendowski 2009, 1890). Of all the notable scientists in history, she is perhaps the strongest representation of a woman succeeding against all odds to change the field of physics forever. Her discoveries led her from a childhood of obscurity to being one of the most well-known scientists of all time. Childhood Curies father taught Mathematics and Physics as a secondary teacher, and shared his passions and knowledge with his children (Curie 1937, 59). These were unusual subjects for girls to study at the time and Curie went on to achieve degrees in both because of her fathers influence. Unfortunately, Curies family became lost everything when the principal of the school her father worked at, turned him in for being loyal to Poland, which was illegal under the Russian rule (Borzendowski 2009, 1894). Marie spent the rest of her youth struggling to fund her education. Schooling Marie Curie was an extremely intelligent woman who devoted her life to the pursuit of knowledge. She learned to read by the time she was four, without even trying, it seemed and soon she could read better than her older sister (Borzendowski 2009, 1892). At this young age she dreamed of becoming a scientist, even though such a dream would be difficult in her male dominated society. She received a general education in local schools and scientific training from her father (Curie 1937, 59). In 1891, Curie was finally able to continue her studies in the Sorbonne University, in Paris, where she studied and earned the equivalent of a masters degree in physics and mathematical sciences. Curie continued to further her education throughout her life. One of her greatest accomplishments occurred after her husbands death when she succeeded him as Head of the Physics Laboratory at the Sorbonne. In another moment of success she took her husbands place as Professor of General Physics in 1906, the fi rst woman to ever be given this position. Personal life Marie Curie had one great love in her life Pierre Curie. They met at university and quickly discovered a shared interest in magnetism (Ogilvie 2004, 30). They fell in love and were soon married but their relationship went further than just that of a husband and wife. They became partners in science and discovery and many of Curies greatest achievements were developed with her husband. The couple had two daughters, Irà ¨ne Joliot-Curie and Ève Curie, who went on to have very successful careers themselves (Ogilvie 2004, 41). Sadly, this happy family could not continue as disaster struck in 1906 when Pierre Curie was run over by a horse-drawn carriage and died (Ogilvie 2004, 76). After the loss of her husband, Curie was devastated and turned to his friend Paul Langevin to help her with her grief. This friendship quickly developed into a relationship for which Curie was publicly despised. She was a widow, but he was married and the father of four children (Quinn 1995, 14). The French press used this information to vilify her and to bring up peoples negative attitudes towards godless intellectuals and emancipated women (Quinn 1995, 14). Contribution to Science Marie Curie made one of the greatest discoveries of her time when she theorized that radioactivity was an atomic rather than a chemical property (Ogilvie 2004, ix). She was a pioneer in the field of radioactivity, winning numerous awards and becoming the first woman Nobel laureate in 1903 with her shared award in physics, alongside her husband Pierre Curie and colleague Henry Becquerel (Goldsmith 2005, 111). Marie Curie went on to win another Nobel Prize in Chemistry, this time as the sole recipient. She also discovered the elements polonium and radium (Ogilvie 2004, 57). Contribution to Society Marie Curie was continuously struggling to be seen and recognized for her great achievements. At the time it was an extremely unusual for a woman to take part in such a male dominated field. On May 13th, 1906 that changed. [T]he council of the Faculty of Science unanimously decided to maintain the chair created for Pierre Curie, and to confide it to Marie (Curie 1937, 253). This was the first time a woman had been given a visible role in French higher education. The fact that this vote was unanimous shows that Marie Curie was recognized as a scientist with enough talent to merit the possible backlash from a more conservative community. Curie was also altruistic. She donated her award money and pushed for the use of mobile radiography units during WWI to treat wounded soldiers. She wanted radioactivity to be used to treat cancer and devoted her life to finding benefits to these new properties that she had discovered (Curie 1937, x). Despite all of this, Curie still struggled with being accepted in the scientific community. For instance, it is interesting to notice that her early awards were almost always awarded to both her and her husband. In fact, Marie Curie had not been nominated for the 1903 Nobel Prize despite the fact that she had worked on the discovery (Ogilvie 2004, 66). It was not until her husband said I very much with to be considered together with Madame Curie that she was thought of and her nomination from the year before was used (Ogilvie 2004, 66). Marie Curie is easily one of the most prominent female scientists of all time. Her notoriety has been earned through her numerous awards, honorary