Obesity Draft

Brianne Butler
bmbutler@mail.usi.edu
English 201.010
Essay 3 Draft
Word Count: 1515
Obesity: A Growing Epidemic

Over the years, more and more people have become obese. Obesity is a medical condition where excess body fat has accumulated. As stated in an article by Kristie Leong, over thirty percent of the population, worldwide, is classified as obese and the trend towards obesity is growing. There are numerous factors which contribute to obesity. This is usually a life-long issue that one has to deal with. Obesity is not only caused by genetics; it is also caused by the choices people make.
Research has proven that genetics is not a direct cause of obesity, it is an underlying cause. If one parent is obese, there is a fifty percent chance that the child will be obese; if both parents are obese, there is an eighty percent chance (aacap). There are medical conditions which cause people to eat all the time. With these conditions, their bodies cannot digest and store the proper enzymes. Their bodies will store too many fat cells and not digest them. Having an underactive thyroid slows down ones metabolism causing weight gain. Another medical condition which can contribute to weight gain is Cushing’s syndrome, a condition where the body’s adrenal glands produce too much of the cortisol hormone (nhlbi). One cause which is not as obvious as eating is age. Muscle tone is lost as one gets older. Loss of muscle tone can slow down the rate at which your body burns calories (nhlbi). If one is less active as she gets older, this could increase their chances of gaining weight. Sleep also contributes to weight gain and obesity. Studies have proven that the less sleep people get, they are more likely to become obese (nhlbi). On average, one should get seven to eight hours of sleep a night. Those who sleep for fewer hours seem to prefer eating foods that are higher in calories and carbohydrates (nhlbi). Sleep helps regulate hormones. Those who do not get enough sleep have a higher level of ghrelin, which causes hunger, and lower levels of leptin, which helps curb hunger (nhlbi).
If the obesity gene runs in one’s family, there are ways that one can decrease their possibility of becoming obese. A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 2008 showed that even if you have this particular gene, it can be offset with regular, moderately intense exercise (Leong). One of the possibilities to prevent obesity is to schedule for a regular exercise program. The key to not becoming obese is to stay active. Adding regular exercise to a part of one’s lifestyle can enable them to achieve a normal body weight despite having a genetic tendency towards obesity (Leong). Even if one cannot set up a daily work-out schedule, going to work-out a couple times a week will still be beneficial. Some people do not get the proper amount of exercise. There are many reasons for this. In the younger generations, a main reason for not getting an adequate amount of exercise is because of video games. Some people can sit and play video games for hours upon end without getting up. With all of the gaming systems today, it is no wonder that some do not go outside to exercise and to enjoy the fresh air, but instead play video games.
External environments are factors of obesity. The lack of neighborhood sidewalks, not enough parks, trails, and sidewalks are some external environment factors that contribute to obesity rates (nhlbi). If people do not have places where they can go for recreation that is just promoting people to not go out and exercise. People’s work schedules may not allow them to be active during the work day; a customer service specialist is not able to be up and active during the work day, due to the fact they have to answer phones. The sedentary lifestyle of the younger generation is rapidly increasing the obesity rates. With all of the different gaming systems, it is no wonder to why adolescents are not active outside, they want to beat the next level on their favorite game. Studies have proven that more than two hours a day of regular television time has been linked to overweight and obesity (What Causes Overweight and Obesity). People do not always have time to access and eat healthy food. College students, for example, are studying constantly and they do not always eat the healthiest foods, pizza is one of the most delivered food items to college campuses. People who are inactive are more likely to gain weight because they do not burn up the calories that they take in from food and drinks. (What Causes Overweight and Obesity).
