Bus308 Statistics for Managers - Final Paper - 1062 Words

Gas Prices Nathaniel Peters BUS 308: Statistics for Managers Instructor: Ali Choudhry August 8, 2011 Gas Prices Delivery service is a way of life. Each day, people get packages sent to them by way of this service. But few people think of the costs the delivery company has to deal with. One of the main operating costs that we as a delivery company have is gasoline. We use gasoline daily in massive quantities. The cost of gas affects American’s daily, and people can be heard complaining about the high prices. What about delivery companies? In this paper, we will be discussing the effect of rising gas prices on our company throughout the next ten years. Gas prices change daily, and throughout the year it is amazing to look at the†¦show more content†¦In 2010, the average gas price was about 2.8, which is just a little bit below the linear regression line. Some years it is higher than the line and some lower. But the line is the middle showing where the prices should be. Residuals occur when what the price should be isn’t exactly what it should be. We will have re siduals throughout the years, but we can make assumptions on what we as a company will have to pay in gasoline by looking at the linear regression line. With this information, we can guesstimate what the cost of gasoline will be in 2015, 2020, or even 2050. I believe that we can accurately predict gas prices based on the values given. It is important to remember, however, that these are simply predictions and not fact. We must be prepared for extenuating circumstances that would significantly alter the gasoline prices. Anything that would cause us to lose an oil supply would affect the supply and demand ratio, thereby causing the prices to increase, as the supply cannot fill the demand. Alternately if we were to acquire additional oil supplies we would increase the supply while the demand would stay the same, thereby decreasing prices. Delivery service is an important business, and could not be done without gasoline to put in the trucks that deliver the merchandise. It is important as we plan for the future that we are aware of our most basic and costly operating expense. We must be prepared, that we will be able to budget effectively. When doing our

Essay on Is Diversity The Solution to Affirmative Action

IS DIVERSITY THE SOLUTION TO AFFIRMATIVE ACTION Equal employment practices, in many organizations, have been established through affirmative action programs. These programs were created by government mandate to create a fair and non-discriminatory working environment in organizations. The need for affirmative action was recognized as early as the 1940’s, as a concept, based on the racial diversity of our country. The goal was the redistribution of opportunities on the basis of race. Now as we approach the 21st century, affirmative action seems to be a dying issue, legally and otherwise. The fact still remains that we have a racially and culturally diverse population, here in the United States, and something has to take the place of†¦show more content†¦When affirmative action was established assumptions were made as to the benefits of initiating programs. Joseph Coleman (1997) agree, that the organization and the individuals would benefit and advances of productivity would make it all worth while in the long run ( p. 259). Programs established under the heading of affirmative action have been under close scrutiny for years, and have recently come under fire from many arenas, as being discriminatory toward the dominant race, specifically White males. It is also believed that affirmative action gives preferences to unqualified individuals. Eastland (1996) says, Affirmative action has turned out to be a bargain with the devil, (p. 7). The federal and state laws that pushed implementation of affirmative action programs, did not dictate that quotas be set, but stressed that individuals be judged by their qualifications---meaning skills, knowledge, talent and experience---rather than by their gender, race or national origin. Affirmative action was meant to be an inclusionary action, not an exclusionary one, such as racism. The intent of affirmative action was to bring equality of opportunity to all Americans no matter what their endeavors were. There has been great difficulty in measuring the effects of affirmative action programs over the years. Even though the average of African-Americans and minorities, thatShow MoreRelatedAffirmative Action Is The Perfect Plan1173 Words   |  5 PagesAffirmative Action On March 6th, 1955, President John F. Kennedy signed executive order 10925 enforcing that government corporations not discriminate against anyone based off their race and skin color. This became â€Å"positive† discrimination otherwise known as affirmative action. Affirmative action is a method benefiting anyone who have experienced discrimination particular to one’s education and/ or employment (Affirmative Action). 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What is being referred to here is race-based affirmative action, or the act of taking into consideration an applicant’s race in the college admissions process. This is a hot topic all over the United St ates and has been for quite a while, the debateRead MoreAffirmative Action : An Controversial Government Policy917 Words   |  4 PagesTemple Duarte Affirmative action has become one of the most controversial government policies in modern history. Especially in college admissions, affirmative action requires the use of quotas, which results in recruiting members of an underrepresented group rather than the most qualified for the job or university. Is affirmative action really the best solution to making sure minorities are gaining the educational opportunities they need? In its original form, Affirmative Action was designed toRead MoreAffirmative Action : Equal Employment Opportunity1004 Words   |  5 PagesWilliams 1 Kyle D. Williams Ms. Denk Honors English 9 12 May 2017 Research Paper In 1961, president John F Kennedy issued an executive order which created the Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity and funded new actions to bring about â€Å"affirmative action† in eliminating racial bias in employment. In 1969 President Richard Nixon created the Philidelphia Order, a plan to make sure fair hiring was enforced. Initially, these acts were meant to correct past mistakes, and the opportunities were similarRead MoreRacial Inequality And Affirmative Action900 Words   |  4 Pagesbarriers, President John F. Kennedy created the affirmative action program to provide equal opportunities for everyone, whether in education or in the workforce. Even if this was a program created in the 1960’s, problems continue to present itself as shown through the many court cases, such as Brown vs. Board of Education, Fisher vs. University of Texas, Grutter vs. Bollinger et al, and Hopwood vs. State of Texas. Thus, racial inequality and affirmative action continues to b e a controversial topic evenRead MoreImposing Affirmative Action in El Paso Essay669 Words   |  3 Pages Imposing Affirmative Action in El Paso Have you ever applied for a job knowing that you are more than qualified for the position? But somehow you remain overlooked by someone who is bilingual, and perhaps less qualified. Well I have, predominantly here in El Paso. El Paso, a city constantly growing with more: schools, hospitals, and jobs; Where many have flourished in these endeavors. However people who are not bilingual seems to be excluded in these opportunities. But instead of remaining

Effective Workplace Relationship of VTI †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Effective Workplace Relationship of VTI. Answer: Strategic and operational plan VTI is an organization operating in the business automobile retailing. They were being founded in 2000 in Melbourne, Australia. Their core business is selling and servicing the small and medium segment cars (Wickramasinghe et al., 2014). However, in the later stage, they came up with a new division to cater to second hand cars and leasing business of cars. Afterwards, they also acquired sales from one of the European supplier to cater to the premium car segments for the niche market. The goal and objective of the organization is to cater to diversified customers segments ranging from small cars to the premium cars in maximum available showrooms. The business process that they follow is to equip the employees to cater to the latest taste and preference of the customers. According to their business policy, the managers are being assigned their respective responsibilities to lead their respective departments (Wheelen Hunger, 2017). The employees will get motivated from their managers by having effective two-way communication channel (Guffey Loewy, 2012). The more motivation for the employees will help to provide more effective service to the customers. The stakeholders for them include the employees, upper level management, suppliers, car manufacturers and the customers. Among the entire stakeholder portfolio of the organization, customer is one of the key stakeholders (Seuring Gold, 2013). The customer of VTI consists of mass market as well as the niche market. This is due to the reason that they cater to diversified range of automobiles. Communication strategy Communication objectives To effectively communicate with the employees in the organization. The communication process will be bottom up and vice versa (Hallahan, 2015). To effectively transmit the organizational vision to the employees. To determine the requirement of the customers by effectively communicating with them. To determine the feedback from the employees. Communication methods Face-to-face communication Email Teleconferencing Video conferencing Communication with different audience Extensive advertising and survey will be used to communicate with the mass market (Tuten Solomon, 2014). Initiation of face-to face meeting for the niche market. Email, mobile marketing and social media for the younger audience. Consultation with the employees Workplace health and safety Pay scale Employee benefits Training and skill development Grievance procedure The grievance of the employees will be transferred to the human resource manager. He will look after the issues with him. The employee will be consulted about his opinion and a consensus will be built (Colvin, 2013). If the issue cannot be solved there then it will be looked after by the upper level management. I being the general manager will first approach the nationality celebrating the religious affair. They will be told about the advantages of maintenance of diversity in the workforce (Podsiadlowski et al., 2013). Moreover, they will be told to include the other nationals in the celebration and track the improvement in the team work. Racial discrimination Act, 1975 will be the most relevant legislation. Implementation of the effective legislation, policies and procedures will help to enhance the cultural diversity and ethical relationship in the workplace. Effective policies will help to equip me in effectively managing the employees and aware them about the advantages of the cultural diversity. Effective procedures will also help me to create more coordination among the team members from different cultural diversity. However, according to me, the existing diversity policy should include racial and gender discrimination also rather than just including the cultural differences. The team members will also be involved in implementing the diversity policy. This will help them to get aware about the regulations in the policy. Moreover, the team will be motivate to feel the differences in initiating the diversity rather than just directing them what to do. The potential problem includes non-adhering with the decision being taken by the upper management. They may find it difficult to implement it in practical situation and thus they will resist in change. The team will be effectively communicated to aware them about their unacceptable behavior. However, rather than just scolding them, they will be described about the potential issues, which will help them to realize by themselves. I will use the verbal and non-verbal type of communication. If these styles of communication will not work, then I will adopt the written communication such as email. It will be expected that the new communication style will help to better connect with the team. Benefits of networking More sharing of knowledge Effective relationship with the stakeholders (Osterle, Fleisch Alt, 2012). Increase in the confidence. Enhancement of the personal visibility. More availability of the options. In creating the positive workplace relationship, networking will help in creating more connectivity with the employees along with effective determination of the opinions of the employees. I will adopt direct networking style due to the fact that it will help me in taking the decision swiftly and to act to the situation in timely basis. Within a network, I will take individual approach in enhancing the relationship with every employee. I joined in a direct networking system in order to enhance the relationship with the employees. The outcome was positive and the employees were happy to give their feedback and feedback to them does not created any negative impression on them. To enhance the internal relationship, all the internal stakeholders should be included in the process. All the internal stakeholders should make aware about the policies being followed by the organization (Wagner Mainardes, Alves Raposo, 2012). All the requirement of the internal stakeholders should be effectively identified and be solved in the first stage only. To enhance the relationship with the external stakeholders, the requirement of the customers should be effectively determined along with aware them about the company policy. Thus, customers will have the knowledge about their rights. Justin should look out for more suppliers to reduce the dependency and effectively aware the suppliers about the requirement. Alex should specify the customers about the regulation of the organization and stop the issuance of credit to the customers. The team members will be given practical illustrations rather than just directing. This will help to built trust among the employees when they will see the result. To deal with the different emotional attitudes, non-verbal communication will be used in order to adopt according to the situation. To eliminate the conflict in the team, a consensus will tried to be build among the employees. In the case of any conflict, the both parties will be consulted in order to reduce it. In addition, all the limitations of the opinion of the employees will be identified and communicated with them. The employees will be given training in enhancing their effectiveness in their respective job profile. They will also be given skill development courses to enhance their skills. Moreover, the supervisors will be there to provide support in their job. Mental health will be taken care of by offering them effective work-life balance. Ideal work-life balance will help the employees in enhancing their effectiveness in the workplace. The difficulty is the managing the diversity in the workforce. Action will be initiated in order to reduce the issues by aware the employees about the benefits of the diversified workplace. Human resource manager will be responsible for the action plan. Resource will include training facilities, effective working environment and perquisites being provide to the employees. Fair work act, 2009, Fair work regulations 2009, gender equality act, 1975 are the relevant legislations to built the workplace relationships. Implementing of these legislations will help the organization in effectively adhering with the ideal workplace culture along with enhancing the productivity and effectiveness of the employees. References Colvin, A. J. (2013). Participation Versus Procedures in Non?Union Dispute Resolution.Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society,52(s1), 259-283. Guffey, M. E., Loewy, D. (2012).Essentials of business communication. Cengage Learning. Hallahan, K. (2015). Organizational goals and communication objectives in strategic communication.The Routledge handbook of strategic communication, 244-266. sterle, H., Fleisch, E., Alt, R. (2012).Business networking: Shaping enterprise relationships on the Internet. Springer Science Business Media. Podsiadlowski, A., Grschke, D., Kogler, M., Springer, C., Van Der Zee, K. (2013). Managing a culturally diverse workforce: Diversity perspectives in organizations.International Journal of Intercultural Relations,37(2), 159-175. Seuring, S., Gold, S. (2013). Sustainabilitymanagement beyond corporate boundaries: from stakeholders to performance.Journal of Cleaner Production,56, 1-6. Tuten, T. L., Solomon, M. R. (2014).Social media marketing. Sage. Wagner Mainardes, E., Alves, H., Raposo, M. (2012). A model for stakeholder classification and stakeholder relationships.Management Decision,50(10), 1861-1879. Wheelen, T. L., Hunger, J. D. (2017).Strategic management and business policy. pearson. Wickramasinghe, N., Kent, B., Moghimi, F. H., Stien, M., Nguyen, L., Redley, B., ... Botti, M. (2014). Using technology solutions to streamline healthcare processes for nursing: the case of an Intelligent Operational Planning Support Tool (IOPST) solution. InLean Thinking for Healthcare(pp. 405-430). Springer New York.

