Providing children with the most sustainable nutrients is the key to maintain a healthy weight and/or lifestyle. Todays youth is lacking the specific nutrients that are needed for proper body function. This is caused mainly by advertisements of so called “healthy foods”; however, these foods are far from healthy. Childhood obesity is becoming a substantial problem in not only the United States but worldwide. It is important to know how to cope with obesity so we can prevent our kids from becoming obese. Schools need to promote quality meal plans. It is important for schools to offer their students healthy and appealing foods outside of the meal plans too. As parents it is important that they serve their children plenty of fruits and vegetables, along with physical activity on a daily basis.

The topic of childhood obesity is really close to my heart. Growing up I was not in shape. I was overweight, and I loved eating food and playing video games. I played football which helped me some but it wasn’t enough to counter my bagel bite addiction. Luckily, I figured out how to fix it before it was too late and I was able to change my life around and live a healthier lifestyle. I know it’s possible to live a healthy lifestyle and I want today and tomorrows youth to realize that. I want them to catch their problem like I did, before it’s too late.

Obesity is something that is continuing to grow in America and also worldwide. We need to understand how to keep ourselves and today’s children from getting to the point of obesity; therefore, we need to understand what causes it. It is important to know how to prevent this by maintaining a healthier lifestyle through our diets and physical exercise. It is crucial for schools and parents to maintain this healthy lifestyle so their children will follow and live the healthiest life style possible.

The article by BMC Public Health, states what is linking to the rise of todays youth obesity. This is caused by the poor nutrition choices we parents and schools are providing for the youth of today’s society. Conversely, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offer us advice on how we might prevent obesity. Limiting the amount of television and video game time for our youth is a great start. The American Heart Association article, “Preventing Childhood Obesity: Tips for Parents and Caretakers”, offers advice similar to the article by “Centers for Disease Control and Prevention”; however, The American Heart Association recommends not cutting out sugary items completely, but consuming them in moderation. This will help with staying on track and not giving in which may lead to binge eating. Conversely, the article by The Atlantic, “Should Schools Be Responsible for Childhood Obesity Prevention”, proves to us that no matter how hard the schools try to make their food more appealing and/or healthier, they cannot limit what the kids are bringing in their lunchboxes.

The fact that adults are not modeling the behavior goes to show that childhood obesity is not the only problem. Adulthood obesity is just as much of a problem as childhood obesity. The whole goal of this is to prevent children from being obese in the future, that will be hard to achieve if their parents are not practicing what they are preaching.

 

Benjamin, Sara E, et al. “Obesity Prevention In Child Care: A Review Of U.S. State

Regulations.” BMC Public Health 8.(2008): 188-197. Academic Search Premier. Web. 12 Apr. 2016.

 

According to the article by BMC Public Health, rates of obesity continue to rise from previous years all over the United States of America and abroad (Benjamin). Some obesity links are due to the genetics of their family, but for the most part it is due to the poor nutrition that the parents and children pick. Food or drink items that contain an excessive amount of sugar and high fructose corn syrup contribute to the development of obesity in these young children (Benjamin). In this article it is mentioned that television plays a major role when leading to childhood obesity (Benjamin). The decline of physical activity among children is substantially increasing due to the screen time of television, video games, or a computer. To help cope with the problem of childhood obesity, child care facilities help promote nutrition and physical exercise (Benjamin). United States regulations for prevention of obese children are freely available. Water, limited sugar sweetened beverages, limited foods with low nutritional value, no forcing any child to eat, a reward of food is not given, support is provided for breastfeeding, screen time is limited, and physical activity is required daily (Benjamin).

 

 

“Childhood Obesity Causes & Consequences.”

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 19 June 2015. Web. 12 Apr. 2016.

 

To understand how to truly prevent childhood obesity we need to know what causes it. Obesity occurs when a person is well above the weight he/she should be for their age and weight. On the website, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says, maintaining a healthy diet includes consuming plenty of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean protein, low fat, fat free dairy products, and drinking plenty of water (CDC). The importance of this nutrition is very important, but the importance of at least sixty minutes a day of physical activity is just as important. Weight gain is prevented by exercising and knowing how much one consumes in a day (CDC). If one consumes more calories than he/she burn in a day, he/she will gain weight. It is important to get your kids out of the house and do some physical exercise so they can burn more calories than they consume in a day. There are multiple reasons for childhood obesity. The website, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show these as the leading causations: advertisement of unhealthy food choices, unlicensed child care facilities, unsafe community for the children to go out and play, unaffordable healthy foods, high availability for sugary foods and sweetened beverages, greater portion sizes, and lack of breastfeeding support (CDC). There are multiple health risk that obesity will cause to your children now and in the future. Obesity increases the risk of diabetes and high blood pressure.