degrees, and memberships to various learned societies. Most notably she was the first woman Nobel laureate in 1903 in physics and she then went on to win another Nobel Prize in Chemistry. It is important to note that she was awarded Nobel Prizes in two different categories, which is rare in itself, the fact that she was a woman doing this early in the twentieth century makes it all the more remarkable. Curie was also awarded the Davy medal, with her husband, in 1903. This award is one of [the Royal Society of Londons] highest awards (Curie 1937, 208). In 1904, she was awarded the Matteucci Medal by the Italian Society of Sciences, again with her husband and in 1909 she was awarded the Elliott Cresson Medal by the Franklin Institute. Marie Curie was also awarded countless honorary degrees and memberships across the world for her achievement s. For instance, she received many honorary degrees and awards from countless schools and organizations. (Curie 1937, 406). Death Without the knowledge of radiation we have now, Curie took no precautions to avoid poisoning. To make matters worse, when she first began her research she had very little funding. Even if she had wanted to take safety precautions, she would not have been able. She did not even have a laboratory to perform her experiments, instead having to content herself with a shed for their experiments (Curie 1937, 186). Due to this, her notes, and even her cookbooks from the 1890s, are too radioactive to be handled (Bryson 2003, 140). Curie died July 4, 1934 from aplastic anemia because of this exposure to radiation (Ogilvie 2004, xiv). Sadly her passion for science and discovery had resulted in her death. Sixty years later, in 1995, the remains of the couple were transferred to the Panthà ©on in Paris, out of respect of their achievements. Currie was the first woman to ever receive this honor which cemented her position not just as a scientist, but as a symbol of possibility for women in the fu ture (Borzendowski 2009, 1888).

Brent Staples’ Black Men in Public Places

Black Men in Public Spaces is a piece of autobiographical writing that deals with issues of racism and discrimination in the United States. In his short essay, Brent Staple relates a few of his nighttime experiences in the street, which revealed the way in which he was perceived by the others. As a member of the black community, Staples discovers that he is shunned by the strangers that he meets in the street and that women especially think of him as of a perilous individual.Not being a violent man, Staples is confused and offended by the awe he inspires to the strangers that pass him by and soon learns to shun them himself in order to avoid the unpleasantness of an encounter. Thus, Black Men in Public Places is best suited for biographical criticism. The essay recounts a few of the experiences of the author during his encounters with strangers in the street. These experiences are related in such a way as to highlight the social issues at hand: racism in the form of prejudice and pre conception.The author has several encounters with white people during his night wanderings that reveal a disconcerting attitude on their part. The young black man is shunned by the white collectivity as a dangerous man. The setting of these occurrences is very important: the night and the public places reveal the space that the black community is allowed for in the current society. Despite the fact that they are free, black men are regarded with prejudice and lack of confidence by absolute strangers, without any explicit motive.Thus, the author feels that his simple presence in the street, without any triggering gesture or attitude on his part, is likely to cause disturbance. He also realizes that the fact that he is considered dangerous by the others without other evidence than the fact that he is black can make his walks dangerous. To highlight his ideas, Brent Staples uses a few particular devices. Thus, first of all, the piece is more of an essay than an actual story. Neverthele ss, the author shapes it by giving it a particular ending.While he relates a few of his experiences as well as that of one of his black friends who is also a journalist as himself in the beginning, he ends by remarking that he himself soon adopted the same attitude as the white individuals had towards him. Thus, in order to avoid the unpleasantness of feeling the fear he inspires to the strangers he meets in the street, he begins to avoid anyone he sees himself and to keep his distance as much as possible.He also relates that he decides to quicken his pace and overtake other people in the street so that they should not feel as if they were followed by him. These techniques that the author uses for avoidance are revelatory for the racial problem described here. Thus, the black men do not seem to be entitled to the â€Å"public space†, where they are looked upon with fear or distrust. Their mere presence is therefore avoided by strangers because of racial prejudice. The author creates an interesting effect at the beginning of the story as he uses semiotics and tropes in order to make his point.Thus, swinging for a moment into the white perspective, he begins his story by declaring the first woman that ran away from him in the street â€Å"his first victim†: â€Å"My first victim was a woman-white, well