Philosophy Issues Paleys Argument of Eye and Telescope

I. I. â€Å"I know of no better method of introducing so large a subject, than that of comparing a single thing with a single; an eye, for example, with a telescope. As far as the examination of the instrument goes, there is precisely the same proof that the eye was made for vision, as there is that the telescope was made for assisting it.† (William Paley).Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Philosophy Issues: Paley’s Argument of Eye and Telescope specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Paley argues that an eye and a telescope are so much specialized in their function that they cannot be the product of an accident. They must have been designed. Even if we have never seen the designer, we should not claim that there is none. Paley (1) started his argument by the perception that someone has when he randomly meets stone and a watch. The person who meets a stone will conclude that the stone could have been t here all along or been there purposelessly. However, the watch must have been made by someone because there is no way different parts can come together by themselves to perform a single function. The strength of Paley’s argument is that a good product is rarely the outcome of chance or an accident. An eye and a telescope are almost similar in the parts that they assemble to provide vision, particularly in the use of lenses and the formation of the image behind the lenses. If the parts of the telescope must be assembled by a designer, it follows that the parts of an eye must have been assembled as well (Paley 2). Paley’s argument creates the impression that living things have parts that are so much specialized that they must have an author. In a human being, there are sets of organs that perform specialized functions. The organs operate more efficiently to conserve energy. According to Darwin, the parts evolved from simple forms to more complicated and specialized forms . Whewell (194), in response to Lyell’s Principles, declared that there should be evidence of the cause of the change from one form to another. Darwin (8) argued that the cause of change is the struggle for existence. It allows individuals who are highly adapted to propagate their genes at the expense of the weaker ones of the same species. There is evidence of a continuous struggle for existence among living things. The question that can be raised is that a species cannot develop an eye if it is not encrypted in their DNA. Someone would want to know how the struggle for existence has finally resulted in the encryption of new parts into the DNA of a certain species.Advertising Looking for term paper on philosophy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Biology indicates that animals may change the size, color, and shape of existing parts only because they already exist in their DNA. In Biology, only certain chemicals may resul t in the change of the DNA. The struggle for existence cannot change the DNA that can result in the formation of new parts. However, it can result in stronger and better-adapted parts and forms of life (Darwin 8). Hume (4) dismissed the adaptation of parts because the animals that become adapted finally die and new ones are produced. However, Darwin’s approach is that animals that have certain better abilities propagate their genes because of their specialized abilities. In the example of the eye, a human being with the best vision survives in the jungle and is able to produce offspring. The one with a poor vision dies with no offspring. In the end, only those with a perfect sight remain. In this case, only eagles with the best vision and the swiftest grasp remain. However, what would have forced human beings or eagles to form eyes cannot be described with certainty in the first place. Stumbling upon some chemical that alters the DNA cannot produce eyes. The struggle for exis tence may not change the DNA. Paley argued that something that happens by chance could produce â€Å"a wart, a mole, a simple, but never an eye† (5). A pimple is possible because it is not an assembly of different parts performing one function. In all cases, the argument is the same. A stone is not an assembly of parts. It can be formed through chance. Human beings would like to develop wings to fly. When the struggle for existence can be used as a cause for the prevalence of the more specialized forms, there is no evidence of struggle among celestial bodies arranged in sustainable patterns. Isaac Newton’s thought is that â€Å"the stars are so evenly spaced throughout the heavens and cannot be understood without reference to God’s intentions† (â€Å"Darwin, evolution and modern history: Dar Rev 2014 Slides Living 1† 7). One would wonder what made the stars evenly distributed that they do not collide or merge to become one huge body. They do not st ruggle to exist. It is similar to Paley’s argument where an assembly of different parts results in a system that functions together harmoniously. They cannot assemble by chance without the outcome of an accident. The outcome of an accident is likely to involve a waste. Waste may include parts that do not add value to the functioning of the system. According to Darwin (8), unused parts are eliminated through time.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Philosophy Issues: Paley’s Argument of Eye and Telescope specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Organic fossils need to be studied similarly to the rocks. Whewell discussed that â€Å"the fossils and medals found under city ruins are to be used in the same spirit and purpose† (500). Scientists face the problem of creating a link between stages. For example, the small gradual changes from Homo Habilis to Homo Erectus. Lyell explained that it would have been possible if â€Å"it was part of the plan of nature to preserve an unbroken series of monuments to commemorate the vicissitudes of the organic creation† (34). Scientists have tried to develop a link between different stages in the evolution of mankind. However, there are millions of species that would need a similar linkage. Both Darwin and Paley base their argument on the vertebrates, which have similar body structures in terms of bone formation and body functions. However, the two authors differ on the issue of the origin of species. Paley holds that a similar body structure is a sign of contrivance, which assures the existence of a designer. Darwin uses a similar body structure to infer a common origin. Paley gives a valid argument that an assembly of different parts cannot occur by chance. Darwin’s theory is left with the difficult task of proving how new parts are encrypted into the DNA of young ones because they may not be of generic value (Darwin 12). The s olar system is an assembly of celestial bodies that do not struggle to exist. One would wonder what made the planets develop different masses and atmospheric characteristics if they have the same origin. II. â€Å"It is remarkable how Darwin recognized among beasts and plants his English society with its division of labor, competition, opening up of markets, ‘inventions’, and Malthusian ‘struggle for existence’ —with Darwin the animal kingdom figures as a bourgeois society.† (Karl Marx in correspondence with Friedrich Engels.) Darwin recognized that among beasts and plants there is a division of labor. Plants provide animals with food and oxygen. In return, animals provide carbon dioxide and manure for plants (Marx and Engels par. 2). There is competition whenever beasts have an interest in the same resources. Lions will kill hyenas to reduce competition for meat. Wolves and cheetahs will target the same animals for food. The same competition occurs among human beings when there is a conflict of interest. Division of labor may also occur in animals of the same species. For example, male lions may guard the boundaries and lionesses may specialize in hunting. There is a great division of labor among human beings. Division of labor increases productivity among human beings.Advertising Looking for term paper on philosophy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The farmer has ample time to carry out his duties as a result of taking his children to school. Some animals feed while others watch out. It allows those that feed ample time to find the best food and adequate quantities. It also eliminates distraction from those that are on the lookout for predators. According to the statement, the struggle is an occurrence of chance emerging from overpopulation and the struggle for existence. It leads to the invention in animals as in mankind. As a result of the struggle and invention, a baboon finds out that it can be more satisfied by feeding on a single flamingo rather than plant shoots. However, there is difficulty in catching flamingoes. Opening up of markets is where animals will go further than usual in such food and water. During periods of scarcity, animals may widen the boundaries in which they search for food. Plenty of food in an area may also invite animals from far regions. In English society, merchants were known to bring supplies o f goods that were scarce in England. In return, they would export those that are in plenty. In the animal kingdom, animals have several options among different animals that they can hunt for food. The ones found in plenty are easily killed. They will be frequently hunted until their numbers are reduced. Paley (7) argued that it is a system to prevent overpopulation. In business, inventions come as a result of trying to gain a competitive advantage over other businesses. In the animal kingdom, the invention provides better knowledge that allows an animal to use less effort in the struggle for existence. The need for invention comes as a result of competition. The propagation of species is such that animals of the same species have certain advantages over other species different from their own. Darwin (59) argued that there is intense competition among animals of the same species because of the similarity of abilities. The differences among species create a form of divided labor. Anim als of different species tend to target different parts of the same resources. Their abilities are increasingly being adapted for the different resources they target. The division of labor among species reduces the struggle for existence and increases the chances of survival. A giraffe feeds on trees and a gazelle on the grass. The height of the giraffe and its kicks prevent a lion from reaching its throat easily. The gazelle’s speed is its best rescue. Each species survives, according to their different abilities. Within the species, those which display stronger qualities of their competitive abilities can propagate their genes. Competition emerges from seeking the same resources and from overpopulation. Paley (7) argued that â€Å"pain teaches vigilance and caution, gives notice to danger, and excites those endeavors which may be necessary to preserve the species† (7). As a result of scarcity of resources brought about by overpopulation, the proletariat would turn ag ainst the bourgeoisie. Hume (5) described a situation where insects can molest lions despite their strength. The Malthusian theory predicts the intensification of the struggle for existence as a result of overpopulation. In the animal kingdom, the search for green plants intensifies as the population of herbivores increase. However, their population is kept at a sustainable number by the carnivores. Mankind has been able to reproduce at a high rate after reducing the struggle for existence from the struggle of necessities to the struggle for additional pleasures. The bourgeoisie society has been described with a continuous class struggle for necessities and enjoyment (Marx and Engels par. 4). Engels draws a difference between the bourgeoisie struggles in mankind from that of animals because animals only gather finished products and are more concerned about necessities (Marx and Engels par. 4). Some animals may show an indication of enjoyment too. Birds satisfied with the necessity o f food and water may bathe in the soil as a form of relaxation. The bourgeoisie is known as a society where everyone seeks his own benefit (Marx and Engel par. 13). The animal kingdom is similar. Animals may also be friendly to their own kind once they have satisfied their individual needs. The struggle where everyone seeks to satisfy their individual needs leads to those who are more adapted to the changing conditions to survive when the weaker of their species are wiped out by scarcity. Division of labor may have resulted in better-performing parts. The different body parts form systems that are better adapted for their function. Different species also specialize in areas that provide a better chance of survival. Adam Smith claimed that a â€Å"workman not educated to this business, has by the division of labor rendered a distinct trade† (8). It is the situation when a workman gains skills through practice rather than education. It is similar to Darwin’s view that di fferent species have gained competitive advantages by repeatedly using certain abilities (Darwin 8). The abilities that provide a species with its distinction become a common feature among the offspring that will be able to survive in the struggle for existence. Marx and Engel (par. 2), in the statement, were not surprised that the same theory used in history could be used in natural sciences. At a glance, human beings may appear free from the struggle for existence. Invention and innovation have allowed mankind to live in numbers that would be considered overpopulation if human beings lived in their natural state. A closer look at animals, one realizes similar struggles as those of mankind. The search for new markets and division of labor are inventions that tend to create an advantage over individuals and nations. The individual that innovates becomes dominant. Historically, the most successful men were able to sire more children than the less successful men. Currently, the trend has changed because men are afraid to have more children alarmed by economic difficulties. It goes back to Paley’s argument that the struggle creates an awareness of danger, which reduces overpopulation in human beings. Today, in a more developed country like England, there is hardly direct combat in the struggle for resources. However, the struggle for existence has not stopped. It will be evident in firms that restructure to remain in the market place. There are individuals who develop rare technical skills, which allow them to tap into resources that are hardly available to the majority. Animals as well may develop rare skills that allow a species to tap into resources unreachable to others. Works Cited Darwin, Charles. The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or, The Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life. 6th ed. 2009. New York: Cambridge University Press. Print. â€Å"Darwin, evolution and modern history: Dar Rev 2014 Slides Living 1†. Web. Hume, David. Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion (1779). Passages distributed in class. Lyell, Charles. Principles of Geology [1830-1833, vol. 3], London: John Murray. Passages distributed in class. Marx, Karl and Friedrich Engels. Marx-Engels Correspondence 1875: Engels to Lavrov 12 November 1875. n.d. Web. Paley, William. Natural Theology or, Evidences of the Existence and Attributes of the Deity, Collected from the Appearances of Nature. 12th ed. 1809. London: Fauldner. Darwin-online Organization. Web. Smith, Adam. An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations [1776], 5th ed. 1904. London: Methuen. Passages distributed in class. Whewell, William. History of the Inductive Sciences (1837). Passages distributed in class. This term paper on Philosophy Issues: Paley’s Argument of Eye and Telescope was written and submitted by user Paris Wilcox to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Lazaro cardenas and high modernism essays

Lazaro cardenas and high modernism essays Historically, scholars views concerning pre-Revolutionary Michoacan contend that peasants openly welcomed the secular ideologies of Lazaro Cardenas, and willing formed alliances in the post revolutionary Mexican state as a result of the sweeping reforms initiated by the Cardenistas. However, as Marjorie Becker claims in Setting the Virgin on Fire, Cardenas cannot be viewed as a redeemer or a later-day Jesus, instead as an individual who attempted to rid the peasantry of their cultural and social heritages. James Scott argues in Seeing Like A State that when such governmental policies include centralized state planning and eradication of local norms and ideologies they adhere to high modernism. In short, Scott defines high modernism as a strong confidence in the progress of science, control and mastery over nature, and rational planning of the social order (Scott 4). To a degree, Cardenas' attempt at reforming mestizo, Indian, and campesino cultures supports claims of high moderni sm ideologies in his government. However, not all the policies were strictly high modern. The social reforms implemented bettered not only the peasants ideological outlook on life, improved social conditions, but also provided them with access to land. Cardenas therefore cannot be defined as high modernist given that Scott's title assets that "certain schemes to improve the human condition have failed"; yet many of the political, economic and social changes improved the condition of the Mexican people. Cardenistas believed that to improve the condition of the peasantry, that the existing ideologies had to be replaced. In particular, the ideals espoused by the church needed to be debunked and replaced by the rational views of the revolutionary party. The church represented a danger to the Cardenistas' given their views on property and social class. Becker addresses the issue of "the marriage of piety and property" with an overview of the teachings ...

