Anabolic Steroids: Types, Applications and Implications

Anabolic Steroids: Types, Applications and Implications THE SCOPE AND HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF DOPING IN SPORTS: ANABOLIC STEROID USE IN WEIGHTLIFTERS AND TEENS AND THEIR EFFECTS. KOJO O. KUNTU-BLANKSON INTRODUCTION There have been many definitions for doping. The current official definition of doping is given based on the World Anti-Doping Code as follows: â€Å"Doping is defined as the occurrence of one or more of the anti-doping rule violations set forth in Article 2.1 through article 2.8 of the World Anti-Doping Code.† Doping can also be defined as the deliberate or inadvertent use by an athlete of a substance or method banned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and other related organisations, to gain unfair advantage or to enhance performance. Performance-enhancing substances have been used for thousands of years in traditional medicine by societies around the world, with the aim of promoting vitality and strength.[1]. The use of gonadal hormones pre-dates their identification and isolation. Medical use of testicle extract began in the late 19th century, while its effects on strength were still being studied.[2] Testosterone, the most active anabolic-androgenic steroid produced by Leydig cells in the testes, was first isolated in 1935 and chemically synthesized later in the same year. Synthetic derivatives of testosterone quickly followed. By the end of the following decade, both testosterone and its derivatives were applied with varying degrees of success for a number of medical conditions. It was not until the 1950s, however, that athletes began to discover that anabolic steroids could increase their muscle mass. According to sports physician John Ziegler, the first confirmed use of an anabolic steroid in an international athletic competition was at the weightlifting championships in Vienna in 1954, when the Russians weightlifters used testosterone.[5] Sport goes beyond a measure of athletic excellence and the winning of trophies and medals. Sport is an integral thread in the fabric of society and enriches our daily lives. Most of us have a favourite sport we play or follow with a passion be it soccer, rugby, swimming, cycling, athletics, winter sports or our national games of hurling, football and handball. The most honourable among us are perhaps those who have competed in sport and hold true its finest principles. True winners are those who achieve their goals through talent, skill, training, motivation and rising to all the challenges their sports present. Increasingly, however, a win at all costs ethos that undermines the very integrity of sport has entered the arena and a new game is at stake, the dangerous and sometimes deadly game of doping. Some ergogenic drugs used by athletes are categorized into blood boosters, diuretics, lean mass building, masking drugs, painkillers, sedatives and stimulants. Blood boosters e.g. erythropoietin, increase the athlete’s blood oxygen-carrying capacity, above its natural capacity, giving the athlete unfair advantage over his/her non-doping colleague in endurance games like marathons, swimming, cycling etc. Diuretics help eliminate fluid from the body. Athletes who need to maintain a certain weight level for competition could use these to decrease their weight. They can also be used as masking agents because they dilute urine and decrease the likelihood of detecting the presence of other drugs. Lean mass builders increase the growth of the body’s muscle. This category includes several different classes of drugs, particularly, the more popularly known anabolic steroids which’s the focus of this review and human growth hormone. These are used in strength games like weightlifting, shot put, discus throwing etc. Methods of doping include blood doping and gene doping. Blood doping can be either autologous or homologous transfusi ons, to help to improve their blood-oxygen carrying capacity. Advancements in gene therapy for medical reasons mean potential cheats might seek to undergo procedures to modify their genes to enhance their physical capabilities. Doping in sports is a huge societal problem. No longer limited to elite athletes, it is increasingly found in amateur and school sports that teens or adolescents in their early or mid-puberty are engaged in. The use of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AS) is perceived by the media, by segments of the sports medicine and athletic communities, and by the public to have grown to epidemic proportions. Unfortunately, the incidence and prevalence of AS use among elite, amateur, and recreational athletes is poorly documented. BODY STEROIDS Steroids are any of numerous naturally occurring or synthetic fat-soluble organic compounds having as a basis seventeen carbon atoms arranged in four rings. Steroids are important in body chemistry and include steroid hormones such as the gonadal or sex steroids (which include androgens e.g., estrogens and progesterone), corticosteroids (glucocorticoids, and mineralocorticoids); vitamins