 

“Preventing Childhood Obesity: Tips for Parents and Caretakers.”

Preventing Childhood Obesity: Tips for Parents and Caretakers. American Heart Association, n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2016.

 

The American Heart Association has many tips that can help teach you how to prevent or help your children from becoming obese. First and foremost, it is important to help your children to maintain healthier eating habits. The American Heart Association is not saying to completely cut out sugary items, they recommend consuming them in moderation (AHA). If one goes from eating straight junk food to healthier option foods it will be hard to maintain that lifestyle. To keep oneself sane, it is okay to eat some sugary items until you get to the point where the desire is not there anymore. A Major tip that the American Heart Association gives for not maintain obesity is to make your favorite household dishes healthier (AHA). It is important for parents to explain to their kids about the health benefits of being physically active can provide them with (AHA). Parents need to encourage their kids to get out and play when it is not homework time. It is okay for the parents to get out there and run around as well to practice what they are trying to preach.

 

 

“Should Schools Be Responsible for Childhood Obesity Prevention.”

The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2016.

 

Many people believe that the schools play a major role in preventing childhood obesity; however, schools cannot ban what children bring in their lunchbox from home. In the article, “Should Schools Be Responsible For Childhood Obesity Prevention?”, states that childhood obesity is triple of what it was thirty years ago (AMC). It seems as if parents aren’t teaching their kids the bad side effects of junk food. The kids just look at the food as tasty and they crave that sweetness. The sugary ingredients in these foods cause these kids to enjoy even though their bodies aren’t enjoying it like their taste buds are. The American Medical Association has now brought it to attention that students in grades one through twelve should be taught the dangers of obesity (AMC). Obesity not only leads to bad health but it can also lead to bad grades. Studies have shown that children who are obese tend to score lower on tests than students who are not obese (AMC). These students are less likely not to enroll into a college as well (AMC). Around some schools in the nation was a law passed that banned junk food from students vending machines. However, in the faculties break room vending machine, the sugary candy and sodas were not replaced.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the poem Hedgehog, by Paul Muldoon, the snail is referred to as a floating hovercraft due to its rubber cushion. Like most hovercrafts they are floating. The snail appears to be floating thanks to its personal hovercraft body. The hedgehog in this poem is not open for any discussion. The hedgehog keeps to himself and trusts no one with his secret. In this poem, it is not clear what the snail or hedgehog represents. The hedgehog is resembled to God by the line “under this crown of thorns”(1)? At the end of the poem, it seems as if it is referring to an untrustworthy world due to the hedgehogs spikes. The hedgehog does not trust anyone and sure as heck is not going to share his secrets with anybody. Why does the hedgehog hold this grudge? We do not know. God made the hedgehog this way. What/Who is the hedgehog supposed to represent? God?

 

1.Muldoon, Paul. “Hedgehog.” Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, n.d. Web. 17, April 2016.

In the writing, Shitty First Drafts by Anne Lamott, she mentions even the best of the best writers start with terrible first drafts. Whether you are professional or not, the first draft will be far from perfect. Anne Lamott believes in order to produce perfect writing, it is crucial that you start off with a shitty first draft. Anything that comes to mind is important to put down on the paper because it may not come back up in your thoughts when you need it. After the draft is finished, begin to tone it down and go into more detail on the topics you are writing of. There are three main phases to building the perfect paper. The first phase is the getting it all down phase. Be sure to get everything that comes to your mind down on the piece of paper. The second phase is the fixing it up part. This is when you want to go into more detail. The third phase is the dental phase. You want to go back and fix any loose teeth that may cause cavities in your writing.

 

 

 

 

Lamott, Anne. “Shitty First Drafts.” College of Arts & Sciences Writing, Rhetoric & Digital Studies. U of Kentucky, n.d. PDF. Your date of access (11 April 2016).

Garrison Keillor’s post in the Washington Article was clearly set out there to prove a statement about Donald Trump. Clearly he belives that if Trump is elected president we are better off moving out of the country. Through experience Keillor knows what it is like living in a part of the world where Americans seem to not be welcomed due to our politics. Copenhagen would have to be one of those places. Any country you flee to will not separate you from the Great White Snapper. He will be there. When going to another country, others will know that you are an American and they will hold it against you no matter what. Regardless the fact if you are a fan of Trump or not. When over seas, we stick out like sore thumbs. Our nationalities can not be mistaken and foreigners will take advantage of us especially if Trump is elected president of the United States of America.