Dont Be Too Eager to Publish

Dont Be Too Eager to Publish Dont Be Too Eager to Publish Dont Be Too Eager to Publish By Maeve Maddox My son gave me a mystery the other day. Hed encountered the author at Barnes and Nobles and, having chatted with the man, he felt bound to buy a copy of his book. Well call the writer Author X. Under the attractive dust jacket, the sturdy binding is stamped with the title and authors name in gilt letters. The book could have been produced by a major publisher. As soon as I read the first paragraph, however, I knew that the book had been self-published. With a bit of disguise, heres the first paragraph: The phone jingled on Butch Grands desk and jolted him out of his daydream. He had been thinking about how hot and dry the last two years had been and was hoping this year would be better. As Police Chief of Philadelphia, Mississippi, things just went better for him when it was cooler and they got some rain. The phone rang again and he took the receiver off the hook. Whats the first clue that Author X is not a professional? He tells the reader that the character is having a daydream, and then he tells what the daydream was about. An experienced writer would have placed the reader in the daydream with sensory details, and then jolted him out of it to answer the phone. An experienced writer would probably have had him answer or pick up or perhaps just start talking, and not have told us that the man took the receiver off the hook. See if you can identify any other marks of too little revision. This opening paragraph is followed by a lengthy conversation with a woman who is reporting the discovery of a body at the town dump: No, she didnt discover it, some boys did. And then she puts a boy on the phone and the police chief asks how he spells his name and then he talks to the woman again and wants to know what time she cooks supper and then he tells her that he might not be able to get to the dump right away and then he drifts off again thinking about the fact that the town hasnt had a murder in seven years and then a Hello? at the other end of the line jars him back to business and then he hangs up the receiver and sets the phone back on the desk All this has taken us to page 3. Now we learn that he warned the woman that he might be late because his department has only two patrol cars and both are out with other drivers so he goes to the cafe and gets the Sheriff to drive him to the dump and on the way he thinks about how the dump originated and what the town was like in the 1800s and then they get to the dump where the two men exchange introductions with the boys who found the body and then, finally, on page 8, we see the body. Mysteries can open in various ways. Established authors like Elizabeth George and Sara Paretsky can afford to begin with descriptions of weather and the thoughts of their characters because their readers are confident they are entering a fictional world that has entertained them in the past. First-time authors have to work harder at drawing the reader in with the first paragraph. The body does not have to appear in Chapter One, but if you decide to put it there, get on with it! Consider this opening paragraph: The bodies were discovered at eight forty-five on the morning of Wednesday 18 September by Miss Emily Wharton, a sixty-five-year-old spinster of the parish of St. Mathhews in Paddington, London and Darren Wilkes, aged ten, of no particular parish as far as he knew or cared. P.D. James, A Taste for Death. Like Author X, James delays our first look at the bodies until several pages later. We dont see them until page 9. But where Author X rambles about, talking about this and that, throwing in lengthy conversation and irrelevant detail, James uses the intervening pages to build suspense and horror in the reader. The existence of the bodies is established in the first sentence, but then James makes us wait as she reveals the relationship between the woman and the boy. The more we know about them, the more we want to know what kind of circumstances could have led them to discover dead bodies. When we finally do see the bodies, our horror is greater because we see them through gentle Miss Whartons eyes. The main problem with Author Xs story is that he was too eager to publish. He was not willing to do the revision necessary to turn a draft into a (professionally) publishable manuscript. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:When to Capitalize Animal and Plant NamesIs There a Reason â€Å"the Reason Why† Is Considered Wrong?Ulterior and Alterior

What, for Weber, are the distinctive features of the modern state and Essay

What, for Weber, are the distinctive features of the modern state and what kind of qualities are to be found in those who have a vocation for politics - Essay Example Max Weber’s lecture on ‘Politics as a Vocation’: Politik als Beruf, was given in January 1918 to the students of Munich University. In it, Weber gave his definition of the modern state from the sociological point of view, which continues to hold good in the present day context, and his conception of the person who has a genuine vocation for politics. Weber’s ideal politician is one who realistically and resolutely confronts the vicissitudes of political life and combines in himself passion and detachment, along with the ethics of ultimate means and responsibility. Weber holds that the state is a political association which cannot be circumscribed by its’ ends, as these are too varied. It can only by defined in terms of its’ employment of physical force to attain its’ ends. Weber agreed with Trotsky’s assertion that â€Å"Every state is founded on force.† The state claims its’ use of physical violence as a legitimate right and considers itself the sole arbiter of this right. Another characteristic of the state is its’ demarcation into a particular territory. In the modern state, men dominate other men. This association is reinforced by the states’ use of force when necessary. The foundation of the state is the mandatory obedience of the people who are dominated to the authority of the state. This domination is given legitimacy by three â€Å"inner justifications† – traditional, charismatic and legal. Traditional domination is that exerted by patriarchs and princes out of age old custom. Charismatic domination is based on the appeal of a magnetic personality who inspires his followers to devotion because they â€Å"believe in him.† Legal domination is based on legal decrees which are accepted and respected as valid obligations. Of course, fear of punishment for resisting authority and the hope of reward for obedience are other factors which come into play. Politically dominant

Analysis of managerial functions of an existing company Term Paper

Analysis of managerial functions of an existing company - Term Paper Example The paper is ananalysis of planning and leading techniques that form part of Borla. Planning as a core function of management remains an inevitable recipe in success (Griffin, 2012). The automobile industry remains one of the business opportunities with great challenges. Therefore, managers must make flexible and comprehensive policies, which promote successful delivery of services. Borla’s 25 years of outstanding performance has continually allowed it to expand to different markets. Evidently, no management can effectively expand its operations without succinct management plans. Same to other institutions, the planning process at Borla is top notch. The micro and macro level spectrum takes cognisance of the current market, intended recipients and long-term objectives. Borla’s search for a perfect and accessible manufacturing space has never stopped. Since conception, the company has shifted location from one place to another. Certainly, this is not a sign of weakness, but rather thestrength to find a better location for proficient production. Founded in 1979, it did not stay in New York, NY for long. In 1984, it moved to Oxnard, CA setting camp for 25 years and later moved to Johnson City, TN in 2009. Interestingly, it did not cease operations in the former cities; nevertheless, it facilitated a continuous growth in marketing and sales not forgetting R&D departments in Oxnard. Indeed, this is a clear strategic balance of growth. A good company should not move all of its operations to the next market no matter how promising it looks. Evidently, Borla’s vision is to provide world-class products that surpass customer’s expectations. For many companies, action ends in the promises; however, Borla has given assurance from differen t perspectives. Currently, the company is expanding its markets to China and Russia. Although challenges of

Daimlerchrysler Merger the Quest to Create “One Company” Essay Example for Free

Daimlerchrysler Merger the Quest to Create â€Å"One Company† Essay In order to understand and be critical on Daimler’s choice of partner, apart from the motives presented in the case, one also needs to consider the enterprise environment trends during the time. 90’s was a wave of mergers and acquisitions characterized by Cross-border ventures (Lipton M. , 2006). According to Lipton it was an era where size mattered and mergers were considered the one-way to internationalization and market expansion. Furthermore, nine of the ten largest deals in history all took place in the three-year period 1998-2000. Having established that, one can understand that Daimler was under market and investor pressure to go large. In such an environment, a European company would think of an integrative expansion to the vast US market as the best strategy (Japanese market too cultural different). So, from the choices of either founding a new subsidiary (high risk) or seeking for a JV, or an acquisition or a merger Daimler went for the merger. It was an effort to meet the environmental trend by increasing market share and to make a big impact to the larger competitors. Comparing the three great American car companies, GM was too large (in 1997 GM had $178b revenues compared to Daimler’s $71b) and difficult to control, Ford had investor issues (Ford family), but Chrysler, a similar size company, would seem the best partner. Chrysler was also ideal partner for Daimler because it had a good knowledge of the local market, which lowers the venture risk (Bartlett Beamish, 2011), and it would offer RD synergies and broaden the offered product range (Glavin W. F. , 2004). Considering all those factors I believe that Chrysler was the best choice of a partner. However, during those early stages of cross-cultural mergers and acquisitions there was little experience on making the venture work. In the appendix, I raise the main friction points and analyze how they should have been treated according to the literature. From this analysis we can see that the companies where different in all regards. In fact, seeing the range of daily activities and structure it is evident that the two companies operated in completely opposite. Thus, it was truly a â€Å"marriage of opposites†. But still this is not a strong argument for integration efforts failure. According to Bartlett Beamish persistence and willingness to evolve and adapt are the key to success in all collaborations. By looking through the friction points and what the literature suggests I tried to point who the person in charge of each process should in fact be. The company in Bold in appendix is the company that should lead the efforts in that process after the merger; due to its expertise which then would benefit the whole. It is evident that either Chrysler or both companies should manage the new company. In reality Chrysler tried to pass this through to Daimler but simply the management failed to penetrate the strong conservative culture of Daimler in the beginning and then it lacked the persistency. Then, Daimler took advantage of that weakness and it saw this merger not as a marriage of equals but as a takeover. So the greatest problem of the integration process was the combination of Chrysler’s inability to assert its processes and then Daimler’s failure to evolve, adapt and respect its ally. Question 2 In order to give advice I consider Bartlett’s Beamish’s framework on guidelines for a successful JV. First, there was a lack of proper pre-merger analysis which, had it been executed properly, would have raised early on the friction points. Secondly, there were no common objectives set and there was no plan on the course of action after the merger. The CIC and the PMI integration teams had no framework and dealt with issues as they arose, and thus were bound to fail. So, before embarking on a collaboration venture the CEOs should have thought of those steps. As we found, the inability to adapt and the cultural differences had been the main source of problems. Trust is the main fuel of collaboration and it can only be developed over time, being a result of shared experiences (Bartlett Beamish, 2011). In our case the two extremes merged one day and they were simply expected to run like clockwork. An alliance has similar benefits with a merger (Bartlett Beamish, 2011) but addresses the core problems better for the following reasons. A main benefit of an alliance is that when it is formed it has an exit clause, which allows the two companies to integrate more relaxed, and it offers a vehicle to learning and experimentation for the necessary bonds and trust to be formed. This lays the best conditions for a hybrid culture to form. Also, the companies’ operations that offer the greatest potential to synergies can be integrated, whereas the extreme opposite ones can be left to operate independently. This means that sectors such as RD can be jointed and Branding can operate independent. However, an alliance, alone, would not work for those companies as they wanted to go large. In my opinion, the best solution would be to form an alliance as a way to build on trust and learning and then as a second step, if both sides where mature, merge in common respect with clear objectives and structure.

Terry Kay’s To Dance With The White Dog Essay -- Dance With The White

Questionable Existence in Terry Kay’s To Dance With The White Dog In Terry Kay’s novel, To Dance With The White Dog, the main character Sam Peek befriends a snow white dog. The dog, affectionately called White Dog by Sam, helps to save Sam’s life many times. She is spoken of throughout the book by Sam’s children as well as by Sam in his journal entries. The main question throughout the book asks if White Dog is in fact real or is she just an illusion? There are strong facts all through the book that support White Dog’s realistic nature. Many facts throughout the duration of this book support the theory of White Dog’s existence. At the beginning of the book no one but Sam can see White Dog; however, as the book continues â€Å"his children and his grandchildren began to see White Dog, but always at a distance† (Kay 90). If White Dog had not been there when Sam passed out, he could have died in his own vomit. This is the point when the children first see White Dog. Another fact that supports this theory is the food that White Dog consumes throughout the book. B...