of the D group; and the sterols, including cholesterol, the main building block of the steroid hormones in the body. ANABOLIC STEROIDS Anabolic androgenic steroids commonly called roids, juice, hype or pump, are synthetic derivatives of testosterone, which is the primary male sex hormone, but is also present in the female. They are a class of drugs that are legally available only by prescription and are prescribed to treat a variety of conditions that cause a loss of lean muscle mass. They produce anabolic activity by increasing protein synthesis, epiphyses closure of long bones during puberty, enlargement of larynx and vocal cords, improvement of red cells number, reduce body fat and androgenic activity (enhanced secondary sexual characteristics). These compounds can produce a significant increase in muscular size and physical strength in both males and females and therefore used in sports and bodybuilding (weightlifting) to enhance strength or physique. They can be either oral or injectable. The oral ones include: Anadrol (oxymetholone), Oxandrin (oxandrolone), Dianabol (methandrostenolone) and Winstrol (stanozolo l). The injectable ones include: Deca-Durabolin (nandrolone decanoate),Durabolin (nandrolone phenpropionate), Depo-Testosterone (testosterone cypionate) and Equipoise (boldenone undecylenate). HOW ANABOLIC STEROIDS ARE TAKEN Anabolic steroids are either taken by mouth or injected into a muscle. The orals, as they are called, are ingested tablets or capsules. These forms are reportedly more toxic to the liver. Often the orals are taken in conjunction with injectable forms. The injectable forms are known as oils or waters. The oils refer to the long-acting types. They are injected into a muscle, usually the buttocks, and the steroid is released slowly over time. Typically, these drugs are injected only a couple of times a week. The waters are short-acting forms. Again, these are injected, usually in the buttocks, but they work much faster and are eliminated much more quickly. There are two ways for anabolic steroids administration. Oral steroids are highly potent and are excreted fairly rapidly from the body due to short metabolic half-lives, (usually within weeks). So, oral steroids are the first choice for athletes who want to rapidly improve their performance and try to escape showing positive results o n drug tests. These drugs, however, are the most toxic and have more side effects. Injectable steroids are less potent and generally exhibit delayed uptake into the body, especially if they are oil-based diluents. They have less liver toxicity than oral steroids, but they are being less used by athletes because of having detectability in drug tests for long periods. It should be noted that doses used by athletes often greatly exceed doses recommended for legitimate medical reasons, causing the potential for even greater negative consequences. Moreover, many athletes will use more than one anabolic steroid simultaneously. There are three common regimens practiced by anabolic steroid abusers: cycling, stacking and pyramiding. In cycling, the athletes take the steroid for six to twelve weeks and then stops for ten to twelve weeks. The steroid can be oral or injectable and doses are often ten to hundred times higher than standard therapeutic dose. Stacking is the use of more than one anabolic steroid at a time to break through response plateaus that often occurs. About forty percent of steroid abusers use this kind of regimen, presenting a high risk for central nervous system. Athletes can sometimes start with low dose of anabolic steroids, increasing the dose over a period of weeks, and then gradually tapering off before ending the regimen. This is known as pyramiding. MECHANISM OF ACTION OF ANABOLIC STEROIDS The ergogenic effects of anabolic steroids use are valued for three main mechanisms of action: They shift the nitrogen equilibrium to the positive side for better utilization of ingested protein and the increased retention of nitrogen. Although temporary and needing a high-protein complementary diet, this effect helps the body to build muscles. The formation of a steroid-receptor complex in skeletal muscle stimulates the RNA-polymerase system which, in turn, increases protein synthesis in the cell. Anabolic steroids compete for glucocorticoides receptors, resulting in an anti-catabolic effect by blocking the protein synthesis inhibition which physiologically occurs after exercises due to glucocorticoides liberation. Frequently, an euphoric and more aggressive behavior are experienced by anabolic steroids users, stimulating them to practice more and without fatigue for longer periods. ANABOLIC STEROID AND SPORTS: WINNING AT ANY COST. To excel in athletic competition is admirable. Most high school, college, amateur and professional athletes participate in sports for the opportunity to pit their abilities against those of their peers, and to experience the satisfaction that comes from playing to their potential. Others do so to satisfy a desire for recognition and fame. Unfortunately, that creates some atheletes who