dressed, probably in her early twenties. I came upon her late one evening on a deserted street in Hyde Park [†¦]†(Barnet, Burto and Cain, 301). The word â€Å"victim† is a sign, emphasizing the way in which the white person perceived himself or herself in the presence of the black man.Furthermore, Staples makes use of an interesting metaphor to describe the confusing and painful effect that this first experience had on his own perception. Using an auditory image, he highlights the fact that the reality of prejudice was discovered to him in the sound of the hurrying footsteps of the white woman who was trying to escape him without a ny apparent reason: â€Å"It was in the echo of that terrified woman's footfalls that I first began to know the unwieldy inheritance I'd come into–the ability to alter public space in ugly ways.†(Barnet, Burto and Cain, 301) It is through this echo of avoidance that he hears in the woman’s footsteps that Staples realizes that he is not regarded as a simple individual but as a part of the black community, and, as such, he finds himself the unwilling inheritor of detrimental behavior. In order to transmit his message on racial prejudice, Staples also uses a metaphor describing the actual distance that lies between black and white people: â€Å"That first encounter, and those that followed, signified that a vast, unnerving gulf lay between nighttime pedestrians–particularly women–and me.† (Barnet, Burto and Cain, 301) Using the word â€Å"gulf† to portray this distance and the relationship between the black and the white, Staples evokes the painful consequences of prejudice, which creates this insurmountable distance between people. These observations, determine the author to take precautions himself and avoid encounters in the street as much as possible: â€Å"I now take precautions to make myself less threatening. I move about with care, particularly late in the evening. I give a wide berth to nervous people on subway platforms during the wee hours, particularly when I have exchanged business clothes for jeans.† (Barnet, Burto and Cain, 302) The ending of the story is also very effective, as the author declares himself the inventor of a new strategic point designed to relax the relationships between the two racial opposites. Thus, upon his encounter with white people, the author begins warbling cheerful songs meant to ease the atmosphere and increase the confidence of the others: â€Å"Even steely New Yorkers hunching toward nighttime destinations seem to relax, and occasionally they even join in the tune . Virtually everybody seems to sense that a mugger wouldn’t be warbling bright, sunny selections from Vivaldi's Four Seasons.† (Barnet, Burto and Cain, 302) Black Men in Public Places is therefore effective precisely because the writers chooses an autobiographical style to relate his experiences, thus providing with an introspective view of his experiences. The ending is particularly effective precisely because it depicts the unnecessary efforts the author takes in order to make his presence in the street less conspicuously menacing for the white people. Works Cited: Barnet, Sylvan, William Burto, and William E. Cain. Literature for Composition. New York: Pearson Longman Publishers, 2007

Preventing Childhood Obesity as a Parent

In today's society, childhood obesity is considered a serious public health issue and can be classified as an epidemic. In the United States alone, one in seven children ages 6-17 are considered to be obese. In the last 40 years in the United States the rate of childhood obesity has tripled. The main reason why childhood obesity has become such a serious issue is because children now days live more sedentary lifestyles. Children now days are bombarded with television advertisements urging them to eat foods high in fat and calories while staying inside and playing video games or watching television. Childhood obesity does not only affect children in childhood but can cause a list of health issues in their adult lives also. When it comes to education regarding childhood obesity, the responsibility needs to be addressed by the parents, schools and the media. In the following paper, I am going to explain how childhood obesity can be controlled at home by the parents. Everything can be learned at home and applied to everyday life. I am going to give a brief overview of what the problems associated with childhood obesity are and what are the main contributing factors. I will show also show the long term effects of the issue and how it can also be addressed by the parents. Childhood obesity is costing the United States millions of dollars I health care expenses. In my opinion, I feel that this can be diverted by simple education from the parents. According to the article Facts about Childhood Obesity and Over-weightiness, obese children are statistically not active and consume diets that are high in fat. Most physicians use what they call a Body Mass Index Scale (BMI) to calculate how overweight a child is. Children who are over a 30 when it omes to BMI are considered obese. In order to calculate a person including a child’s BMI, you would have to divide their weight in kilograms by the square of their height in meters (Mokdad,). When it comes to weight gain among children, you have to factor in many things such poor