The Effect of Temperature and Concentration on the Rate

Evaluation Like any experiment, there were a number of potential errors during the procedure of the experiment. Errors could have arisen as a result of the uncertainties associated with the instruments I used to take measurements, and also as a result of errors associated with the actual method. Of course, due to the limitations of the procedure, they could not be eliminated completely, so I will explain what I did to reduce them to an acceptable level and how I could have improved my method to reduce them even further. Equipment justificationThe following table shows the reasons for my choice of equipment in carrying out my method. Equipment| Justification| 100 cm3 burette| I needed to accurately measure out large quantities of hydrogen peroxide (90 cm3 and 150 cm3). The 100 cm3 burette is a precise instrument and would allow me to measure out the hydrogen peroxide by filling it fewer times than I would need to with 50 cm3 burette. | 50 cm3 burette| I needed to repeatedly measure ou t small volumes of solutions A–I. The burette made the task convenient, and it is a precise instrument. 250 cm3 volumetric flask| I needed to make up a specific volume of a standard solution. The volumetric flask has a low error. | 100 cm3 volumetric flask| I needed to make up a specific volume of a standard solution. The volumetric flask has a low error. | Top pan balance| I needed to accurately weigh out small amounts of solid when making up my solutions. | 25 cm3 Mohr pipette| I used the pipette to accurately transfer sulfuric acid when making up solutions. I could not do this with a volumetric pipette, as the volume I transferred was 20 cm3. Distilled water| I used the distilled water to wash out any glassware and storage jars before using them to avoid contamination. | Crushed ice| I used the ice to cool my reactants down to 10  °C. | Water bath| I used the water bath to heat my reactants up to 30  °C, 40  °C and 50  °C. It kept the temperature constant—it does not cool down like hot water in a beaker. | Thermometer| I needed to measure the temperature of the reactants before pouring them into the beaker and stirring them. | Magnetic stirrer| I used the stirrer to ensure the reaction mixture was uniformly mixed.This was necessary to produce sharp colour changes. | Stopwatch| I used the stopwatch to record the times of the colour changes. These are the values I needed to investigate the effect of temperature and concentration on rate. | Measurement errors These are the errors associated with the equipment I used when weighing out solids, measuring volumes of liquid, recording the temperature of my reactants, and recording the times of the colour changes. Equipment| Error| 100 cm3 burette|  ±0. 2 cm3| 50 cm3 burette|  ±0. 1 cm3| 250 cm3 volumetric flask|  ±0. 3 cm3| 00 cm3 volumetric flask|  ±0. 2 cm3| 25 cm3 Mohr pipette|  ±0. 1 cm3| Top pan balance|  ±0. 005 g| Thermometer|  ±0. 5  °C| Stopwatch|  ±0. 005 s (for ins trument),  ±0. 5 s (for measurements),  ±0. 05 s (for measurements at 50  °C)| The stopwatch could record to 2 d. p. but the times I recorded were affected by my reaction time. Recording to 2 d. p. would be pointless, as I could not record that precisely. I decided to record the times to the nearest second, except for my results at 50  °C, where I recorded them to 1 d. p. because of the short duration of time between the colour changes.Percentage uncertainties Using the measurement errors, I can work out the percentage uncertainties for my measurements. I can do this using the formula: percentage uncertainty = error / value of measurement x 100% I made multiple measurements with many of the instruments I used. For these measurements, I will find the uncertainties for three of the values (the highest, the lowest and one close to the average) to give an indication of how the uncertainty changed across the range of measurements I made. Equipment| Error| Measurement| Percentage uncertainty / %| 100 cm3 burette|  ±0. cm3| 150 cm3| (I used the burette twice, so 0. 4 / 150 =) 0. 27| | | 90 cm3| 0. 22| 50 cm3 burette|  ±0. 1 cm3| 10. 00 cm3| 1. 0| | | 5. 00 cm3| 2. 0| | | 1. 00 cm3| 10| 250 cm3 volumetric flask|  ±0. 3 cm3| 250 cm3| 0. 12| 100 cm3 volumetric flask|  ±0. 2 cm3| 100 cm3| 0. 20| 25 cm3 Mohr pipette|  ±0. 1 cm3| 20 cm3| 0. 50| Top pan balance|  ±0. 005 g| 26. 75 g| 0. 02| | | 10. 7 g| 0. 05| | | 0. 85 g| 0. 59| Thermometer|  ±0. 5  °C| 50  °C| 1. 0| | | 30  °C| 1. 7| | | 10  °C| 5. 0| Stopwatch|  ±0. 5 s| 437 s| 0. 11| | | 95 s| 0. 53| | | 1 s| 50| |  ±0. 05 s (at 50  °C)| 31. 8 s| 0. 57| | | 12. 9 s| 0. 388| | | 1. 5 s| 3. 3| The percentage uncertainties varied wildly depending on the error of the instrument and the value of the measurement. The largest uncertainty (50%) came from the stopwatch when I used it to record a time of 1 s. However, this would not have affected my calculations to a great extent, as I only use d the time to calculate the blue cycle for the first oscillation. It would not have affected the value I calculated for the average oscillation period by a significant amount, and would not have noticeably affected the trends in my graphs.This applies to all uncertainties from the stopwatch. I could have recorded all my times to 1 d. p. to improve the accuracy of my calculations and draw graphs that showed a trend closer to the true one. The second most significant uncertainty (10%) was for the burette when I used it to add 1 cm3 of solution to different test tubes in order to test the effect of changing the concentration of propanedioic acid, manganese(II) sulfate(VI) and sulfuric acid. This is a very significant error that could have definitely weakened the accuracy of my results.It might explain, for instance, the wildly varying number of oscillations I observed for tests at 0. 01 M manganese(II) sulfate(VI), as well as the increased appearance of anomalous results at lower conce ntrations. Even the uncertainty for a measurement of 10 cm3 using the burette was 1%, which is significant. In order to reduce the instrumental error, I could have used a 1 cm3 pipette or syringe to measure very small volumes of solution. I could not have done much more to conveniently transfer larger volumes of solution (i. e. p to 10 cm3) while reducing the error, as even a 10 cm3 pipette has the same error as a 50 cm3 burette, and it would have been extremely time-consuming to transfer my solutions to test tubes using a 1 cm3 pipette. Still, a 1% uncertainty would not have dramatically affected my results. Another source of significant percentage uncertainties was the thermometer—at every temperature the uncertainty was above 1%. At 10  °C, it was 5%, which is particularly significant. This means that I could have started stirring the reactants at a temperature between 9. 5  °C and 10. 5  °C.However, there were no thermometers more precise than  ±0. 5  °C, so the re is not much I could have done to reduce this error. Anyway, looking back at my raw results, the times I recorded for tests at 10  °C were not particularly discordant in comparison with the results I obtained for the other temperatures. All other errors were below 1%, so were insignificant. I used the volumetric flasks correctly, using a Pasteur pipette to add the distilled water for the last centimetre below the graduation mark, checking the mark at eye level in order to make sure I stopped at the correct point.I took readings from the bottom of the meniscus at eye level when using the Mohr pipette and burettes to reduce parallax error. I had to round up the mass of manganese(II) sulfate(VI)-1-water I weighed on the top pan balance from 0. 845 g to 0. 85, so an 4 d. p. analytical balance would have been better for this, but I did not have access to one. Procedural errors These are the errors that could have arisen from the method and improper technique. When making up solutions , it is important to rinse out the glassware and other equipment with distilled water before use.This was particularly vital for the BR reaction, due to its high sensitivity to chloride ions. As mentioned in my method, I did wash out all equipment with some distilled water before putting them in contact with any reactants to minimise the risk of contamination. It would have been impossible to prevent a small amount of solution from being lost when transferring them. When transferring from a beaker through a funnel to volumetric flask, the small amount left would have led to a lower final concentration then planned. I minimised this error by washing out the beaker with distilled water three times.When pouring solution from the test tubes into the reaction beaker, a small amount is also lost. However, the amount left would have little effect on the results because it is a systematic error, i. e. it is repeated every time the solution is poured. I always inverted the volumetric flasks when making up solutions in order to ensure homogeneity. Before pouring them into the burettes, I gave the storage bottles a swirl in case the uniformity of the solution had been affected during storage. This would prevent the trials from being tested at different concentrations, which would have compromised the accuracy of my results.In addition, I used a magnetic stirrer to make sure the consistency of the solution remained even within the reaction beaker. This also meant that the colour changes were sharper. It was especially important that the blue colour change was sharp, as this is the value I used to calculate the oscillation period, and therefore, rate of reaction. However, because human reaction time is not perfect, there was always some delay between the colour change and the pressing of the stopwatch. This is why I could not record times accurate to 2 d. p.At higher temperatures, i. e. 40  °C and 50  °C, the water from the solutions in the test tubes evaporated a lot faster than at room temperature while being heated in water bath, which would have increased the concentrations of the reactants and overstated the effect of the temperature increase. I minimised this error by removing the test tubes from the water bath as soon as possible after the temperature of the reactants reached the appropriate level. Next time, I would seal the test tubes using stoppers to prevent any water vapour from escaping.Unfortunately, the reactants could not remain at their starting temperature while being stirred, as they had to be poured into a beaker and set on a magnetic stirrer. This means that during tests at 30  °C, 40  °C and 50  °C, the reactants cooled down; at 10  °C, the reactants warmed up. This would have understated the effect of temperature on rate. There was a problem with the hydrogen peroxide in the burette. Because it was stored in the fridge, it was cold when I took it out. As it warmed up, there were noticeable increases in the level of solution in the burette.Trials that were run near the start of the session may have used colder, more concentrated hydrogen peroxide, which would have affected the rate of reaction. I only took the temperature of reactants when I tested the effect of temperature. In order to resolve this problem next time, I would take out the hydrogen peroxide at the very start of the lesson and wait for it to warm up while setting up the other burettes, magnetic stirrer etc. and also take the temperature of the reactants when testing concentration to see if it might have had a secondary effect on the rate.The potassium iodate(V) was not soluble enough to make Solution F (potassium iodate(V), 0. 5 M). Although I did manage to fully dissolve it with the aid of heat, a small amount crystallised out of solution after it cooled down, which would have decreased the solution’s concentration and affected the results I obtained for the tests where I changed the concentration of potassium iodate(V) a nd sulfuric acid. Next time, I would change the experiment and run the tests at lower concentrations. Reliability My results were quite reliable, as I ran the reaction three times at each temperature and concentration.The number of oscillations was usually the same at each temperature/concentration and the times were concordant to an acceptable degree. There were a few anomalous runs, which I mentioned in my analysis section, and gave a possible explanation for above. I could have repeated the experiment a further time when I got inconsistent results, e. g. 0. 01 M manganese(II) sulfate(VI), to increase reliability. Extending the investigation The observations I made about the colours during particular runs were solely qualitative.I could broaden the scope of my investigation by using colourimetry to obtain a quantitative measurement of the colour intensity when the reaction was especially faint or dark. I could then compare it to values from the standard reaction to reinforce my ob servations. I could also use the data logger to measure the times of the colour changes. I could then compare the results from this technique to those from the stopwatch and evaluate the advantages and disadvantages to both methods, and decide which one would be better at producing accurate results.Conclusion Overall, I am satisfied that I have made valid conclusions about the effect of temperature and concentration on the rate of the Briggs–Rauscher reaction. Although I did not fully meet my aim of finding the order of reaction for every reactant, I did discover that the reaction was not typical in this sense, and that the orders of reaction could not easily be found. I did manage to justify parts of the mechanism through the qualitative observations I made.

Naeyc Code of Ethics Essay

The Code of Ethics define the core values of the field and provides guidance for what professionals should do when they encounter conflicting obligations or responsibilities in their work. In this essay I will be comparing four different codes of ethics and also reflecting their differences. The four codes involved are the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct, the Nursing Code of ethics, the National Education Association-Code of Ethics in Education Profession, and the Psychology Code of Ethics. I will talk about each code separately, as they are the same, and as they are different. I will start with the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct. This code offers guidelines for responsible behavior and sets forth a common basis for resolving the principle ethical dilemmas encountered in early childhood care and education. This code includes core values, ideals, and principles. It is broken down into four main sections. The first section refers to ethical responsibilities to children. It explains how we as early childhood educators are dedicated to support children’s development, growth, and learning. We have to be very committed to the fact that childhood is a very unique and valuable stage in the human life cycle. The second section talks about ethical responsibilities to families. Because families are of primary importance in children’s development and the early childhood practitioner has a common interest in the child’s well-being, we develop relationships of mutual trust with the families we serve. The NAEYC code then goes on to section three, it talks about ethical responsibilities to colleagues. The code refers to colleagues as co-workers, employers, and employees. It states that a caring, cooperative workplace sustains positive relationships. Human dignity should be respected and professional satisfactory shall be promoted. Lastly but not least, section four that talks about our ethical responsibilities to our community. It says that our responsibilities to the community are to provide programs that meet the diverse needs of families, cooperate with agencies and professionals that share the responsibility for children, to assist families in gaining access to professionals, and to assist in the development of community programs that are needed. Next on the list, the Nursing Code of Ethics.

Objects Commonly Left Inside the Body After Surgery

Objects Commonly Left Inside the Body After Surgery When undergoing surgery, most patients dont consider that they could leave the hospital with foreign objects in their bodies. Research studies indicate that thousands of incidents (4,500 to 6,000) of this type happen each year in the United States alone. Retained surgical instruments after surgery can cause a number of serious health issues and may even lead to death. Leaving foreign objects in a patients body is a mistake that could be avoided with the implementation of extra safety precautions. 15 Objects Commonly Left Inside the Body After Surgery Depending on the type of surgery, surgeons are estimated to use over 250 types of surgical instruments and tools during a single procedure. These objects are difficult to keep track of during surgery and are sometimes left behind. The types of surgical objects commonly left inside a patient after surgery include: spongesscalpelsscissorstowelsdrain tipsneedlesguide wiresclampstweezersforcepsscopessurgical masksmeasuring devicessurgical glovestubes The most common objects left inside a patient are needles and sponges. Sponges, in particular, are difficult to keep track of as they are used to soak up blood during surgery and tend to blend in with the patients organs and tissues. These incidences happen most often during abdominal surgery. The most common areas in which surgical objects are left inside a patient are the abdomen, vagina, and the chest cavity. Why Objects Get Left Behind Surgical objects are unintentionally left inside a patient for a number of reasons. Hospitals typically rely on nurses or technicians to keep track of the number of sponges and other surgical tools used during surgery. Human error comes into play as incorrect counts can be made due to fatigue or chaos as a result of a surgical emergency. Several factors can increase the risk that an object may be left behind after surgery. These factors include unexpected changes that occur during surgery, the patients body mass index is high, multiple procedures are needed, procedures involving more than one surgical team, and procedures involving greater blood loss. Consequences of Leaving Objects Behind The consequences of having surgical tools left inside a patients body vary from harmless to fatal. Patients may go for months or years not realizing that they have foreign surgical objects within their bodies. Sponges and other surgical implements can lead to infection, severe pain, digestive system problems, fever, swelling, internal bleeding, damage to internal organs, obstructions, loss of part of an internal organ, prolonged hospital stays, additional surgery to remove the object or even death. Cases of Objects Left Inside Patients Examples of surgical objects being left inside patients include: A patient in a Wisconsin hospital was undergoing cancer surgery and a 13-inch surgical retractor was left inside his abdomen.A six-inch metal surgical clamp was left in a mans abdomen (behind his liver) following intestinal surgery in California. Even more astonishing is that this was the second time that a clamp was left inside this same patient after surgery.Surgical scissors were left inside a woman who had undergone uterine cancer surgery.A surgical glove was left inside a woman who had undergone a hysterectomy.A two-inch scalpel was left inside the abdomen of a man who was having heart bypass surgery. Prevention Methods Large surgical instruments are not commonly left inside patients. Retained surgical sponges make up the vast majority of objects left behind after surgery. Some hospitals are using sponge-tracking technology to ensure that these items are detected and not left inside a patient. The sponges are bar-coded and scanned when they are used to reduce the risk of an inaccurate count. They are scanned again after surgery to ensure that there are no discrepancies. Another type of sponge-tracking technology involves radio-frequency tagged sponges and towels. These items can be detected by an x-ray while the patient is still in the operating room. Hospitals that use these types of surgical object tracking methods have reported a drastic reduction in the rate of reported retained surgical objects. Adopting sponge-tracking technology has also proven to be more cost-effective for hospitals than having to perform additional surgeries on patients to remove retained surgical objects. Sources Eisler, Peter. â€Å"What Surgeons Leave behind Costs Some Patients Dearly.† USA Today. Gannett, 08 Mar. 2013. Web. 6 July 2016. usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/03/08/surgery-sponges-lost-supplies-patients-fatal-risk/1969603/.Williams, T. Tung, D. et al. Retained Surgical Sponges: Findings from Incident Reports and a Cost-Benefit Analysis of Radiofrequency Technology. J Am Coll Surg. 2014 Sep;219(3):354-64. doi: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2014.03.052. Epub 2014 May 10.