are determined to win at any cost. And, they may use that determination to justify the use of anabolic steroids, despite evidence that these drugs can inflict irreversible physical harm and have significant side effects. Dietary supplements and ergogenic agents, including anabolic steroids, are common components of present-day bodybuilder and weightlifter training regimens. Prior reports of anabolic steroid use suggest polypharmacy and high doses of injectable agents. Anabolic steroid use among weightlifters and bodybuilders continues till date. For almost three decades, athletes have been supplementing their strength program with anabolic steroids to enhance their performance. To be sure, anabolic steroids are effective supplements to strength training programs, but there is no doubt that the consequences can be deleterious. The number of athletes who abuse anabolic steroids is unknown. Many athletic associations ban their use, including the National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Olympics, so few athletes are willing to admit that they use these drugs. The NFL tests its athletes for illicit use. Players who test positive face suspension and, upon testing positive a second time, are expelled from the League. MLB players are tested once a year, and if they test positive they can be suspended for up to ten days. If a player tests positive after the first test, they can be suspended without pay for up to one year. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Sports Medicine condemn the use of anabolic steroids for enhancement of sports performance or body building. WHY SOME ATHLETES ABUSE ANABOLIC STEROIDS Believing that anabolic steroids can improve competitiveness and performance, uninformed or misguided athletes, sometimes encouraged by coaches or parents, abuse these drugs to build lean muscle mass, promote aggressiveness, increase body weight, to improve ones physical appearance and as self-medication to recover from injury. HOW ATHLETES OBTAIN ANABOLIC STEROIDS Athletes may obtain banned medicines from physicians, pharmacists, retail outlets, health and lifestyle magazines, gymnasiums, coaches, family members, fellow athletes, the internet and the black market. Many doctors may prescribe unwittingly for what they trust is a genuine complaint, 10, 14 16 and there are no controls on mail order and internet sales. TESTING PROCEDURES The advent of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry in the early 1980s transformed the success of drug testing.Moreover the new age of gene transfer technology (GTT) will gradually render dope testing control systems obsolete; GTT will increase muscle growth by as much as 28%.4 Doping is a major ethical, educational, financial, health and management problem and governments have a poor track record in controlling its spread.25 TEEN/ADOLESCENT USE OF ANABOLIC STEROIDS Increasing numbers of adolescents are turning to steroids for cosmetic reasons. The common link among them is the desire to look, perform and feel better at almost any cost. Users-and especially the young-are apt to ignore or deny warnings about health risks. If they see friends growing taller and stronger on steroids, they want the same benefits. They want to believe in the power of the drug. EFFECTS OF ANABOLIC STEROID USE IN WEIGHTLIFTERS AND TEENS Although anabolic steroids can boost physical performance, promote aggressiveness on the field, increase body weight, improve ones physical appearance and as self-medication to recover from injury, they have side effects that can impair athletic performance and also affect the quality of life abusers. Many athletes take anabolic steroids at doses that are much higher than those prescribed for medical reasons, and most of what is known about the drugs effects on athletes comes from observing users. While the total impact of anabolic steroid abuse is not known, health care providers have observed the following problems in the blood, liver, heart, skeleton, skin and immune systems of users especially weightlifters. Cholesterol patterns associated with coronary heart disease, obstructed blood vessels, or stroke are some of the problems associated with the blood. In the heart, increased cholesterol eventually leads to high blood pressure. Impaired liver function, Peliosis hepatitis (blood -filled cysts that can rupture and cause liver failure) and tumours are observed in livers of weightlifters (both men and women) who abuse anabolic steroids. Bone growth is among the body processes that can shut down with steroid use. Adolescents/teens on anabolic steroids may find their muscles bulking up, but bone growth stops with premature fusion of the epiphysis (growth centre) of long bones. The result is permanently stunted growth. There is risk until bones stop growing. Appearance of, or increasing acne and other skin rashes or ailments, male pattern baldness, edema (water retention/swelling), striae (stretch marks) are also observed on the skin. The immune system is also compromised when abusers share hypodermic needles infected with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) and hepatitis B virus to administer these steroids. By sharing needles, syringes or other equipment, a person becomes a high risk for HIV transmission. