Social Determinants of Obesity Free Essay Example, 3750 words

Obesity is not just a personal problem, it is a considerable fact that society is also to blame about the growing number of obese people not just in New York but around the world. To embrace the problem as a worldwide issue would be a step towards the recovery of the said disease. Historically speaking, fatness was not all the time ridiculed and viewed negatively. The 19th Century Britain viewed fatness as a quality of being wealthy, beauty, and prestige. A much older proof of the claim, fat is beautiful is the antique statuette called Venus of Willendorf, where it depicts a woman with the large belly and extra size body built. Qvortrup (2003) stated that a stone age man evidently preferred a big girl who can both carry and nurture his offspring under the harsh conditions of the Palaeolithic world. However, the modern world is well-equipped of things for temperature protection, and the use of excess belly would be too obsolete. The trend was given emphasis by the fashion industr y and devaluing the purpose of excess body fat. We will write a custom essay sample on Social Determinants of Obesity or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page McCann (2010) argues that teens who sleep below the average of eight hours per week are most likely to consume more junk foods than those teens who sleep eight hours a day or more. This is due to the fact that reductions in sleep duration may alter the metabolic rate and affect the production of leptin and ghrelin, two hormones that regulate appetite (McCann, 2010).

Examples of Chemistry in Everyday Life

Scandal at Abu Ghraib Free Essays

The abuse scandal of prisoners at Abu Ghraib occurred during the Iraq war. From 2003 to 2006 AbuGhraib prison was a US Army detention center for captured Iraqis. An investigation into the treatment of detainees at the prison was prompted by the discovery of graphic photos depicting guards abusing detainees in 2003. We will write a custom essay sample on Scandal at Abu Ghraib or any similar topic only for you Order Now The facility was located nearBaghdad on 280 acres. At the height of the scandal, the prison held up to 3,800 detainees.Most of the detainees lived in tents in the prison yards(CNN Library).Spec. Joe Darbywas a U.S. Army Reservist serving as a Military Police (M.P.) at the Abu Ghraib prison, when, in January of 2004 he blew the whistle on several of his colleagues that were involved in the abuse scandal. He said he received the now-notorious abuse photos on computer disks(CDs)from Cpl. Charles Graner at the beginning of December(Associated Press). He turned them over to the Army investigators Jan. 12, testifying that he knew Graner was a ringleader in the abuse and would be returning to the prison soon from another assignment.Darby was right in disclosing the abuse and blowing the whistle because the duty of preventionof further illegal abuse of prisoners by U.S. Army personnel outweighed any other duty or loyalty that he may have felt bound to. In addition, withholding evidence and knowledge of something as fundamentally wrong as torture could have led to more problems for Spec. Darby overall because the abuse could have escalated and eventually have been found outanyway. In James 2this case, justified legal action against him as a co-conspirator, for withholding evidence, and failure to disclose illegal activity could have been usedagainst him. Furthermore, feeling as distressed as he did about finding the photos of the abuse, living with the knowledge of having ignored inhumane acts performed by Army personnel could have led to tremendous psychological stress due to feelings of guilt. Why did Joe Darby wait several weeks to turn the CDs in? In a situation where whistleblowing becomes a very real possibility for someone, two, possibly more,loyalties start conflictingwithin the person having to decide on whether to blow the whistle or not,Most oftenthisis a conflict between a public or common moralinterestthat the actor feels he has to protectand hisfeeling of duty, commitment , and loyalty to an organization and/or one or several individuals. This conflict of loyalties can be agonizing for the potentialwhistleblowerbecause hewill havetodisregardone loyaltyin favor of another(both of which are of equal moral importance to him)if he blows the whistle.In Spec. Darby’s case there were several conflicts. First, the loyalty to the