Present Tense Verb Conjugations of German Regular Verbs

Present Tense Verb Conjugations of German Regular Verbs The regular German verbs follow a  predictable pattern  in the present tense. Once you learn the pattern for one regular German verb, you know how all German verbs are conjugated. Yes, there are  irregular verbs  that dont always follow the rules, but even they will usually have the same endings as the regular verbs. The majority of German verbs are regular, even though it may not seem that way since many commonly used verbs are strong (irregular) verbs. The chart below lists two sample regular German verbs. All regular German verbs will follow the same pattern. We have also included a helpful list of the more common stem-changing verbs. These are verbs that follow the normal pattern of endings, but have a vowel change in their stem or base form (hence the name stem-changing). The verb endings for each pronoun are indicated in  bold  type. The Basics Each verb has a basic infinitive (â€Å"to†) form. This is the form of the verb you find in a German dictionary. The verb â€Å"to play† in English is the infinitive form (â€Å"he playsâ€Å" is a conjugated form). The German  equivalent of â€Å"to play† is  spielen. Each verb also has a stem form, the basic part of the verb left after you remove the -en  ending. For  spielen  the stem is  spiel. To conjugate the verb- that is, use it in a sentence- you must add the correct ending to the stem. If you want to say â€Å"I play† you add an -e  ending: â€Å"ich spiele† (which can also be translated into English as â€Å"I am playing†). Each â€Å"person† (he, you, they, etc.) requires its own ending on the verb. This is called â€Å"conjugating the verb.† If you dont know how to conjugate verbs correctly it means your German will sound strange to people who understand the language. German verbs require more endings for the various â€Å"persons† than English verbs. In English we use only an  s  ending or no ending for most verbs: â€Å"I/they/we/you  play† or â€Å"he/she  plays.† German has a different ending for almost all of those verb situations:  ich spiele,  sie spielen,  du spielst,  er spielt, etc. Observe that the verb  spielen  has a different ending in most of the examples in the chart below. If you want to sound intelligent in German, you need to learn when to use which ending. Check out the chart below. Spielen / To PlayPresent Tense -  Prsens Deutsch English Sample Sentence SINGULAR ich spiele I play Ich spiele gern Basketball. du spielst you (fam.)play Spielst du Schach? (chess) er spielt he plays Er spielt mit mir. (with me) sie spielt she plays Sie spielt Karten. (cards) es spielt it plays Es spielt keine Rolle. (It doesnt matter.) PLURAL wir spielen we play Wir spielen Basketball. ihr spielt you (guys) play Spielt ihr Monoploy? sie spielen they play Sie spielen Golf. Sie spielen you play Spielen Sie heute? (Sie, formal you, is both singular and plural.) Verb Stem Ends in -d or -t Connecting -e  examplesApplies only to  du,  ihr, and  er/sie/es arbeitento work er arbeitet Arbeitest du heute? findento find du findest Findet ihr das? Also see related verb links/pages below. Now lets look at another kind of German verb, a stem-changing verb. Technically,  sprechen  (to speak) is a  strong verb, not a regular verb. But in the present tense the verb  sprechen  is regular except for a stem change from  e  to  i. That is, the verb changes its stem vowel, but the endings are the same as for any other regular verb in the present tense. Note that all stem changes only occur with the singular pronouns/person  du  and the third person singular (er,  sie,  es). The first person singular (ich) and all the plural forms do NOT change. Other stem-changing verb patterns include   a  to  Ã‚  and  e  to  ie. See the examples below.  Note that the verb endings remain normal. Sprechen/To SpeakPresent Tense -  Prsens Deutsch English Sample Sentence SINGULAR ich spreche I speak Ich spreche am Telefon. du sprichst you (fam.) speak Sprichst du am Telefon? er spricht he speaks Er spricht mit mir. (with me) sie spricht she speaks Sie spricht Italienisch. es spricht it speaks Es spricht laut. (loudly) PLURAL wir sprechen we speak Wir sprechen Deutsch. ihr sprecht you (guys) speak Sprecht ihr Englisch? sie sprechen they speak Sie sprechen Italienisch. Sie sprechen you speak Sprechen Sie Spanisch? (Sie, formal you, is both singular and plural.) Other Stem-Changing Verbs English In Use fahren drive, travel er fhrt, du fhrst geben to give es gibt, du gibst lesen to read er liest, du liest Note:  These stem-changing verbs are strong (irregular) verbs, but they have regular verb endings in the present tense.

Regulatory Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Regulatory Theory - Essay Example Due to convergence of the information and communication technologies into a common delivery model, states were forced to undertake a review of existing legislations and create a new set of guide lines not only to attract private investments but also to meet techno sociological needs of the nation. The first waves of reforms were introduced in 1990s until then telecommunications services were provided by the government under monopoly regime. Private players were allowed to enter the sector when they brought with them the mobile telephony, VoIP, broadband internet and many other value added services. This necessitated the new regulatory frame work to allow the smooth working of these operators in the marketplace. ICT technology is evolving rapidly and the world has become a global village where voice communication and transfer of data takes place at a wink of eye. Analog technologies have got replaced with more efficient digital signals and data storage. ICT networks are now currently relying more on packet switching instead of analog based circuit switching. The shift in technologies has certain implications for regulators and network operators. It will be appropriate to identify how operators are affected with these technological changes. 1. Owing to change in technologies, Network operators have to overhaul existing setup and install new equipments. This necessitates a significant capital outlay for new infrastructure. 2. Development of the Internet and digitalization of the technology has given users a greater flexibility and control over networks to use the services they require; however, operators have less control over how consumers interact with networks and utilize the services in voice and data segments. 3. The governments of the countries allocate spectrum, and often specify how the portion of the spectrum is to be used. Operators are regulated in designing their tariffs, uses and services to their customers. These decisions affect the flexibility of s pectrum in providing ICT services. The historical allocations of spectrum limit the scope for service providers to offer new innovative wireless services. Mobile internet access requires more spectrum than previously made available to the operators. Competitive market is said to be efficient and self corrective when numerous player vie for a given cake. The advantage is that competition helps achieve optimum use of resources and indulges in self correcting as per the demand of the market. Rationale for an Effective Regulator Even in a Competitive Market An effective regulatory body is required to regulate the market players which checks unfair market practices, protects consumer interest and ensures optimum use of resources in national interests. This is in the same fashion as The Bank of England regulates some of the important monetary functions such as money supply, interest rate, repo and reverse repo rate, and private banks are free to formulate their own strategies and compete within the given guidelines as per the regulatory framework enacted by the central bank. Owing to the nature of ICT technology and a host of evolving new technologies, it becomes necessary to ensure fair allocation and the optimum use of spectrum in the larger interest of nation. This also requires having a regulatory body in place to chalk out various policies, procedures, and rules which creates a healthy and competitive environment ensuring the following: 1. Allocation and management of scarce resources in the national interest. 2. Oversees the smooth expansion of ICT networks and services. 3. Creates an

Required to perform an Analysis of Variance using SPSS Essay

Required to perform an Analysis of Variance using SPSS - Essay Example The observed result is the level of sales in that locality in the fortnight following the appearance of the first advertisement. From the two way analysis of variance, it can be observed that the main effect length and media are significant. This is because the significant value of media is 0.000; the significant value of media is 0.0000 which are less than 0.05 level of confidence. This implies that there is significant difference in the main effects. The significant value of the interaction of main effect media and length is equal to 0.001 which is less than 0.05 level of confidence. This implies that there is significant difference in the interaction. The percentage of the value of sales volume accounted by the model is 78.4%. This is because that value of R-squared is equal to 0.784. From the mean comparison of the sales posted though the Tv or radio advertisement, it can be observed that the value of significant difference indicate that there is no significant difference in the mean sales of the given by either Tv or Radio. From the pairwise combination of medium and length, it can be observed that the combination of long length and radio form of advertisement give the least sales. This implies that the combination of advertisement of long length and radio is the one that cannot be used for

Bleeding Kansas and its impact on the Civil War Research Paper

Bleeding Kansas and its impact on the Civil War - Research Paper Example Settlers in the Kansas Territory were largely abolitionist, believing that slavery had no place in the territory. Missouri, a pro-slave state, argued against the admittance of Kansas as a slave-free state which escalated violence and confrontation between these two radically different regions. In 1820, the Missouri Compromise was passed, a piece of legislation that was intended to separate the pro-slave South and the anti-slave North. The Missouri Compromise banned the practice of slave ownership in what was then the Louisiana Territory north of the 36 °30†² parallel, a line of latitude that now runs through Tennessee and Kentucky. Much of what is now the state of Missouri is above this circle of latitude, which began to fuel contention and opposition nearly immediately after passing the Missouri Compromise. In political and social circles, there was much disagreement that the Missouri Compromise, which served as the first legally-created point of division between pro-slavery and anti-slavery opposition, would ultimately lead to the destruction of the fledgling Union. Offered Thomas Jefferson in a letter to John Holmes, a renowned U.S. Senator, â€Å"A geographical line, coinciding with a marked principle†¦once conceived and held up to the angry passions of men, will never be obliterated; and every new irritation will mark it deeper and deeper† (Peterson, 1960, p.548). ... The Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed settlers to establish their own governments and determine whether they would be pro- or anti-slave states. Now, in 1854, a new form of resentment and antagonism was building in the nation about the viability and ethical implications of slavery as a future national scenario, a point of controversy that led to the historical situation today referred to as Bleeding Kansas. The Local and National Mechanisms leading to Bleeding Kansas The most notable character fuelling the Bleeding Kansas scenario was U.S. Democratic Senator Stephen A. Douglas (Illinois) who designed and advocated the passing of the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854. The country, in need of expansion to fuel a growing and incomplete national economy, intended to terminate the Missouri Compromise so as to open new farming lands and ensure development of a more efficient and nationally-connected Transcontinental Railroad. Though a very ambitious piece of legislation, the influence of a democratica lly-dominant Senate continued to exert the notion of Popular Sovereignty, a belief that individual citizens maintained the right and determination to establish their own form of self-government separate from the Federal system. Stephen A. Douglas understood that many states and territories had well-established social and political sentiment about the viability of engaging in slavery, with a deep and growing division of sentiment that complicated creating relevant laws produced in the nation’s capital. Government representatives were regularly victims of anti-government sentiment during this time period as regardless of whether the government supported or refuted the relevance of slavery, pro- and anti-slavery advocates (abolitionists) continued to apply