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS (Aquired Immunodeficien cy Syndrome). Abusers also experience psychological problems like Mood swings, aggressive (even violent behaviour), depression, psychotic episodes, mania and addiction. Since anabolic steroids are derived from testosterone, they can have profound effects on the hormone levels of both male and female abusers. In men, these problems can cause any of the following problems: Temporary infertility or sterility (reversible), altered sex drive, prostate enlargement, and increased prostate cancer risk, gynecomastia, priapism, shrinkage of the testicles,reduced levels of testosterone, abnormal sperm production. Health care providers have reported the following problems in women: Increased risk of cervical and endometrial cancer, increased risk of osteoporosis, temporary infertility or sterility (reversible), altered sex drive, birth defects in future children, changes in fat distribution, growth of facial and body hair, deepening of the voice, shrinkage of the breasts and uterus, clitoral enlargement, menstrual irregularity. Changes in the male reproductive system are often reversible, if anabolic steroids have not been abused for a long period of time. Unfortunately, some of the changes in women are not reversible. Prolonged abuse of anabolic steroids very often results in physical addiction. Abusers must undergo a strict, medically-supervised withdrawal program. There are social consequences of committing anti-doping rule violations (ADRV). Sanction may include: loss of sponsorship deals, loss of income, wiping out of previous achievements, damaged relationships with friends and family, i solation from peers and sports and damage to future career prospects. ENDING THE ABUSE OF ANABOLIC STEROIDS Athletes who are really serious about their health and sports and aim to improve their physical strength, performance and appearance can keep the following tips in mind: Train safely, without using drugs, eat a healthy diet, get plenty of rest, set realistic goals and be proud of themselves when they reach them, seek out training supervision, coaching and advice from a reliable professional, avoid injuries by playing safely and using protective gear.

The Evolution of a Small Park Essay -- Descriptive Essay About A Place

Place Essay – The Evolution of a Small Park Piazzetta Vescovato is not just the prettiest square in the heart of Brescia’s historic downtown. Piazzetta Vescovato is a powerful symbol. Nested between Corso Zanardelli and Via Trieste, this little site has been a meaningful part of the lives of generations and generations of Bresciani (inhabitants of Brescia). Half a century ago, la piazzetta(as I like to call it) witnessed the horrors of the Second World War, when frightened people stepped on its sanpietrini(those little cubic stones that made up the pavement of medieval European streets), attempting to escape the Nazi soldiers or to reach a rifugio,an underground cellar that offered protection from the bombs thrown down by German planes. After the war ended, the little square began to swarm with people engaged in different kinds of activities: shops reopened, bars appeared, and the Vescovato (the residence and office of the Bishop), after having undergone some repairs, was functioning again — inciting respect and intimidation. The aura of sacredness surrounding it, backed up by substantial monetary funds (as in any good Roman Catholic institution), kept the masses at a safe distance, and poor people discovered quickly how the Christian message had gotten lost amidst the power and bureaucracy of it all. La piazzetta did its best to escape the authoritarian, obscure effect of the clergymen across the street. The bar at the northwestern corner of Via Trieste and Via Mazzini, and the one right in Via Mazzini, a little down the street toward Corso Zanardelli, balanced things out a bit, with their noisy male clientele celebrating the end of the war with a few bianchini(glasses of local white wine), games of cards, ... ...aluable upper middle-class clientele. The oysters and champagne bar is gone. In its place, an expensive baby clothes boutique, right in front of one of the clergy stores, has been open for quite a while now. People stroll by, admire, and go on to mind their own matters. It seems like the order has been re-established by some external force, unknown to the layperson passing by. But if you stop there for a minute and listen carefully, you may hear some of the thousand songs of terror, hope, glory, sadness, utopia, joy and grief, irresponsibility and disillusion trapped in the leaves of the four trees. It is a subdued howl that has become part of the spirit of the piazzetta itself. Not everybody hears it, or feels it. Only the ones who know how to dream have access to the magic of it. And only for them, Piazzetta Vescovato, symbol of Resilience, comes to life.