Nutrition is another contributing factor to obesity. In order for one to stay healthier, proper nutrition needs to be practiced. Metabolism will vary from person to person. Everyone’s body will be able to break down substances at different rates. For good nutrition, one must eat healthy foods and get the proper amounts of servings as stated on the food pyramid. The food pyramid says that daily you should drink eight glasses of water, eat six servings of rice and pasta, three servings of vegetables, milk, yogurt, and cheese, and two servings of fruit, meat, and dry beans; it also states that fats, oils and sweets should be eaten sparingly (ohsu). From this information, it is implied that desert food and other junk foods should not be eaten too often. Research has shown that people who eat fast food consume more calories than people who do not eat fast food; those who eat fast food also consume more fat, saturated fat, and sodium, while consuming fewer fruits, vegetables, and milk (emedtv). Adolescents have an increased intake of sweetened beverages, French fries and pizza; they are not getting the recommended amount of fruits, vegetables, dairy food, whole grains, learn meats, and fish (Increasing obesity). The changing of eating habits and better food selections will help also. People could eat meals with their family instead of sitting and watching television or sitting at a computer. Limited snacking is another way to manage overeating.
Within the past few decades, there has been an increase in the amount of fast food intake. Every day, nearly one-third of American children consume fast food, which likely packs on an average of six extra pounds per child each year (CBSnews). The obesity rates have jumped nearly twenty percent in the past decade, now days, one in five Americans are obese whereas in 1991 one in eight Americans were obese (Speakout). In America, the highest levels of fast food consumption was in boys, older children, youngsters with higher household income and children living in the South; whereas the lowest levels of fast food consumption was found in those living in the West, rural areas, and those aged from four to eight. (CBSnews). Fast food does not have all the nutrients that one needs. Eating excessive amounts of fast food is not good for one’s health; it is also an underlying cause for obesity. Not only can too much fast food cause obesity, it can clog arteries and is the most common denominator for type II diabetes. Fast food lovers consume more fats, sugars, and carbohydrates than those who did not eat fast food (CBSnews).Fast food is high in calories and serves large portions, promoting the consumption of too many calories (emedtv). Calories also have an effect on obesity. Fast food chains do no alert their customers to the hazardously high calorie and fat content of their food (SpeakOut). Within the recent years, restaurants have been adding healthier options to their menus. The portions of food in restaurants are oversized. Overconsumption of fast food can have a negative impact on a person’s weight Large portions of food are not only at fast food restaurants, they are also distributed at sit-down restaurants.
Fast food and obesity are interrelated. Most fast food is bought on impulse without any time to think about the purchase. Fast food is cheap and its products are restrained with high levels of sodium, oil, and refined sugar and flour (fastfoodobesity). The number of times one consumes fast food with directly influence their chances of becoming obese. If someone takes in a fast food meal two times a week, their obesity ratio will be raised by about fifty percent (fastfoodobesity); those who visited fast food restaurants at least two times a week for fifteen years gained ten pounds more than those who went less than once (The Fast Track to Fat).
There are many ways that everyone can help prevent obesity and rapid weight gain. Exercise is vital, as well as eating properly. All people should try to eat the recommend amounts of food, based on of the food pyramid. As of 2010, there are nine million American children who are obese ( Raising fit kids in a fattening world). The climbing obesity rates can be halted if people take better care of themselves. Moreover, it is up to the individual to take the precautionary measures if they do not want to become obese.