institution of the Army;secondthe loyalty to his colleagues;third, public interest intheprevention of harm and illegal activities,and finally thefear of retaliation, the threat to his own person as well as his family. In one interview, about disclosing the abuse at Abu Ghraib, Darby is quoted assaying it was†the right decision and it had to be made†(Norris). While he was hailed as a hero by some, he was also facing a lot of opposition for his actions as a whistleblower. After returning to the U.S. he was placed in protective custodyfor an extended amount of time, and later had to move from his hometown to escape harassment and threats against him and his family. According to Kantian deontology, which is the best moral theory to apply here,Darby had a duty to blowthe whistlebecause the concept of duty is the essential or central point of James 3deontology, and rather than being worried about the consequences of an action, the important thing is the way actors think when they make choices.The act should come from respect for the moral law. The only inherently good thing, according to Kant, is the good will, and the will is good when one acts out of duty and not out of inclination (to gain something material or gain a feeling of self-satisfaction). Darby made the decision to blow the whistle for the sole reason of preventing further wrongdoing by fellow soldiers, and further harm to prisoners at Abu Ghraib. He acted out of good will; he had neither material gain nor did the act of whistleblowing make him feel good. He perceived it as his moral duty to disclose the information. While an opponent of whistleblowing may argue that deontology cannot justifyintroducing as universal law theexternal or public disclosure in all cases of alleged wrongdoing, it can be countered here that it is equally not justifiable to establish as a universal law for a person to keep quiet about knowledge of intentional wrongdoing forever or indefinitely. Additionally, the duty to blow the whistle,as suggested bydeontology,is already being upheld in several professions, and in many of the States.For example,teachers,and physicians are required to report suspicions of abuse, nurses are required to report mistakes in the medical treatment of patients, and thereare laws that punish the failure to report a felonyin numerous states. Even in the Military there are clauses that obligate a soldier to refuse an order that is not legal. These are all examples of deontological theory supporting whistleblowing as the duty of a good citizen. While blowing the whistle externally is still often a controversial concept, internal whistleblowing has long been encouraged or been made obligatory by management in corporatecodes of ethics (Paddget). Considering that many U.S. soldiers were in the explicit pictures that were taken of the abuse, one stands to reasonably pose the question if Darby was the only person who was James 4disturbed by the actions of the soldiers involved in the torture of detainees. Spec. JeremySivits, who is also mentioned in case 6.2, was the first soldier to be tried. In his defense, his attorney insisted that Sivits was merely following orders, as he had been trained, to photograph the abuse. He claimed that followingorders was the right thing to do for Sivits(Clancy, Vaught and Solomon). This defense did not hold up in court, and Jeremy Sivits was tried and convicted, possibly because his invoking the defense of obedience was flawed. â€Å"Strict† obedience, which is what Sivits obedience to superiors essentially was, cannot excuse participation in a case involving unlawful actions as using torture and abuse on detainees of the U.S. Army. The Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) 809[890]. ART.90(20), makes it clear that military personnel need to obey the â€Å"lawful command of his superior officer,† 891.ART.91 (2), the â€Å"lawful order of a warrant officer†, 892.ART.92 (1) the â€Å"lawful general order†, 892.ART.92 (2) â€Å"lawful order†. In each case, military personnel have an obligation and a duty to only obey lawful orders and indeed have an obligation to disobey Unlawful orders, including orders by the president that do not comply with the UCMJ. The moral and legal obligation is to the U.S. Constitution and not to those who would issue unlawful orders, especially if those orders are in direct violation of the Constitution and the UCMJ (Mosqueda). How to cite Scandal at Abu Ghraib, Papers