Ethnography Essay -- Reflexivity Anthropology Essays

Ethnography Works Cited Missing Reflexivity is a qualitative method of research that takes an ethnography one step further, displaying the personal thoughts and reflections of the anthropologist on his informants. Ethnographies generally take an outside or foreign perspective of a culture, like reading a text, and reflexivity introduces a new component of inside description. Here, the anthropologist may describe personal interactions and experiences with natives and use this inside information to make additional conclusions about the people being studied. The ethnographer may also reflect on his ethnic connections with his informants, or his acceptance into the society, explaining that it provides valuable, inside knowledge of the culture and ultimately leads to a greater understanding of the native people as a whole. The importance of reflexivity is illustrated in Dissolution and Reconstitution of Self: Implications for Anthropological Epistemology, by anthropologist Dorinne Kondo. Her reflections lead her to realize that she has lost, or has almost lost, her identity as an American anthropologist and now sees herself as a young woman of Japanese culture. "What occurred in the field was a kind of fragmenting of identity into Japanese and American elements, so that the different strands, instead of interweaving to form a coherent whole, strained and tugged against one another" (78). As she became so immersed in the culture, Kondo began to understand and adopt cultural aspects that are unique to the Japanese, a thus adopted a new identity. At first, she practiced Japanese behavior to be socially accepted and gain the respect of her host family, but she was so successful that community members began to regard her as a fello... ...and to view cultures differently in general. Some Anthropologists with postmodernist ideologies view cultures as "messy text", which is "the most complex and interesting form of experimentation with ethnographic writing now being produced" (Marcus, 187). The influence of Postmodernism also lead to the emergence of reflexivity. Various styles of reflexivity now exist, such as feminist, sociological, and anthropological. Reflexivity contributes to "messy text," because it identifies many cultural aspects ethnographers cannot explain nor understand and thus cannot be fitted, neatly into structure. Reflexivity is also influencing ethnographers to develop new approaches in studying culture. As we have reviewed in several ethnographies this semester, we see that personal reflections of the anthropologists is just as significant to fieldwork as the 'outsider' descriptions.

Video Games Are More Useful Than You Think Essay -- Argumentative Vide

In today’s world of video games, there are wonderful pictures, surround sound effects, and realistic graphics which encourage players to keep playing. It means when they play an action game or war game, it will have shooting shots, bloody splashes, decapitated scenes, or fighting movements. Unfortunately some people call these games causes negative effects in players. They say that violent video games cause players to become killers or terrorists. A research study on video game violence concluded, â€Å"There is no evidence to show proof of the relationship between computer game violence and violence in children above the age of 8.† (Stuart, 2014) Moreover, millions of people play violent video games and never commit crimes. Actually video games have been established for long time ago – more than 20 years before the violent video games became a mainstream industry around the world. Vidoe games provide player with numerous benefits. More than hundred reasons that make video games violent are good for people who really love to play an action video game. Video games create benefits for players both directly and indirectly ways. First of all, the clear advantage of video games is a video game introduces children to computers and the internet technology because nowadays most games are involved with the internet. (Farrales) Then the video games avoid drugs and uninvolved with gangsters. Because when children or teenagers begin to play games inside the home rather than being on the streets and join the gangsters, or use any drugs. Moreover, the players are training for cooperation skills between making their brain move fast to moving their hands, and having sharp eyes for catch up. Consequently, the players increase their potential of co... ...ResearchPaper.htm#effects ) Nadeau, Brandon. â€Å"Video Games Make Society Less Violent.† American Now. The Daily Campus., The University of Connecticut. October 21, 2012 Stuart, Keith. "Video games are not making us more violent, study shows" Guardian News and Media Limited, Monday 10 November 2014. http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/nov/10/video-games-violent-study-finds Kalning, Kristin. â€Å"Does game violence make teens aggressive?† Dec. 8, 2012 (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16099971/) Pratt, Bill. â€Å"The Advantages of Video Games.† April 25, 2013 (http://www.articlesbase.com/web-hosting-articles/the-advantages-of-video-games-395921.html) Taylor, Laurie N. â€Å"Positive Features of Video Games.† Handbook of Children, Culture, and Violence. Eds. Nancy E. Dowd, Dorothy G. Singer, and Robin Fretwell Wilson. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2006.