Reference Page

Food Pyramid. OHSU, n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2009. .
"Health Statistics Obesity (most recent) by Country." Nationmaster. N.p., 2009. Web. 1 Dec. 2009. .
Holguin, Jamie. "Fast Food Linked To Child Obesity." Fast Food Linked To Child Obesity. N.p., 5 Jan. 2003. Web. 19 Apr. 2010. .

Increasing Obesity In Children and Adolescents: An Alarming Epidemic. Kimberly M. Wilkinson. JAAPA: Journal of the American Academy of Physcian Assistants. Montvale: Dec 2008. Vol 21, Iss. 12; pg. 31, 7 pgs
Leong, Kristie, MD. "How to Understand the Role of Genetics in Obesity." Editorial. eHow. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2009. .
Murphy, Jenny. The Super-sizing of America: Are Fast Food Chains to Blame for the Nation's Obesity? N.p., 15 June 2000. Web. 19 Apr. 2010. .

"Obesity In Children And Teens." aacap. American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, May 2008. Web. 1 Dec. 2009. .
Raising Fit Kids in a Fattening World. Barbara Loecher. Prevention. Emmaus:Nov 2002. Vol 54, Iss.11; pg. 114
Schoenstadt, Arthur, MD. "Genetics and Obesity." Editorial. EMEDtv. N.p., 28 Apr. 2009. Web. 1 Dec. 2009. .
Teenage and Childhood Fast Food Obesity Epidemic Is Affecting The World Now. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2010. .

The Fast Track To Fat. Mary Ellen Strote. Woodland Hills: Jun 2005. Vol 24,Iss. 10; pg. 104, 1 pgs.
"What Causes Overweight and Obesity?" Editorial. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2009. .

Second Post for April 16

The research over the past few days has taught me a lot of valuable information that I may potentially use in my paper. Some of the things that I may use in my paper, which I just recently learned include: obesity factors and on sets, the nutrition of fast food and the amount of consumption per person, as well as advertisement of fast food chains. There are many factors to the cause of obesity, I thought that genetics was a direct cause of obesity, yet I found out that it is only an underlying cause. The nutrition of the meals from fast food chains is one of the major causes for the sky rocketing increase of obesity. In the world today, adolescents have an increased intake of sweetened beverages, French fries, pizza, and fast food entrees, and a consequent inadequate intake of recommended fruits, vegetables, dairy foods, whole grains, lean meats, and fish. Most fast food is bought on impulse and without any thought about the nutritional values. Personally, I rarely eat at fast food restaurants due to the unearthliness of its nature. The fast food restaurants advertise more towards the younger generation. If you think about it, in Happy Meals, from McDonalds, they have commercials all the time airing about the new line of toy that will be put in the Happy Meals for a limited time and you can only get them until supplies last.
In the beginning, I was going to focus on the causes and preventions of obesity. Now, I am finding so much information about the correlation of fast food and obesity that I believe that I will be sticking with that as the main focus point of my essay.
Thus far, the working point of the thesis is… Obesity is not only caused by genetics; it is also caused by the choices people make. I still have to tie in fast food and nutrition into my thesis.

6 more sources that may potentially be used for my paper

1. "What Causes Overweight and Obesity?" Editorial. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. N.p., n.d.
Web. 1 Dec. 2009. .