Obesity: History, BMI Classification, Determinants and Effects

Obesity: History, BMI Classification, Determinants and Effects OBESITY Obesity is fast becoming a serious epidemic in the United States due partly to eating habits and physical inactivity amongst Americans. According to the Centre for Disease Control, Seventy-three percent of adults and 43 percent of all children in the United States are overweight or obese. Among African-Americans 20 years and over, more than two-thirds are overweight or obese (Gaines, 2010). Generally, the rate of overweight and obesity are higher for African-American and Hispanic women than Caucasian women, higher in the south and Midwest and increases with age (Ogden et al., 2014; Gregg et al., 2009; Sherry et al., 2010). According to the World Health Organization, body mass index (BMI) of an obese person has a value greater than or equal to thirty. Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure are two diseases that ultimately affect African Americans and this is predominantly caused by an increase in weight as those extra pounds predisposes a person to these diseases (Gaines, 2010). Obes ity is one of the primary risk factor for heart diseases, diabetes and a number of cancers and these are major causes of death in American today. The health implication of obesity and the complications associated with it is increasingly becoming more detrimental than cigarette smoking and has therefore become one of the major preventable causes of death worldwide. This investigation paper focuses on the brief history of obesity; this will take obesity from its discovery over 2000 years to this present day. An understanding of the BMI classification, aetiological determinants, pathophysiology and health effects is important if obesity prevalence will be curtailed. Furthermore, the socio economic impact of obesity management on the United States economy will be looked into. Finally, its treatment options, prevention and trends of the disease will be discussed. HISTORY OF OBESITY The Ancient Greeks were the first to acknowledge obesity as a health disorder and this was further recognized by the Ancient Egyptians in a similar way. According to Hippocrates, corpulence is not only a disease itself, but the harbinger of other diseases (Haslam & James, 2005). Hippocrates which was the Ancient Greek Father of Western medicine acknowledged obesity in his work and details of various diseases including diabetes was first given by him. Another Indian surgeon Sushruta, also discovered the association between obesity, diabetes and heart diseases and he was the first person to find out the significant signs, symptoms, causes and health implications. In the Ancient days, man always strived for food due to scarcity or famine and this resulted in obesity being regarded as a sign of wealth and good fortune in the middle age. However, all this changed when the scientific society of the 20th century revealed the medical implications of obesity (Caballero B., 2007) With the inception of the industrial revolution, body size and strength of soldiers and workers became pertinent as this was attributed to the military and economic power of Nations (Caballero, 2007). The increase in the average body mass index from underweight to the normal on the BMI charts played an important role in the development of industrialized societies (Caballero, 2007).   Therefore in the 19th century, there was an increase in weight and height generally. However, during the 20th century, the genetic potentials for height was reached and this resulted to weight increasing more than height in this century and thus resulted in the average increase in BMI (Caballero, 2007). In human evolution, for the first time, the number of adults with excess weight exceeded the number of those who were underweight which further led to obesity (Caballero, 2007). The perceptions of the public as regards healthy body weight varied from those regarded as normal in the western society, but this perception was changed in the beginning of the 20th century. There was a reduction in the weight seen as normal since 1920s and this was evident by the 2% increase in average height of the Miss America pageant winners and a 12% decrease in weight between year 1922 and 1999 (Rubinstein & Caballero, 2000). Also, the perception of most people as regards healthy weight has changed, for example in Britain the weight at which people regarded themselves to be overweight was considerably higher in 2007 than in 1999 (Johnson & Wardle, 2008). Obesity is still regarded as an indication of wealth and well-being in many parts of Africa and this has become more widespread since the HIV epidemic began (Haslam & James, 2005). BODY MASS INDEX (BMI) CLASSIFICATION According to the World Health Organization, Body Mass Index (BMI) is a simple index of weight-for-height that is commonly used to classify underweight, normal weight, overweight and obesity in adults. It is defined as the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in metres (kg/m2) (W.H.O. 2004). For example, an adult who weighs 60kg and whose height is 1.65m will have a BMI of 22.0. BMI = 60 kg / (1.65 m2) = 60 / 2.72 = 22.04 LEAN BODY MASS Lean Body Mass is a component of body composition, it is calculated by subtracting body fat weight from total body weight. Total body weight is lean plus fat. In equations: LBM = BW − BF Lean Body Mass equals Body Weight minus Body Fat LBM + BF = BW Lean Body Mass plus Body Fat equals Body Weight Lean Body Weight (men) = (1.10 x Weight(kg)) 128 ( Weight2/(100 x Height(m))2) Lean Body Weight (women) = (1.07 x Weight(kg)) 148 ( Weight2/(100 x Height(m))2) Ideal Body Weight (men) = 50 + 2.3 ( Height(in) 60 ) Ideal Body Weight (women) = 45.5 + 2.3 ( Height(in) 60 ) Body Mass Index = Weight(kg) / Height(m)2 The table below further explains the classification of BMI in relation to the weight and height of an individual. Table 1: The International Classification of adult underweight, overweight and obesity according to BMI Source: Adapted from WHO, 1995, WHO, 2000 and WHO 2004. BMI values are age dependent and are the same for both males and females (WHO, 2000). The health risks associated with increasing BMI are many and the interpretation of BMI values in relation to risk may vary for different populations in different geographical locations (WHO, 2004). AETIOLOGY DETERMINANTS OF OBESITY Obesity is a heterogeneous group of conditions with numerous causes, it is not merely a single disorder and it is predominantly expressed phenotypically (Susan A.J, 1997). Obesity is hereditary, but the genetic component does not follow simple Mendelian principles and the effect of the genotype on the aetiology of obesity may be decreased or increased by factors that are non-genetic (Susan A.J, 1997). Several factors determine the body weight, and these are interactions of genetic, environmental and psychosocial factors which are in relation to the amount of energy consumed and the amount of energy expended and the resulting acting through the physiological mediators Table 1: The International Classification of adult underweight, overweight and obesity according to BMI of energy intake and energy expenditure and the resulting equilibrium between both (Susan A.J, 1997). ENDOCRINE AND HYPOTHALAMIC DISORDERS Certain endocrinological disorders may lead to obesity, but this applies to a very small percentage of the total number of cases (Susan A.J, 1997). The endocrinological determinants of obesity have been reviewed recently (Bouchard C., Perusse L., Leblanc C., Tremblay A, & Theriault, 1988). The single disorder that causes obesity in this group is hypothyroidism in which increased weight occurs largely as a result of reduced energy expenditure (Susan A.J, 1997). Other endocrinological factors contributing to obesity include Cushing’s syndrome and disorders of corticosteroid metabolism, where weight gain is typically accompanied by a distinctive prototype of fat deposition in the trunk, sex hormone disorders including hypogonadism in men and ovariectomy in women, insulinoma and growth hormone deficiency (Susan A.J, 1997). The key causes of weight gain in these cases are the amount of energy intake. Certain hypothalamic tumors or damage to the hypothalamic part of the brain as a result of excessive exposure to radiation, infectious agents or head trauma can also lead to obesity with defect in appetite control and hyperphagia (Susan A.J, 1997). A hypothalamic disorder is also believed to be the foundation of a number of congenital abnormalities which could also result in obesity, e.g. Prader-Willi syndrome, which is an abnormality that could be a primary cause of obesity (Susan A.J, 1997). GENETIC INFLUENCE At a population level, the genetic influence of obesity is expressed in terms of heritability (Susan A.J, 1997). This refers to the percentage of the total difference in a character which is attributable to genetic factors (Susan A.J, 1997). The heritability of obesity may be considered either in terms of the total fatness of an individual or the distribution of body fat in an individual (Susan A.J, 1997). Several discoveries have been made over the years regarding the influence of genetics on chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease and obesity (R. C. Whitaker, J.A. Wright, M.S. Pepe, K.D. Seidel, &W.H. Dietz., 1997). Recent reports indicate that at least 32 genes contribute to common forms of obesity. Many of these genes are thought to be related to the development of obesity through the deregulation metabolic hormones in the body (Susan A J, 1997).   The obesity related variant in the fat mass and obesity-associated protein also known as alpha-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase FTO, has aroused interest in pediatrics due to its relationship with increased weight and ponderal index at 2 weeks of age (A. Lopez-Bermejo, C.J. Petry, M. Diaz, et al., 2008). FTO is located on the long arm of the chromosome 16 and is expressed in the brain, specifically the hypothalamic nuclei (Khung E. Rhee et al. 2012). Those who are homogenous for the at-risk allele have been found to be 3kg heavier than those who do not have the allele (T.M. Frayling, N. J. Timpson, M. N. Weedon et al. 2007). This weight gain is likely due to the gene’s involvement in the regulation of energy intake (Khung E. Rhee et al. 2012). According to recent studies, individuals carrying the at-risk allele prefer dense energy foods (J.E Cecil, R. Tavendale, P. Watt, M. M. Hetherington, & C.N.A Palmer, 2008), have reduced feeling of satiety (J. Wardle, S. Carnell, C.M.A. Haworth, I.S. Farooqi, S. O’Rahilly, & R. Plomin, 2008), display loss of control over eating (M. Tanofsky-Kraff, J.C. Han, K. Anandalingam et al. 2009), consume more fat and calories (even after adjusting for BMI) (N. J. Timpson, P.M. Emmett, T.M. Frayling, et al. 2008) and display a greater tendency towards consuming palatable foods after eating a meal (J. Wardle, C.Llewellyn, S. Sanderson, & R. Plomin, 2009). Therefore, FTO isn’t associated with energy expenditure, but it increases the susceptibility of individuals to higher calorie consumption and decreased satisfaction. A meta- analysis of 45 studies found that adults who were physically active attenuate the odds of obesity associated with FTO by almost 30% (T.O. Kilpelainen, L. Qi, S. Brage, et al. 2011). Thus carrying a gene for obesity does not necessarily predestine one to be obese (D. Meyre, K. Proulx, H. Kawagoe-Takaki et al. 2010), but rather increases the risk in the face of an obesogenic environment (Khung E. Rhee et al. 2012). Numerous studies in different ethnic groups suggest that the familial correlation in the total body fatness, expressed as body mass index, (BMI; kg/m2) from parent to offspring is about 0.2 and for sibling-sibling relationships about 0.25 (Bouchard C, Perusse L, Leblanc C, Tremblay A, Theriault G. 1988). As would be expected, studies of twins show a much higher concentration, particularly in monozygotic pairs (Susan A.J, 1997). However, these findings do not segregate the independent effects of genetic transmission and a shared environment (Susan A.J, 1997). Further studies of twins reared apart attribute 50-70% of the difference in BMI in later life to genetic factors (Stunkard A, Harris J, Pedersen N, McClearn G. 1990). Adoption studies, where an individual is compared both to their biological parent and their adopted parents, have also demonstrated the importance of genetic influences (Susan A.J, 1997). There is a strong relationship between the BMI of the adoptee and their biological parents across the entire range of fatness, but no relationship between the adoptee and their adoptive parents (Stunkard A, Sorensen T, Hanis C. et al. 1986). Studies of fat distribution have considered both the ratio of subcutaneous to total fat mass and the distribution of subcutaneous fat in the trunk relative to the limbs (Susan A.J, 1997). Data from the Quebec Family Study, suggest that the size of the internal fat stores are more strongly influenced by genetic factors than subcutaneous depots (Bouchard C., Perusse L., Leblanc C., Tremblay A, Theriault, 1988). Familial clustering suggests that genetic factors may account for 37% of the variance in the trunk to extremity skin fold thickness ratio (Rice T, Bouchard C, Perusse L, Rao D. 1995). These combined evidence from these genetic analysis suggests that obesity is a polygenic disorder and that a considerable proportion of the variance is non-additive (Susan A.J, 1997). This would explain the higher correlations between siblings than those between parent and offspring, and the 2-fold greater correlation between monozygotic than dizygotic twins (Susan A.J, 1997). These genetic influences seem to operate through susceptible genes; the occurrence of the gene increases the risk of developing a characteristic but not essential for its expression nor is it, in itself, sufficient to explain the development of the disease (Susan A.J, 1997). Unlike animal models, where a number of single genes can lead to obesity, no human obesity gene has yet been characterized, but the heterogeneous nature of human obesity does not preclude the identification of small number of individuals with a single defect which leads to obesity (Susan A.J, 1997). In man, a number of genetically determined conditions result in excess body weight or fatness (e.g Prader-Willi syndrome or Bardet-Biedl syndrome), but these account for only a very small proportion of the obese population (Susan A.J, 1997). PHYSIOLOGICAL MEDIATORS Energy expenditure Studies in animals have postulated that at the time of overfeeding, a remarkable increase in metabolic rate may deplete the excess energy thus reducing the rate of weight gain below theoretical values (Rothwell N., Stock M., 1983). Genetically obese animals tend to gain more weight than their lean controls even when they are pair-fed, thus implying a greater metabolic rate (Thurby P., Trayhurn P., 1979). One possible explanation for this effect is the decrease in diet-induced thermogenesis which is lessened in animal models of obesity due to a decrease in the sympathetic activation of brown adipose tissue (Rothwell N., Stock M., 1983). These unequivocal effects on energy expenditure in obese animals contrast with the paucity of evidence in humans (Susan A Jebb, 1997). Susan A.J (1997) stated that in obese humans, there have been constant reports of abnormally low energy intake which indirectly imply that there must be a defect in energy expenditure. There are three basic elements to energy expenditure which have each been the focus of extensive research. Basal Metabolic Rate In 1997, Susan A Jebb defined basal or resting metabolic rate as the energy expended by an individual at rest, following an overnight fast and at a comfortable environmental temperature in the thermo neutral range. Several studies of basal metabolic rate have concluded that obese subjects have a higher BMR compared to their lean counterparts. Researchers like Swinburn B. & Ravussin E, reported that approximately 80% of the inter- individual variance in BMR can be accounted for by age, fat-free mass, fat mass and gender. Nevertheless, this still gives room for some likelihood that inter-individual difference in BMR which may influence individuals with a relatively low BMR to become obese (Susan A. Jebb, 1997). Diet induced thermogenesis A number of studies have suggested that the post-prandial increase in energy expenditure is attenuated in obese subjects, perhaps due to decreased Sympathetic Nervous System activity (Astrup A. 1996). Similar effects have also been demonstrated in the post-obese. However this is not a consistent finding, even among studies from the same laboratory. A recent review by Ravussin E. & Swinburn B. (1993) identified 28 studies in favour of a defect in thermogenesis in humans and 17 against. However, since thermogenesis accounts for only a fraction of total energy expenditure (approximately 10%), the potential for a significant effect on total energy expenditure is insufficient (Susan A. Jebb 1997). Physical activity The most significant component of energy expenditure is physical activity which may represent 20-50% of total energy expenditure. Studies of fidgeting movements in Pima Indians within a whole-body calorimeter have shown significant inter-individual variations in the daily energy cost of these actions from 400-3000 kJ/day, with low levels predictive of subsequent weight gain at least in males but not females (Zurlo F., Ferraro R., Fontvielle A. et. al. 1988). However, in free-living conditions, the freedom to undertake conscious physical activity or exercise increases the inter-individual variability even further (Susan A Jebb). Research in this area has been hampered by imprecision in the methods to measure physical activities which have included various actometers, heart rate monitoring, activity diaries and direct observation (Susan A. Jebb, 1997). The energy requirements of an individual encompass the summation of basal expenditure, thermogenesis and physical activity. A whole-body calorimeter can be used to measure the total energy expenditure of an individual. The analysis of total energy expenditure in 319 obese subjects clearly demonstrates a significant increase in energy expenditure with increasing body weight such that individuals with a BMI in excess of 35 kg/m2 have energy expenditure approximately 30% higher than those with BMI less than 25 kg/m2 (Susan A Jebb, 1997). The outstanding difficulty with these studies , as stated by Susan A. Jebb in 1997 is that the increase in energy expenditure seen in obese subjects as a result of their increased body size may mask pre-existing metabolic defects in the pre-obese state which exposes the individual to excessive weight gain. However, in experimental overfeeding researches, there is no remarkable difference in the degree of weight gain between lean and obese subjects when matched for their excess energy intake (Diaz E. Prentice A. M et. al. 1992).   