Legal Prostitution Vs. Illegal Prostitution Essay Example For Students

Legal Prostitution Vs. Illegal Prostitution Essay Johnny JohnsonLogicLegal Prostitution vs. Illegal ProstitutionJohnny JohnsonIt is rather odd to think of how the oldest profession is being found as somethingof a harmful nature, which must be illegal. But legal prostitution is seen by a rather largenumber of individuals to have a negative effect on todays society. These are the peoplewho are forcing women into illegal prostitution, which is far more destructive, due tomany factors. In the following paragraphs, I am going to compare and contrastlegal and illegal prostitution, in hope of sharing the possible benefits of legal prostitution. It is important I first discuss the negative effects of illegal prostitution to help the viewerhave a better perspective of how legal prostitution can actually have a positive impact onsociety. Illegal prostitution is a common occurrence in most big cities. The major problemwith non-legal prostitution is where it usually occurs. Prostitution is often found in theslums of big cities, where many of the young women feel forced into the professionbecause of hard economic conditions. A large percentage of the women are sadly hookedon drugs and end up trading sex to get high. If the poverty and the drug life are not badenough, the women also get to look forward to their pimp, who will abuse them if theydont return with a suffice amount of money. The knowledge of sexually transmitteddiseases is of extreme importance when it comes to such a topic. The sexual activitiestaking place in these areas are not regulated and although a good number of the womencarry condoms, they are by no means protected. Many of the ladies will except extramoney to allow the customers to have sex condom free. Rape is a harsh and brutal act,which is a common occurrence in street prostitution, where the wom en have no protectionfrom either the man or the diseases he might be carrying. The women are also a danger tothe men by carrying diseases they have possibly picked up from prior customers. It is important I first discuss the negative effects of illegal prostitution to help the viewer have a better perspective of how legal prostitution can actually have a positive impact on society. Illegal prostitution is a common occurrence in most big cities. The major problem with non-legal prostitution is where it usually occurs. Prostitution is often found in the slums of big cities, where many of the young women feel forced into the profession because of hard economic conditions. A large percentage of the women are sadly hooked on drugs and end up trading sex to get high. If the poverty and the drug life are not bad enough, the women also get to look forward to their pimp, who will abuse them if they dont return with a suffice amount of money. The knowledge of sexually transmitted diseases is of extreme importance when it comes to such a topic. The sexual activities taking place in these areas are not regulated and although a good number of the women carry condoms, they are by no means protected. Many of the ladies will except extra money to allow the customers to have sex condom free. Rape is a harsh and brutal act, which is a common occurrence in street prostitution, where the women have no protection from either the man or the diseases he might be carrying. The women are also a danger to the men by carrying diseases they have possibly picked up from prior customers. Prostitutes get arrested quite often, but are let out to be an illegal prostitute for another day. Illegal prostitution is a major problem needing some sort of remedy. It is time to discuss the reasoning behind why legal prostitution is the needed remedy to this particular problem. Legal prostitution is being practiced in many other countries as well as a small area of our own country. In Nevada there are places set up to provide legally solicited sex, which are known as brothels. Brothels are the major difference between illegal and legal prostitution. Brothels handle prostitution in a business-like manner. The women are the merchandise brothels have to offer. Like any other type of business the merchandise is protected. Bodyguards are hired to watch over the women and react if any problems take place. The women also have better protection through strict enforcement of condom use and the ladies are tested for venereal diseases as well. As far as drug problems go, brothels do not provide the same kind environment where sex can be traded for drugs. Not to say all the women in legal prostitution are drug free, but it is far less of a problem. The ladies happen to have better living conditions than a streetwalker does. They make actual lives aside from the profession they take part in. These women, for the most part, live in nice homes and lead healthy lives. They have been given a chance to make enough money to pull themselves out of their poverty stricken neighborhoods. It must be kept in mind, most of the women do not want to be prostitutes, but feel they are forced into it because of their poor economic conditions. It is important to touch on the whole idea of how this affects todays society. The Psycholdy Begind Clockwork Orange Essay Numerous amounts of people believe legal prostitution is wrong, but they might not understand how their belief is forcing women into illegal prostitution. In San Francisco, illegal prostitution is a major problem for the authorities. Many of the officers believe there should be a legal form of prostitution. Their reasoning behind this belief is that the women will be in a safer environment where there is far less drug problems and the police will not have the constant burden of arresting females who are going to continue to do what they are doing, regardless of police actions. Sexually transmitted diseases are a major concern for the women as well .