What Causes Overweight and Obesity?
Lack of Energy Balance
A lack of energy balance most often causes overweight and obesity. Energy balance means that your energy IN equals your energy OUT.
Energy IN is the amount of energy or calories you get from food and drinks. Energy OUT is the amount of energy your body uses for things like breathing, digesting, and being physically active.
To maintain a healthy weight, your energy IN and OUT don't have to balance exactly every day. It's the balance over time that helps you maintain a healthy weight.
• The same amount of energy IN and energy OUT over time = weight stays the same
• More energy IN than energy OUT over time = weight gain
• More energy OUT than energy IN over time = weight loss
Overweight and obesity happen over time when you take in more calories than you use.
Other Causes
An Inactive Lifestyle
Many Americans aren't very physically active. One reason for this is that many people spend hours in front of TVs and computers doing work, schoolwork, and leisure activities. In fact, more than 2 hours a day of regular TV viewing time has been linked to overweight and obesity.
Other reasons for not being active include: relying on cars instead of walking, fewer physical demands at work or at home because of modern technology and conveniences, and lack of physical education classes in schools for children.
People who are inactive are more likely to gain weight because they don't burn up the calories that they take in from food and drinks. An inactive lifestyle also raises your risk of coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, colon cancer, and other health problems.
Environment
Our environment doesn't support healthy lifestyle habits; in fact, it encourages obesity. Some reasons include:
• Lack of neighborhood sidewalks and safe places for recreation. Not having area parks, trails, sidewalks, and affordable gyms makes it hard for people to be physically active.
• Work schedules. People often say that they don't have time to be physically active because of long work hours and time spent commuting.
• Oversized food portions. Americans are surrounded by huge food portions in restaurants, fast food places, gas stations, movie theaters, supermarkets, and even home. Some of these meals and snacks can feed two or more people. Eating large portions means too much energy IN. Over time, this will cause weight gain if it isn't balanced with physical activity.
• Lack of access to healthy foods. Some people don't live in neighborhoods that have supermarkets that sell healthy foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables. Or, for some people, these healthy foods are too costly.
• Food advertising. Americans are surrounded by ads from food companies. Often children are the targets of advertising for high-calorie, high-fat snacks and sugary drinks. The goal of these ads is to sway people to buy these high-calorie foods, and often they do.
Genes and Family History
Studies of identical twins who have been raised apart show that genes have a strong influence on a person's weight. Overweight and obesity tend to run in families. Your chances of being overweight are greater if one or both of your parents are overweight or obese.
Your genes also may affect the amount of fat you store in your body and where on your body you carry the extra fat. Because families also share food and physical activity habits, a link exists between genes and the environment.
Children adopt the habits of their parents. A child who has overweight parents who eat high-calorie foods and are inactive will likely become overweight too. However, if the family adopts healthy food and physical activity habits, the child's chance of being overweight or obese is reduced.
Health Conditions
Some hormone problems may cause overweight and obesity, such as underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), Cushing's syndrome, and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
Underactive thyroid is a condition in which the thyroid gland doesn't make enough thyroid hormone. Lack of thyroid hormone will slow down your metabolism and cause weight gain. You'll also feel tired and weak.
Cushing's syndrome is a condition in which the body's adrenal glands make too much of the hormone cortisol. Cushing's syndrome also can develop if a person takes high doses of certain medicines, such as prednisone, for long periods.
People who have Cushing's syndrome gain weight, have upper-body obesity, a rounded face, fat around the neck, and thin arms and legs.
PCOS is a condition that affects about 5–10 percent of women of childbearing age. Women who have PCOS often are obese, have excess hair growth, and have reproductive problems and other health issues due to high levels of hormones called androgens.
Medicines
Certain medicines may cause you to gain weight. These medicines include some corticosteroids, antidepressants, and seizure medicines.
These medicines can slow the rate at which your body burns calories, increase your appetite, or cause your body to hold on to extra water. All of these factors can lead to weight gain.
Emotional Factors
Some people eat more than usual when they're bored, angry, or stressed. Over time, overeating will lead to weight gain and may cause overweight or obesity.
Smoking
Some people gain weight when they stop smoking. One reason is that food often tastes and smells better after quitting smoking.
Another reason is because nicotine raises the rate at which your body burns calories, so you burn fewer calories when you stop smoking. However, smoking is a serious health risk, and quitting is more important than possible weight gain.
Age
As you get older, you tend to lose muscle, especially if you're less active. Muscle loss can slow down the rate at which your body burns calories. If you don't reduce your calorie intake as you get older, you may gain weight.
Midlife weight gain in women is mainly due to aging and lifestyle, but menopause also plays a role. Many women gain around 5 pounds during menopause and have more fat around the waist than they did before.
Pregnancy
During pregnancy, women gain weight so that their babies get proper nourishment and develop normally. After giving birth, some women find it hard to lose the weight. This may lead to overweight or obesity, especially after a few pregnancies.
Lack of Sleep
Studies find that the less people sleep, the more likely they are to be overweight or obese. People who report sleeping 5 hours a night, for example, are much more likely to become obese compared with people who sleep 7–8 hours a night.
People who sleep fewer hours also seem to prefer eating foods that are higher in calories and carbohydrates, which can lead to overeating, weight gain, and obesity over time.
Hormones that are released during sleep control appetite and the body's use of energy. For example, insulin controls the rise and fall of blood sugar levels during sleep. People who don't get enough sleep have insulin and blood sugar levels that are similar to those in people who are likely to have diabetes.
Also, people who don't get enough sleep regularly seem to have high levels of a hormone called ghrelin (which causes hunger) and low levels of a hormone called leptin (which normally helps curb hunger).