 

 

Citation:Keillor Garrison. “Think Moving Abroad will Save You from Trump? Think Again.”
Washington Post. Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2016. Web. Your date of access (2 April 2016).

Citation

 

 

Altman, Anna. “A College Education Should Include Rooming With a Stranger.” OpTalk A College Education Should Include Rooming With a Stranger Comments. The New York Times, 7 Sept. 2014. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.

 

Taylor Welch

 

Jane Lucas

 

English 131.01

 

January 22, 2016

 

A College Education Should Include Rooming with a Stranger

 

In the article “A College Education Should Include Rooming with a Stranger” by Anna Altman, was meant to grab the attention of readers and prove to them that this was an important thing for college experience. Being put with a random stranger can benefit your socioeconomic view as well. To receive the true “college experience,” students need to consider rooming with a stranger and getting out of their comfort zone.

Over the summer I wasn’t too worried about getting a roommate for college. A page on Facebook for our upcoming class was used for people to talk and get to know each other. Some may have even became roommates through the interlacement of Facebook. I, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. At first I did not interact with anybody on Facebook. Autumn, who was my girlfriend at the time but now my fiancé, told me to go on Facebook and open up. I’m normally not a shy person unless I have no idea who you are. I said okay. I started to interact on Facebook by getting to know some of the dudes. I began looking to find a roommate. It didn’t take me but a few days to get one. His name was Tanner and he played football. Tanner and I had a lot in common as well. We both enjoyed lifting weights and playing sports. Towards the end of summer, Tanner texted me and mentioned that he would not be attending Lenoir-Rhyne University in the fall. Tanner ended up going to Perdue University. At this point, I did not know what to do. It was too late to change roommate situations considering they already had us together and our room picked out. The first few weeks of school were extremely hard for me considering I did not have a roommate. At the time the only person who I knew well was Autumn. Now I’m not saying that was a bad thing, but at that moment college was not what I was expecting. It was not fun. A few more days rolled by and I started adapting more and more with people so my college experience got better. A few more weeks went by and the Resident Director showed up at my door saying I will be getting a roommate. I was excited and mad at the same time. By this point, I was so used to having the room to myself. Kyle, who was my new roommate moved in and we had nothing in common. Obviously the first few weeks were awkward but we grew past that. Yeah we had those awkward nights when we went to sleep and I swear you could hear a hair follicle hit the ground it was so quiet. These are all things that benefit with the “college experience”. You have to go through these things to really see what its like to room with a stranger. In the article it mentions that “many university’s allow freshman to pick who their roommate might be”. Although this may seem like a great tool, I have noticed this to be not so great. Many of my peers have done this and now they are rooming with someone different. It may seem like a great idea over social media or text but if you haven’t lived with the person then you have no idea what you are getting yourself in to. I was put with some random guy that I have never seen before on campus and now we are good friends. Of course it was awkward at first but that’s the whole point right? Its hard to experience the full “college experience” without the awkwardness. Rooming with a stranger can help you with certain skills in the future.

Communication is key this day in age. People are so caught up in their phones and electronic devices that it surprises me that people can still communicate in person. Rooming with a stranger can help with shyness and communication skills. I can attest to that. Being a shy person, it is hard to have communication skills with strangers. At first, I thought me and Kyle had nothing in common, therefore; we did not communicate well. Since then we have found more things in common than we thought there was. Kyle and I get along great and I wouldn’t ask for it any other way. Yeah having a room to yourself is great but there is nothing like having a friend always there for you when you need them especially when they live with you. Kyle is a great guy. We may have our differences but none of it is to hard to overcome.

Rooming with a stranger is not all the time a bad thing. Rooming with a stranger is a major part in the full “college experience”.

 

 

 

 

In “Snow Day” the author Billy Collins mentions waking up to a land buried by the glistening snow. Billy Collins waits before entering this white paradise. He listens to the news while held hostage in his own house(20).  Billy waits to prepare himself for the glistening white land. Like every child’s dream, the schools are closed down. The poet, Billy, mentions the kids out sliding and playing with each other like every kid loves to do when it snows(34).

Billy mentions in the first stanza that the landscape is vanished due to this white winter wonderland(3).

When it snows, it seems as if everything is okay. Who doesn’t enjoy that occasional closing of their school or job. The color white symbolizes purity and a fresh start. When everything is vanished by this pure white snow all bad things are gone, therefore; everyone has an equal chance to start over.

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/176051