Studies of total energy expenditure in post-obese subjects have not arrived at a definite conclusion; some studies show no difference in energy expenditure in the post-obese relative to never-obese controls (Goldberg G.R., et. al. 1991), whilst others show a modest suppression of energy expenditure (Geissler C. Miller D., Shah M. 1987). In general, there is little evidence to support the hypothesis that human obesity may be due to a specific defect in energy expenditure in predisposed individuals (Susan A Jebb, 1997). Susan A Jebb further stated that advocates of a metabolic basis to obesity, argue that only very small differences in energy expenditure are neccessary to produce significant weight gain over many years, and this difference may be lower than the limits of precision of even the most advanced methodology. Energy Intake The failure to identify a defect in the metabolic control of energy expenditure and the contrary observation of high levels of energy expenditure, and the contrary observation of high levels of energy expenditure in obese subjects has led to a focus on food intake to explain the aetiology of obesity (Susan A Jebb, 1997). The increase in energy expenditure associated with the development of obesity should automatically help to prevent continued weight gain; hence the failure of this auto-regulatory system suggests that there must be a considerable error in the regulation of food intake (Susan A Jebb, 1997). Furthermore, habitually lean individuals are able to regulate intake to match energy requirements over a wide range of energy requirements yet those who become obese seem unable to achieve this balance (Susan A Jebb, 1997).   Breakthrough in discerning the role of energy intake in the aetiology of obesity has been critically disconcerted by under-reporting which is now largely recognized as a feature of obesity (Susan A Jebb, 1997). Comparisons of energy intake and energy expenditure indicate consistent shortfalls in self-reported intake, averaging approximately 30% of energy requirements in obese subjects (Prentice A.M., Black A.E., Coward W.A., 1986; Lichtman S., Pisarska K., Berman E., et al., 1993). This phenomenon also extends to post-obese subjects and to others who may be very weight conscious (Susan A Jebb, 1997). Under-reporting may be cause by several factors and it is natural for individuals to change their eating pattern when they are to record their food intake.   This is usually associated with a reduction in intake as subjects consciously or sub-consciously adopt a self-imposed ‘diet’. (Susan A Jebb, 1997). Therefore they might give accurate results about their intake for that duration, but it may not be a true representation of their habitual pattern. Forgetfulness, underestimation of meal size and lack of basic knowledge of food consumption can also lead to under-reporting. Although, it is possible to have falsification and fabrication of dietary records, there are also instances of self-deception or deliberate manipulation of dietary records. Recent research into the appetite control system by Blundell J.; Bouchard C., Bray G. (1996), has identified a network of synchronous interactions which govern eating behavior. These effects are mediated through the central nervous system particularly the hypothalamus, where a number of neuropeptides appear to regulate feeding behavior via effects on hunger and satiety (Susan A Jebb, 1997). Laboratory studies of feeding behavior by Spiegel T., et al., in 1989, proposed that, following a convert energy preload, obese subject may be less able to accurately compensate for the energy content of the preload at a subsequent meal than lean subjects. However, these studies are usually of short duration in laboratory settings and may not accurately reflect eating behavior in a naturalistic setting, where knowledge of foods consumed and conditioned learning may invoke other regulatory processes (Susan A Jebb, 1997). There is also significant evidence that the individual macronutrients (protein, fat, carbohydrate and alcohol) have different influences on eating behavior, majorly due to their effects on satiety (Stubbs R., 1995). Experimental studies of manipulated foods and retrospective analyses of dietary records suggest that protein is the most satiating (DeCastro J., 1987; Hill A., Blundell J., 1990). Carbohydrate is also an efficient inhibitor of later food consumption, at least in the short terms, meal-to-meal context (Rolls B., et al. 1994). Fat seems to have a satiating capacity (Lawton C., Burley V., 1993). Fat hyperphagia occurs during a single meal due to subjects overeating high fat foods and is also known as passive over consumption. In 1994, Poppitt S., stated that fat has two times the energy per gram of carbohydrate or protein which may be due to the level of energy density and not necessarily a characteristic of dietary fat. Appetite is said to be stimulated by alcohol and according to DeCastro J & Orozco (1990), in free living circumstances, alcohol consumption with meals is associated with higher energy intakes, but this may also reflect that alcohol is more likely to be consumed on special occasions which in themselves are associated with increased food intake. Basically, taste preference can have an effect on the amount of food consumed and the kind of food.   The individual preference for certain meals would make them more likely to consume more of that meal. Therefore, sensory preferences plays a role on energy balance since is it associated with energy intake. According to Witherley S, Pangborn R & Stern J (1980), several reports of sensory preferences for particular food groups in association with obesity, but inter-subject variability is so great as to obscure any underlying obese-lean differences. The relationship between sensory preference for fat versus sugar and BMI was pinpointed by Drewnowski in 1992. Obese women had preference for foods with high fat to sugar ratio while women with low BMI had preference for high sugar to fat ratio, therefore increase in weight is closely related to increase for fatty foods. Eating frequency has effect on weight gain, because people who eat several small meals at intervals have less weight than those that eat fewer meals in larger quantity and therefore large quantity of food consumed at a time may be a risk factor for obesity, however, studies as regards this, showed no remarkable relationship (Bellisle F, McDevitt R, Prentice A.M. 1997). Research in this area is contradicted by under-reporting of food consumption in obese subjects and by post-hoc variations in eating patterns as a result of obesity and efforts to control weight (Susan A Jebb, 1997). Eating frequency in obese subjects is however an unreliable blueprint to the eating patterns involved in the aetiology of obesity (Susan A Jebb, 1997). ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCE Obesogenic environment which was first coined in the 1990s, in a bid to explain the present obesity epidermic. According to King D (2007), obesogenic environment is the sum of the influences that the surroundings, opportunities or conditions of life have on promoting obesity in individuals and populations. This encompasses the cultural, social and infrastructural conditions that affect the ability of a person to embrace a healthy lifestyle. Individuals in a population respond to unhealthy environment and the more urbanized the environment, the more individuals are pressurized to adopt unhealthy habits. The pressure from the surrounding makes it difficult for individuals to change their lifestyle and practice healthy habits when the environment itself is unhealthy. Environmental factors may have a critical effect in the development of obesity by unmasking genetic or metabolic susceptibilities (Susan A.J, 1997). Environmental influences on diet involve a wide range of factors including accessibility to food and high calorie drinks. Eating habits are commonly influenced by the availability and accessibility of unhealthy food, which is an important consideration in the effect on obesity. Studies in the United States recommend that the availability of high quality, affordable ‘healthy’ food is limited for people who reside in low-income communities and such scarcity is associated with unhealthy diet and obesity (White 2007) .However despite several epidemiological studies that shows environmental influences play an important role in the aetiology of obesity, it is a fact that some people within the same ‘unhealthy environment’ still managed to maintain a healthy weight (Susan A.J, 1997). PSYCHO-SOCIAL INFLUENCES Food is sometimes used as a coping mechanism by individuals with weight issues, especially when they are unhappy, nervous, stressed, bored and depressed. In many obese individuals there seems to be a perpetual cycle of mood disturbance, overeating, and weight gain (Jennifer C. Collins & Jon E. Bentz 2009). When they feel frustrated, they rely on food for comfort, even though this coping mechanism may pacify their mood, the resultant weight gain that results may cause a dysphoric mood due to their inability to control their stress (Jennifer C. Collins & Jon E. Bentz, 2009). Eventually a guilty feeling may restart the cycle and might steer a habitual pattern of eating food to get comfort. This habitual pattern is specifically significant if there is a genetic risk factor for obesity or an ‘obesogenic’ environment where foods high in calorie & density are readily accessible and sedentary lifestyle is present. Regrettably, these situations are popular in America. In addition to depression and anxiety, other risk factors include problematic eating behaviors such as â€Å"mindless eating,† frequent snacking on high calories foods, overeating, and night eating (Glinski J., Wetzler S., Goodman E.2001). American Psychiatric Association has currently included Binge eating disorder (BED) in an appendix of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) and is characterized by: recurrent episodes of eating during a discrete period of time (at least 2 days a week over a 6 month period); eating large quantity of food than majority of the people would eat at the same time; a feeling of loss of control during the episodes; and guilt or distress following the episodes (Jennifer C. Collins & Jon E. Bentz, 2009). According to Wadden T.A., Sarwer D. B., Fabricatore A. N., Jones L., Stack R., & Williams N.S (2007), BED is estimated to occur in approximately 2% of the general population and between 10% and 25% of the bariatric population. An important differentiation pointed out by the American Psychiatric Association, between BED and bulimia/anorexia is that BED is not associated with any regular compensatory behaviors, such as purging, fasting, or excessive exercise. It can therefore be implied that the majority of individuals with BED are overweight. Night eating, which was first identified in 1955 as another disorder that can lead to remarkable weight gain, though night eating syndrome (NES) is not currently recognized by the American Psychiatric Association as a distinct diagnosis in the DSM-IV-TR. Night eating syndrome is characterized by excessive late night consumption (> 35% of daily calories after the evening meal), unhealthy eating patterns, â€Å"morning anorexia,† insomnia, and distress (Stunkard A. J., Grace W. J. & Wolff H. G. 1955). NES occurs in approximately 1% of the general population and an estimated 5-20% of the bariatric population (Wadden T.A., Sarwer D. B., Fabricatore A. N., Jones L., Stack R., & Williams N.S. 2007). More recently, NES has been seen as a disorder of circadian rhythm that includes a delay of appetite in the mornings and the continuation of appetite and over consumption of food during the night (Jennifer C. Collins & Jon E. Bentz, 2009). PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF OBESITY There are several possible pathophysiological mechanisms involved in the advancement and prolongation of obesity. This field of research had been almost unapproached until the leptin gene was discovered in 1994 by J. M. Friedman’s laboratory (Zhang, Y., Proenca, R., Maffei, M., Barone, M., Leopold, L., Friedman, J.M., 1994). These researchers proposed that leptin was a satiety element. However, soon after J. F. Caro’s laboratory could not ascertain any mutations in the leptin gene in humans with obesity. In 1995, Considine, RV; Considine, EL; Williams, CJ; Nyce, MR; Magosin, SA; Bauer, TL; Rosato, EL; Colberg, J., & Caro, J.F. proposed a contrary view that Leptin expression was increased, postulating the possibility of Leptin-resistance in human obesity. Since the discovery of leptin, insulin, ghrelin, orexin, cholecystokinin, adipokines, peptide tyrosine tyrosine, as well as many other mediators have been researched. The adipokines are intermediators produced by adipose tissue; their action is thought to revise many obesity-related diseases. Leptin and ghrelin are considered to be interrelated in their effect on appetite, with ghrelin produced by the stomach regulating short-term appetitive control (i.e. hunger pangs when the stomach is empty and satiety when the stomach is stretched). Leptin is created by adipose tissue to signal fat storage reservoirs in the body, and mediates long-term appetitive controls (i.e. to eat more when fat storages are low and less when fat storages are high). Although administration of leptin may be effective in a small subset of obese humans who have deficiency in leptin, most obese humans are considered to be leptin resistant and have been found to have high levels of leptin (Hamann A., & Matthaei S. 1996). This resistance is thought to explain in part why administration of leptin has not been shown to be effective in suppressing appetite in most obese people (Flier J.S. 2004). Leptin and ghrelin act on the hypothalamus and are produced peripherally. They control appetite through their actions on the central nervous system. They act on the hypothalamus, a region of the brain central to the coordination of food consumption and energy expenditure. There are several circuits within the hypothalamus that contribute to its performance in integrating appetite, the melanocortin pathway being the most well understood (Flier J.S. 2004). The circuit starts with an region of the hypothalamus, the arcuate nucleus, that has outputs to the lateral hypothalamus (LH) and ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH), the brains feeding and satiety centers, respectively (Boulpaep, Emile L., Boron, & Walter F. 2003). According to Flier J.S. (2004), the arcuate nucleus contains two distinct groups of neurons; the first group co expresses neuropeptide Y (NPY) and agouti-related peptide (AgRP) and has stimulatory inputs to the LH and inhibitory inputs to the VMH and the second group coexpresses pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) and cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) and has stimulatory inputs to the VMH and inhibitory inputs to the LH (Flier J.S. 2004). Consequently, NPY/AgRP neurons stimulate feeding and inhibit satiety, while POMC/CART neurons stimulate satiety and inhibit feeding (Flier J.S. 2004). Both groups of arcuate nucleus neurons are regulated in part by leptin. Leptin inhibits the NPY/AgRP group while stimulating the POMC/CART group (Flier J.S. 2004).   