Annotation: This source is beneficial to my paper because it talks about the different contributors to the rising rates of obesity.

2. Schoenstadt, Arthur, MD. "Genetics and Obesity." Editorial. EMEDtv. N.p., 28 Apr. 2009. Web. 1 Dec.
2009. .

Final Thoughts
Genetics does not cause obesity. However, obesity and genetics are closely tied together. So the answer to the problem of obesity does not rest on the idea that it is a matter of genetics versus the environment -- clearly, both components are involved. For more information about your particular situation, talk with your healthcare provider. Also, regardless of your genetics, everyone should adopt a heart-healthy diet and increase their physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle.


Annotation: This source is beneficial to my paper because it informs me that genetics does not cause obesity.

3. "Health Statistics Obesity (most recent) by Country." Nationmaster. N.p., 2009. Web. 1 Dec. 2009.
.

# 1 United States:
30.6%
# 2 Mexico:
24.2%
# 3 United Kingdom:
23%
# 4 Slovakia:
22.4%
# 5 Greece:
21.9%
# 6 Australia:
21.7%
# 7 New Zealand:
20.9%
# 8 Hungary:
18.8%
# 9 Luxembourg:
18.4%
# 10 Czech Republic:
14.8%
# 11 Canada:
14.3%
# 12 Spain:
13.1%
# 13 Ireland:
13%
# 14 Germany:
12.9%
= 15 Portugal:
12.8%
= 15 Finland:
12.8%
# 17 Iceland:
12.4%
# 18 Turkey:
12%
# 19 Belgium:
11.7%
# 20 Netherlands:
10%
# 21 Sweden:
9.7%
# 22 Denmark:
9.5%
# 23 France:
9.4%
# 24 Austria:
9.1%
# 25 Italy:
8.5%
# 26 Norway:
8.3%
# 27 Switzerland:
7.7%
= 28 Japan:
3.2%
= 28 Korea, South:
3.2%
Weighted average: 14.1%




DEFINITION: Percentage of total population who have a BMI (body mass index) greater than 30 Kg/sq.meters (Data for Australia, Austria and Portugal is from 2002. All other data is from 2003). Obesity rates are defined as the percentage of the population with a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 30. The BMI is a single number that evaluates an individual's weight status in relation to height (weight/height2, with weight in kilograms and height in metres). For Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, figures are based on health examinations, rather than self-reported information. Obesity estimates derived from health examinations are generally higher and more reliable than those coming from self-reports, because they preclude any misreporting of people's height and weight. However, health examinations are only conducted regularly in a few countries (OECD).

Annotation: This source is beneficial to my paper because it gives me the statistics of obesity in different countries throughout the world.

4. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/01/05/health/main591325.shtml

CHICAGO, Jan. 5, 2003
Fast Food Linked To Child Obesity
Study: One-Third In U.S. At Risk Of Obesity
By Jaime Holguin
(AP) Every day, nearly one-third of U.S. children aged 4 to 19 eat fast food, which likely packs on about six extra pounds per child per year and increases the risk of obesity, a study of 6,212 youngsters found.

The numbers, though alarming, are not surprising since billions of dollars are spent each year on fast-food advertising directed at kids, said lead author Dr. David Ludwig, director of the obesity program at Children's Hospital Boston.

The findings suggest that fast-food consumption has increased fivefold among children since 1970, Ludwig said.

The nationally representative study included boys and girls from all regions of the country and different socio-economic levels.