Different Cultural Identities Dilemma Essay

The memoir Farewell to Manzanar, written by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, tells of her experience at Manzanar internment camp after the Pacific War broke out. During the internment of Japanese-Americans, their living standards fell drastically; moreover, they faced Japanese and American values and identity conflicts. It was hard for these Japanese Americans to maintain two different cultural identities for several reasons. In the first place, they suffered from racial discrimination. In the 1940s, mainstream society and the government discriminated against Japanese Americans who were viewed as potentially dangerous people who might betray the US. Thus, Japanese Americans found it was hard to be accepted by others in America. In addition, they largely insisted on their own cultural identities. They were not willing to give up Japanese identities after arriving in America. Chinese immigrants would like to get together and formed Chinatown for the same reason. In the article, â€Å"Two wor lds, one family,† Jen Maldonado was imposed on pressure by her Taiwanese friends who insisted on Chinese culture, when she wanted to develop a cross-cultural relationship with an American. It is hard to successfully balance two different cultural identities because of racial discrimination and the adherence to people’s former culture as will be shown using evidence from Farewell to Manzanar, â€Å"Two worlds, one family† and my personal observations. In the 1940s, Japanese-Americans suffered from racial discrimination; thus, they had a hard time getting into mainstream society and balancing their cultural identities. The government never showed full trust towards these immigrants who were viewed as threats to American national security. In order to supervise Japanese-Americans and prevent any potential danger, the government relocated Japanese Americans to internment camps, which exacerbated cultural conflicts and undermined basic human rights. The racist decision that the government made led Japanese Americans to feel that they were incompatible with American culture. Because of the racial discrimination the government initialized, many Japanese immigran ts thought they were insulted, and so they struggled to accept their American identities. Some of them even wanted to get rid of American identities and went back to Japan. As a result, racial discrimination threatened their American identities. Houston and her friend Radine shared many qualities in common and became the best friends. Although they were socially equal, they were treated in completely different ways because of racism. Houston was not culturally accepted by mainstream society as Radine was. Boys were more likely to ask Radine to the dances, even though they flirted with Houston. Houston was barred from sororities, but Radine was admitted to join them. Houston said that, â€Å"Watching, I am simply emptied, and in the dream I want to cry out, because she is something I can never be†(172). Houston never stopped attempting to retain American identity; however, prejudice of her oriental characteristics obstructed her effort. She looked forward to fulfilling her American identity, but she was too helpless and powerless to challenge enormous racial discrimination, Other than prejudice against Japanese-Americans, another reason that caused people from different cultures to struggle to balance two cultural iden tities was adherence to their own culture. After arriving at the continent and staying there for years, many Japanese immigrants still considered that they were more Japanese than American. They were not willing to give up their own culture, and so they confronted cultural conflicts. A minority of people in the camps labeled members of the Japanese American Citizens League â€Å"inu† for â€Å"having helped the army arrange a peaceful and orderly evacuation†(67). â€Å"Inu† meant collaborator or informer in Japanese. The hatred towards these pro-American Japanese immigrants and disrespectful insult words revealed their strong belief in Japan and hostility towards America. To people’s surprise, the author’s father who stood up to defend the point of view that immigrants should be loyal to American government was assaulted and condemned by his peers. Although these pro-Japan immigrants had been in America for many years, they still insisted that they were more Japanese. It was the thought that some Japanese Americans were not capable of integrating into American culture and balancing two identities. Chinatown exemplified that Chinese immigrants insisted on their own culture. Chinese immigrants were viewed as a group of conservative and un-American people after they first came to America. They showed keen interests in preserving Chinese culture, but they would not adapt themselves to American society. Therefore, their refusal to give up Chinese identity led to their isolation and failure to balance two cultural identities Their adherence promoted the formation of Chinatown, a Chinese world in alien countries. In the article, â€Å"Two worlds, one family,† â€Å"Jen’s Taiwanese friends started giving her grief for dating an American.† They were strict about Chinese culture and rejected the cross-cultural marriage. Jen was also warned that she â€Å"‘needed to stick with someone from her own culture.'† By this, her friends hoped that Jen could retain her Chinese identity by narrowing down her dating range. However, many cases had proven that the cross-cultural marriage played an important role in balancing different cultura l identities. When people with different cultural backgrounds decide to form cross-cultural families, they build a bridge of cultural communication. Thus, her friends’ thoughts undermined cultural exchange. To conclude, it is hard to successfully balance two different cultural identities. Racial discrimination stopped Japanese Americans from balancing their cultural identities. In the wartime, the mainstream society held hostility towards these immigrants, and so they were isolated by the majority. Moreover, some people’s adherence to their former culture became the obstacle of integrating into American society. Chinese always struggled to have cross-cultural communications proceed effectively and successfully due to their insistence on Chinese identity. In the article, â€Å"Two worlds, one family,† Jen was hoped that she could date Chinese persons by her friends. However, their insistence seemed to be stubborn because it blocked effective communication between people from different cultural backgrounds. In order to balance two different cultural identities, people should be more lenient with newcomers and more open to new culture.