Researches done by Flier J.S., 2004, thus concluded that a deficiency in leptin signaling, either via leptin deficiency or leptin resistance, leads to overfeeding and may account for some genetic and acquired forms of obesity. EFFECT ON HEALTH Obesity is a severe medical condition and a chronic health issue worldwide. The association between body weight and mortality is a subject of concern, especially in regards to the optimal weight for longevity (JoAnn E. Manson, M.D., Walter C. Willett, M.D., et al, 1995). The significance of understanding the true relationship between weight and mortality is underlined by the increasing prevalence of obesity in the United States (Kuczmarski RJ, et al, 1994) especially women (Harlen WR, et al, 1988). Obesity is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (e.g., heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure), diabetes (e.g. type 2 diabetes), musculoskeletal disorders (e.g., osteoarthritis), some cancers (e.g., endometrial, breast, and colon cancer), high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides, liver and gallbladder diseases, sleep apnea and respiratory problems, reproductive health complications such as infertility and mental health conditions (WHO, 2012). Obesity and Cancer Obese people are more vulnerable to cancer and their prognosis is extremely worse when diagnosed. Men that are obese are 33% more likely to die from cancer and obese women also have a 50% higher likelihood of dying from breast cancer (Weight Management Centre, 2010). Additional to obesity, cancer has recently been linked to diet and physical activity status (Bray 2004, Barnard 2004, Wiseman 2008). The cancers most significantly associated with obesity in women are cervical, uterine, kidney, breast and endometrial cancer and in men are colon, pancreatic and liver cancer (Calle, Rodriguez, Walker-Thurmond & Thun 2003). One study, using National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results data, estimated that in 2007 in the United States, about 34,000 new cases of cancer in men (4 percent) and 50,500 in women (7 percent) were due to obesity. The percentage of cases attributed to obesity varied widely for different cancer types but was as high as 40 percent for some cancers, particularly endometrial cancer and esophageal adenocarcinoma (National Cancer Institute, 2012). Obesity and cardiovascular disorders Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the major cause of death in U.S. Obese people are more liable to die from CVD largely due to accelerated atherosclerosis, hyperlipidaemia, loss of glyceamic control and hypertension. Until recently the relationship between obesity and coronary heart disease was viewed as indirect, i.e., through covariates related to both obesity and coronary heart disease risk (Lew E.A., Garfinkel L., 1979) including hypertension; dyslipidemia, particularly reductions in HDL cholesterol; and impaired glucose tolerance or non–insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Insulin resistance and accompanying hyperinsulinemia are typically associated with these comorbidities (Reaven G.M., 1988). Although most of the comorbidities linking obesity to coronary artery disease increase as BMI increases, they also relate to the total distribution of body fat. Long-term longitudinal studies, however, indicate that obesity as such not only relates to but independently predicts coronary atherosclerosis (Manson J.E., et al., 1995; Garrison R. J., et al. 1985; Rabkin S.W., 1977). Messerli F. H. (1982) stated that left ventricular hypertrophy is mostly seen in patients with obesity and is related to systemic hypertension and may be related to the severity of obesity. Hypertension is approximately three times more commonly found in obese individuals than normal-weight persons (Van Itallie T.B., 1985). This relationship may be directly related such that when weight increases, there is an increase in blood pressure (Kannel W.B., Brand N., et al., 1967) and when weight decreases, blood pressure also decreases (Reisin E., Frohlich E.D., et al., 1983). Obesity and mental health Individuals diagnosed with obesity tend to be less favorable on all levels of the psychological assessment and may exhibit several symptoms ranging from mere sadness to chronic depression. Evident are more episodes of mood swings, anxiety, personality and eating disorders, basically related to or associated with obesity experienced by individuals with obesity (Pickering, Grant, Chou, Compton 2007). Obesity may be an inception of psychiatric manifestations and vice versa and is related to psychosocial deterioration and bias based on weight. This comprises of loss of self-worth, and reduced self-esteem associated with stigmatization. Stigmatization can further lead to desolation and withdrawal and thus many obese individuals seek solace in binge eating, thereby gaining more weight. Based on reports from Roberts, Deleger, Strawbridge & Kaplan 2003; Herva, Laitinen, Miettunen, Veijola, Karvonen & Lasky 2006; Kasen, Cohen, Chen &Must 2008, concern, shame and guilt associated with low self-worth, which is finally related to excessive food consumption completes the obesity-mental disorder circle. There is bias and discrimination associated with obesity. They generally report reduced quality of life and functional wellbeing, collectively called Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) (Puhl & Brownell 2001; Wadden & Phelan 2002). This relationships is majorly expressed by women (Fontaine 2001) and for people with severe obesity (Hudson, Hiripi, Pope & Kessler 2007; Scott, Bruffaerts, Siomn, Alonso, Angermeyer, de Girolamo et al. 2008). Obesity and diabetes Diabetes is usually a terminal illness. i.e. it is a lifelong chronic disease characterized by high levels of sugar in the blood. One of the major risk factors for diabetes is obesity. Obesity is directly associated with Diabetes 2. The association between obesity and type 2 diabetes are firmly established and without the intervention of a healthy diet and proper exercise, obesity can lead to type 2 diabetes over a very short period of time.   In fact, obesity is believed to account for 80-85% of the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, while recent research suggests that obese people are up to 80 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those with a BMI of less than 22 (National Health Service, 2014). It is a known fact that obesity carries a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes, especially if you have excess weight around your abdomen. Studies postulates that abdominal fat causes fat cells to releases ‘pro-inflammatory’ chemicals, which can reduce the body’s sensitivity to the insulin, this can also disrupt the function of insulin responsive cells and their ability to react to insulin. This is known as insulin resistance   which is a primary activator for type 2 diabetes. Excess abdominal fat is a major high-risk form of obesity. SOCIO-ECOMOMIC/ FINANCIAL COST OF OBESITY In 1999-2000, nearly 65 percent of U.S. adults were either obese or overweight. Obesity accounts for $117 billion a year in direct and indirect economic costs. Obesity is associated with 300,000 deaths per year, and is fast becoming the leading cause of preventable deaths† (Mancino, Lin, and Ballenger, 2004). Certainly, obesity has become a large problem in America. Recent increase in meal portions and reduction in availability of natural food production may propose why people find it challenging to maintain a healthy diet. Although, certain People have been successful at maintaining a healthy nutritional status and avoiding this unhealthy situation. Gary Becker’s human capital theory is a groundwork that helps to clarify the effect of weight status on the economy in terms of the labor market outcomes for the individual. Human capital is the educational qualification, job experience/training, and the health condition that workers devote their time in to boost their capacity and skills to be â€Å"rented out† to employers (Ehrenberg and Smith, 2005). Healthy weight status in relation to labour is a type of human capital investment. According to Robert Pindyck and Daniel Rubinfeld (2004), â€Å"When an investment decision is made, the investor commits to a current outlay of expenses in return for a   stream of expected future benefits.† These stated costs for a healthy weight may include buying of food with high nutritional values and creating time for physical activities. As an investment, the individual sacrifices money, time and other resources to attain a healthy weight to become more productive in the future and, hence, earn higher income. Obese workers miss more days of work and inflict more cost on employers especially in medical and disability claims and also workers compensation claims. As a result, firms end up with extra costs associated with obesity, this is one of the economic effects of obesity. Obesity places significant burden on the society through health care expenditures and disability payments combined through group health insurance and public programs. The estimated annual medical cost of obesity in the U.S. was $147 billion in 2008 U.S. dollars; the medical costs for people who are obese were $1,429 higher than those of normal weight (CDC, 2011). Obesity there has direct and indirect effect on the Nation’s resources, as more money is spent on the obese due to the high risk of comorbidity with other life threatening diseases like type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis and cardiovascular diseases. TREATMENT There are several weight-loss schemes available but many are ineffectual and short-term, especially for those who are morbidly obese. The strategies for weight loss with non-surgical programs usually involve a combination of diet modification, behavior modification therapy and appropriate exercise. Dietary Modification Dietary modifications for obesity are designed to create a negative energy intake-energy expenditure balance (i.e., calories consumed < calories expended) by reducing daily energy intake below the required level. The required energy varies by weight, sex and level of physical exercise such individuals with higher weights, more activity have greater energy needs, including men (Melanson K. & Dwyer J. 2002). Uniformly, higher energy deficits results in higher weight losses. Low calorie diet is recommended for obese individuals and they are advised to check calorie content of meals before consumption. Very low calorie diet is recommended for morbidly obese individuals with little or no success in low diet consumption. Behaviour Therapy The oldest report of the use of behavioral therapy in the management of obesity occurred in 1967. Since then, it has been widely used in the management of obesity (Gupta R. & Misra A. 2007). Behavior therapy involves setting out goals and principles to patients to aid their adherence to the diet modification and activity goals for weight loss. Conventional tactics include self-monitoring of food intake and exercise, reduced portion of meals and number of times of food intake, intellective restructuring, problem solving, and prevention of regression. The primary aim of behavior modification therapy is to change eating pattern and exercise practices to promote weight loss (CDC, 2011). Components of behavioral therapy Self-monitoring: This is one of the main elements of behavior therapy in obesity. Self-monitoring includes maintaining food dairies and activity logs (Guare J.C., et. Al., 1989).Stimulus Control: This is the second key element in behavior therapy. In this element, focus is placed on altering the environment that initiates eating and modifying it to help prevent overeating. Stimulus control includes proper purchase of food items, excluding energy-dense processed food and introducing more fruits and vegetables (Wing R.R., 2004) Slower eating: Reducing the speed of eating so as to allow signals for fullness come into play.Goal setting: Setting realistic goals for one’s self or setting goals for patients as appropriate (Bandura A. & Simon K.M., 1977). Behavioral contracting: Reinforcing of successful outcomes or rewarding good behaviors plays a key role (Volpp K. G., et. al., 2008).Education: Nutritional education is a necessary component of a successful behavior therapy for obesi ty. A structured meal plan in conjunction with consultation with a dietician will be helpful (Pedersen S. D., et. al., 2007).Social support: Behavioral modification is more sustainable in the long term when there is social support. Enhancing social support is essential for behavioral therapy (Avenell A. et. al., 2004). Physical activity Physical activity is the third component of non-surgical weight loss interventions and lifestyle modification. The advantages of physical activities include promoting negative energy balance by maximizing calorie expenditure, preserving fat-free part during weight loss, and improving cardiovascular fitness. Physical activity, however, is ineffective in weight loss in the absence of diet modification. The greatest benefit of physical activity is in facilitating the maintenance of weight loss (Pronk N.P & Wing R.R. 1992). Case studies have shown that people who exercise regularly are more successful in maintaining weight losses than are those who do not exercise. Kayman S., Bruvold W., Stern J.S. 1990; Klem M.L., Wing R.R., McGuire M.T., Seagle H.M., Hill J.O.1997). Additional evidence comes from randomized trials. Participants who receive diet plus exercise maintain greater weight losses 1 year after treatment than do those who receive diet alone, although the differences are not always statistically significant (Wing, R.R. 1999). PREVENTION Obesity is a long-lasting medical condition, which is linked with several debilitating and life-threatening conditions. The increasing rate of obesity globally is a public health concern (Srinivas N., et. al., 2004). Hence an effective way to control obesity requires strategies that would tackle the major issues relating to prevention (Srinivas N., et. al., 2004). The treatment and prevention of obesity are interrelated. The prevention of obesity involves several levels i) Primary ii) Secondary iii) Tertiary (Timothy P.G., 1997). Primary prevention: The goal of primary prevention is to reduce the number of new cases. Diet modification/ healthy diet habits is a primary way of preventing obesity. Sedentary life style which is one of the causes of obesity can be prevented by appropriate exercises and activities that help burn out excess calories in the body and also prevent accumulation of fat. Simple habits ranging from 30 minutes walk in a day to weekly work out at the gymnasium can go a long way in maintaining a healthy weight. Health education is also very important in this aspect because some individuals in the community are unaware of the health implications of their habits. Appropriate health education programs should be organized to increase awareness. Accessibility to healthy food is also an important factor in the prevention of obesity. Formulations of policies that would facilitate healthy eating habit should be adopted by the Government; this would go a long way in reducing the economic effects of ob esity and the burden on the Nation’s resources. Policy and environmental approaches that make healthy choices available, affordable and easy can be used to extend the propagation of strategies designed to raise awareness and support people who would like to make healthy lifestyle changes (CDC, 2011).Secondary prevention: Secondary prevention is to lower the rate of established cases in the community (Srinivas N., et. al., 2004). Secondary prevention includes strategies to diagnose and treat an existing medical condition in its early stage to avoid complications. (Jeffery G.K., 2014). Tertiary prevention: Tertiary prevention is to stabilize or reduce the amount of disability related to obesity ((Srinivas N., et. al., 2004). For those who are already obese and showing signs and symptoms of complications, there are clinical preventive maintenance and treatment regimes (Srinivas N., et. al., 2004). These treatment includes medications and increase in fruit and vegetable consumpti on. Some extreme cases may include surgery and this is used usually when BMI exceeds 30kg/m2 or 40 kg/m2 and when other treatment options have failed. Examples of surgical procedures to treat obesity and its complications includes gastric partitioning and gastric by-pass (Srinivas N., et. al., 2004). REFERENCES Allison, B. D., Fontaine, R. K., Manson, E. J., & VanItallie, B. T. (1999). Annual deaths attributable to obesity in the United States. Journal of American Medical Association , 282 (16), 1530-8. Barness, A. L., Opitz, M. J., & Gilbert, E. (2007). 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