dietary habits, genetic makeup, family lifestyle, socioeconomic status and a child's ethnicity. Obesity is more prevalent amon g Hispanic, African-American and American Indian children, particularly girls (Mayohealth. org). When it comes to children who suffer from obesity most are not overeaters. The main cause of their weight gain is that the majority of the foods they consume contain high amounts of calories. When it comes to consuming excess calories, just an additional 200 calories a day can cause excess weight gain in children and add up to half a pound of fat a week. Although foods high in calories are partially to blame, soft drinks and fruit flavored beverages with high levels of sugar content also are a main cause of weight gain in children. In a recent study, it shows the average teenager in the United States today consumes an average of 65 gallons of sugary soft drinks annually. The number is doubled in elementary school age children and the number in general has tripled in the past two decades. When it comes to the issue of childhood obesity, diet is not the only factor contributing to the problem. Many physicians and child psychologist also blame the increase television viewing and a child’s more sedentary lifestyle. When it comes to watching television it does not require a large expenditure of energy and is usually accompanied by high-calorie foods. The American Heart Association reports that on average, a child watches a total of 17 hours of television a week. This report does not include the time spent playing both video and computer games. In one study performed by the American Heart Association, they found that a child who watches more than five hours of television a day have a greater risk of weight gain than children who watched less than two. (Mayohealth. org) Along with sedentary lifestyles, the addition of fast food can lead to obesity in children. As you drive in any town and city located in the United States, the one thing you will notice is that there is a fast food chain on almost every corner. Along with a fast food chain on every street corner, children watch television that are filled with commercial and advertisement showing their newest food selections. Many of these commercials have been geared toward children and can be associated with the rise of childhood obesity. In a recent study, researchers have found out that families that choose fast food as a meal three or more times a week do run a higher risk of obesity and larger BMI’s. When it comes to all fast food chains, the one thing they all have in common is that every kid’s meal comes with a choice of a boys or girls toy. The other thing they have in common is the absence of fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grain. The absence of these healthy choices can make the effects of the burgers and fries that much more severe. In order to solve the problem of fast food, parents can balance a burger with regular exercise. With this combination, you can balance fast food with healthy choices. In a 1996 U. S. Surgeon General’s Report regarding fitness, nearly half of young people ages 12 to 21 years of age are not psychically active. The American College of Sports Medicine reports that, due to financial constraints, only one-third of schools now offer physical education classes and many children today finds team sports too competitive or costly to join. (Mayohealth. org) Physical education and organized sports not only provide children with an active lifestyle, but it also teaches them discipline. Although it is important for schools to provide young children with sports and physical education, the main responsibility lies at home with the parents. The effects of childhood obesity does not just end when the child grows into an adult but can cause further health issues in the future. Childhood obesity has been linked to hypertension, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Being extremely overweight and not active as child causes the buildup of excess fat which circulates the blood and eventually turns into plaque. The plaque caused by this excess fat begins to slowly accumulate in arteries which causes a strain on the veins. The accumulation of this plaque can occur early in childhood and could lead to heart disease or a eart attack as an adult. The distribution of fat in the body has an important effect on one's blood pressure. Hypertension is a chronic medical condition in which the systemic arterial blood pressure is elevated. Young overweight adults between the ages 20-45; are six times more likely to have hypertension then normal weight peers the same age. This number is increased if an adult grew up as an obese child. An accumulation of fat results in the release of fatty acids into veins which causes an excess of hepatic synthesis of triglycerides, insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia. The Journal of the American Medical Association Volume. #282) Along with heart disease, diabetes is another health issue associated with early childhood obesity. Obesity increases the risk of non-insulin dependent diabetes and causes two different forms of the disease. One form of diabetes is the increased demand for insulin the other form is the resistance of insulin in an obese individual. Obesity causes a resistance to insulin that