Epidemiology Essay

The increasing ease of access to computers, computer games, the internet, and social acceptance of extended leisure time have seemingly caused the incidence teenage obesity rise at alarming rates (Teen obesity, 2011). There is of course no single contributing factor to the cause of obesity but research has linked a variety of biological, genetic, cultural and behavioral traits to the disease. According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, childhood obesity is not typically caused by a particular medical disorders; â€Å"less than 1 percent of all obesity is caused by physical problems. Obesity in childhood and adolescence can be related to poor eating habits, overeating or binging, lack of exercise, family history of obesity, stressful life events or changes (separations, divorce, moves, deaths, abuse), family and peer problems, low self-esteem, and depression or other emotional problems† (AACAP, 2011). While the typical â€Å"extra few pounds† are not necessarily detrimental to the overall health of an individual, the incidence of obesity in teens is a serious health issue as it puts the child at increased risk for emotional problems, low self-esteem, depression, anxiety and undue stress on their young body (AACAP, 2011). Direct links have been seen between obesity and complex health concerns of increased risk for heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, respiratory complications and sleep disturbance (AACAP, 2011). It can cause issues like an increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, breathing problems, trouble sleeping (AACAP, 2011). Demographics The demographics of obesity are individualized to a person’s ideal weight for their height and body type. Obesity is categorized by having an excess of weight that is well outside of the medically accepted range based on height. There are varying degrees of obesity and being overweight is not the same as obesity. Obesity is categorized as being 20% or greater than the ideal weight for the individual (PAMF, 2011). The WHO’s definitions of â€Å"overweight† and â€Å"obese† are based on an individual’s body mass index (BMI), which measures weight relative to height. Overweight is marked by a BMI greater than or equal to 25 and obese is defined as having a BMI greater than or equal to 30 (World Health Organization, 2012). While it is widely accepted that Americans are one of the most overweight countries in the world, many other nations have seen steady increases in their rates of obesity. Epidemiological data has shown that countries all over the world have been steadily gaining weight in all genders, ethnic groups, ages and educational levels (World Health Organization, 2012). According to the national Institute of Health, 15. 5% of teenagers were obese (2006). This means that a large number of teenagers today are at risk for health issues like heart disease, high cholesterol and high blood pressure as well as type 2- diabetes. Obesity is a growing trend in all social classes and cultures; however it is disproportionately prevalent in certain ethnic populations. Obesity rates for example among â€Å"African American and Mexican American adolescents ages 12-19 were more likely to be overweight, at 21% and 23% respectively, than non-Hispanic White adolescents 14%† (aspe. hhs. gov, 2011). The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey concluded that this disparity is of great concern especially when considering that type-2 diabetes and heart disease is at present, a prevalent health concerns among these ethnic populations (aspe. hhs. ov, 2011). With obesity on the rise in vulnerable populations that are seemingly already at increased risk for related disease, further research and interventions should be aggressively sought. When considering the younger generations that are becoming increasingly overweight, lifestyle habits, particularly the acceptance of sedentary entertainment have to be highly c onsidered as factors leading to the problem. The National Collaborative on Childhood Obesity Research (NCCOR) have established clear links that the sedentary nature of watching TV is linked with some unhealthy outcomes in kids (NCCOR, 2012).

Codes and Convention

Codes and conventions: In the short story what’s a Bum Mom, Kathleen Rockwell uses several convincing techniques to carry out the guiding question on civility. One accurate is metaphors, in the short story the author Kathleen Rockwell describes the scene in the story were they see a homeless women out the bus window. â€Å"She stopped at a wastebasket and retrieved a large discarded sketch book. She flipped through it until she found a blank page. Standing on the corner of sixth and 14th, she reached into one of her bags and found a marker.She made on a deft stroke, and then another, on the page another artist left her. My bus moved on. This can be carried out as a metaphor for society and how we view moreover treat homelessness people. Nevertheless we don’t acknowledge it, as a result of ignorance. We are use to pressing on as well as assume we never saw them or they didn’t exist. Hence moving on with our uncivil behavior. Kathleen Rockwell sees a person that h as something with I them. A talented women however she is homeless so society will ignore her and continue on with there daily lives.Another technique is she uses first person to relate with the short story. She asks questions moreover show that their scared, a feeling that many people have. They had to do it, anyone would have done it, but did they cry while they were doing it? † The photo essay state street family by Glenn H. Austin analyze the argument of homelessness and how society looks down on, preferentially ignores the reality of living on the streets. These pictures show how everyone has approximately the same feelings; therefore society doesn’t show the same character to the homeless.The couple in the photo their attitude shows carelessness as is seen no eye-contact with each other, and perhaps the desire to avoid any connection to homelessness. Another example is the first picture a homeless man holds a sign reading, â€Å"Talk to me†, how the homeles s, like anybody else, need some interaction, outside of their, â€Å"State Street Family. † The title is a technique putting all the images together showing the fact those living on the street are connected together as a family. 1st paragraph The short story what’s a bum mom by Kathleen Rockwell and the photo essay State Street Family by Glenn H.Austin answer the guiding question, who is responsible for civility? The text I have chosen to better answer the guiding question is what a bum mom. In this short story it shows you a better understanding of the vertices, moreover what can happen. The short story what’s a bum mom Deals with the terms of ignorance in society towards the homelessness and civility. Later we ask ourselves the question do we really know how to be civil to more than just our family, friends and people who are not homeless.We are fortunate and don’t know how to act when we are put into a situation like this. At the begging of the short s tory the homeless women ask for a quarter, nevertheless the women mad up an excuse like (†¦. Put one in about ballet and getting her hopes up). It showed she was nervous and didn’t know how to act in this given situation. She gave the homeless women excuses making her feel like she’s not worth paying any attention to. The author is trying to show according to society, she is below everyone else. Society is also enduring incivility towards younger human.Like Isabelle she is 5 years old and she has already taken into a count how to label society especially homeless people, drug addicts, bum, alcoholics, ECT. The author is saying we don’t only see the vertices we do our best to ignore them. This story is trying to show us that the incivility of ignoring homelessness is recurring again and again. Its not going to stop we arguing to keep on pretending their not their and move on with our lives. The only time they catch everyone’s attention is when violenc e occurs. The author says (the arm scene).The purpose of the photo essay is to show the fact that everyone wants someone to talk to, socially interact with, Moreover deserve the same civility as others that can be shown with social interaction. Like with the first text a homeless man wrote talk to me. The photo essay brings up the question on who’s responsible for civility. The author is showing the emotions within them, also showing how we just ignore it and move on. We don’t think of them as homeless or even consider them as, we call the bums. We ignore them and that’s not an excuse for incivility 2nd -Last paragraphAdmitting both texts deal with the guiding question the short story gave a better understanding of the guiding question. The author made it easy to describe and point moreover her struggle with her own responsibility with civility in terms of the homeless. Therefore it’s easier for us to connect to as present day society does the same thing as the picture essay and the short story. The movie bum fights this movie is about fighting and attempting amateur stunts in exchange for money, alcohol, and other incentives. In this movie men are hurting each other and people for money.Like in the, short story what’s a bum mom. When the woman was attacked by a man saying he mugged her 5 bucks (add the scene). Its also similar to the drawing homeless people be harassed by police officers moreover families on the street. Like in the photo essay it shows families struggling on the street or when the police officers harassed a homeless man for sleeping in the park. It all comes down to society thinks their superior than homeless people, like they don’t matter and they shouldn’t. The only thing the matters in society and to the government is the amount of money you have. Last paragraphThe author Kathleen Rockwell, the short story what’s a bum mom shows a better understanding on the guiding question. Who is r esponsible for civility? By giving us a text we can easily find a connection to moreover answer and think about the question she asked in the text. Aside from reading this story we start questioning our own civility therefore start asking are we civil to only the ones we love and know won’t hurt us. Or just the one we think we could trust. Although the photo essay comes to a conclusion on who’s responsible for civility, it catches our attention to the problem of civility but not as well as the short story did.