increases the insulin production to compensate the excess of glucose circulating in the blood. This excess causes damage to beta cells in the pancreas, producing insulin. (The Journal of the American Medical Association Volume. #282) Along with physical and health issues, psychological issues are also associated with childhood obesity. In today’s society a lot of emphasis has been placed on physical appearance. This is made evident in the media which portrays what they consider the ideal image of a person. These images make overweight people feel unattractive and unwanted. Many people in today’s society assume that obese people are lazy, fat, gluttonous and unattractive. It is because of these prejudices that cause children to feel rejected, shame and depression. Like health issues, psychological issues can also be carried over from childhood to adulthood. When it came to the treatment of childhood obesity, many thought it could be achieved through strict dieting and exercise. This was found to be unsuccessful in most cases due to the fact children did not have the support in order to accomplish this goal. A new treatment involving a family-based approach is now being introduced as possible treatment for childhood obesity. These programs are more successful because they maintain or slowly help a child lose weight as he/she grows (Mellin). These programs focus on the entire family, promoting physical and emotional well being and not diet. In order to perform this type of treatment, medical professionals have to first do a bio-psychosocial assessment to see if there are any medical or psychosocial problems. (Mellin) Once this is established, they can then address the symptoms of obesity and the causes of the weight gain. When it comes to the issue of childhood obesity, it is important to involve the entire family in treating this problem. Children need motivation and support from their family prior to the involvement of dieting or exercise. With a strong support structure, it allows children to feel they can accomplish anything. In my opinion childhood obesity is a serious problem because it affects all areas of today’s society. Childhood obesity affects a person’s health, psychological well-being, the medical field and the family. I feel that in today’s society they many consider exercise, dieting and medication a quick fix in solving the problem. I feel that the problem of childhood obesity can be resolved at home with proper education and support. All health problems in children that can be prevented starts with the parents prior to the involvement of anyone else. As a parent of an overweight child, the first thing you must do is set attainable goals. The most important thing is you have to learn how to walk before you can run. The benefits of setting attainable goals are that when an overweight child accomplishes the goals you have set it provides them with the motivation to accomplish more. If you set the goal to high and the child does not accomplish them, it makes them discouraged and will make it harder for them to achieve more. I feel along with support and motivation, an overweight child needs proper education regarding proper diet. I feel that many parents today feed their children what they want because they feel it is making them happy. What parents have to understand is just because it makes them happy doesn’t mean it is good for them. When feeding children full meals, a healthy diet containing less than 30% fat calories is considered sufficient in raising healthy child. Moran) Parents should also only offer snacks when the child is hungry. The most important rule when offering a child a snack is to make the snack healthy. Parents should offer their children fresh fruit, raw vegetables and water rather than sugary soft drinks. I feel that now days many parents use food as a reward rather than for nutritional purposes. In my opinion children should be pra ised verbally and not given snacks like dogs when they do something well. Verbal praise I feel works well especially when a child makes a healthy choice options. Another way a parent could help children maintain a healthy body weight is to encourage the child to participate in sports for at least a half an hour a day (Levine). Parents should encourage children to be active and go outside to play. Parents should also participate and encourage their children to play organized sports. When parents are involved in their child’s active lifestyle, children tend to see it all the way through. Parents should also limit children watching television and playing video games. Television and video should be used as a reward rather than a parenting tool. When it comes to childhood obesity and many other childhood diseases, parents now days are more anxious to throw medication at it or go for the quick fix. In my opinion, before a child can even talk they learn from everything you teach them as a parent. The issue of childhood obesity is never going to go away but it can be curved with a simple lifestyle change. All the learning starts at home and all habits whether good or bad starts at home too. When it comes to the issue of childhood obesity, parents have to learn that they are the key to their child living a healthy lifestyle and growing into healthy adults.

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