The highest levels of fast-food consumption were found in youngsters with higher household income levels, boys, older children, blacks and children living in the South. The lowest levels were found in youngsters living in the West, rural areas, Hispanics and those aged 4 to 8, but more than 20 percent of youngsters in each of those groups still reported eating fast food on any given day.

Fast-food lovers consumed more fats, sugars and carbohydrates and fewer fruits and non-starchy vegetables than youngsters who didn't eat fast food. They also consumed 187 more daily calories, which likely adds up to about six pounds more per year, the study found.

The results are based on children questioned in government surveys from 1994 to 1996 and 1998. The study lacks data on the children's weight.

Children's current levels of fast-food consumption probably are even higher because of an increase in the number of fast-food restaurants and in fast-food marketing since the late 1990s, Ludwig said.

The study appears in the January issue of Pediatrics, published Monday.

The nation's obesity epidemic has focused attention on fast-restaurants, and while recent class-action lawsuits attempting to blame McDonald's Corp. for making people fat have failed, many chains have begun offering healthier fare.

Recent data suggest that nearly 15 percent of U.S. youngsters and almost one-third of adults are obese.

The new study results bolster evidence that fast food contributes to increased calorie intake and obesity risk in children, Yale University obesity researcher Kelly Brownell said in an accompanying editorial.

Brownell said the study refutes a July report from the U.S. National Chamber of Commerce, which includes fast-food companies, that suggested fast-food restaurants "are not a chief culprit in the fattening of America."

Brownell said there are encouraging signs that policy-makers are taking action to protect children from the fast-food trend, including efforts to limit soft drink and snack food sales in schools, and to curb food advertising aimed at children.

Annotation: The source is beneficial to my paper because it gives more statistics about children and fast food consumption.

5. http://www.speakout.com/activism/issue_briefs/1333b-1.html

The Super-sizing of America: Are Fast Food Chains to Blame for the Nation's Obesity?

by Jenny Murphy
Thursday, June 15, 2000
Americans are getting fatter and fatter every year. It is estimated that as many as one in five Americans is obese, a condition defined as being more than 30 percent above the ideal weight based on height. Even more alarming is that fact that obesity rates for children have doubled over the past 20 years, and overweight children are being diagnosed with obesity-related illnesses such as diabetes, sleep apnea and respiratory illnesses that in the past have only afflicted adults.
As the health care costs of treating obesity-related illnesses mount, some are looking to place the blame for increasing obesity rates on the purveyors of fast food. Facing fierce competition for customer loyalty, fast food chains such as McDonalds, Burger King and Wendy's have promoted their over-sized burgers, extra-large servings for fries, and buckets of soda, all at low prices. Busy and cash-strapped families increasingly rely on take-out food for family dinners, and regular consumption of over-sized portions of fatty foods can leads to widespread obesity.
Some trial lawyers, fresh from a $90 million (and growing) windfall from the tobacco lawsuits, have set their sites on fast food companies. Following the tobacco lawsuit model, some argue that these companies should be held liable for the health care costs of treating illnesses associated with obesity, since they peddle dangerously unhealthy foods to unwitting consumers. The combination of the staggering number of obese Americans and the fat wallets of the fast food companies makes such lawsuits a tantalizing prospect for many trial lawyers and their potential clients.
On One Hand
The portions served by fast food chains and other restaurants are far larger than the recommended portion size for most foods. Food costs for restaurants are relatively low, compared to the costs of rent and labor, so it makes sense for them to offer larger portions that make their customers feel like they are getting a bang for the buck.
As American eat out more and more frequently, they become accustomed to those oversized portion, and think that such portions are normal. The high caloric content of these large servings leads to weight gain for regular fast food customers, and obesity can lead to many dangerous health problems.
Fast food chains do not alert their customers to the hazardously high calorie and fat content of the food they offer. They deserve some of the blame for the epidemic of obesity, and lawsuits brought by victims of their toxic food would force these companies to take some responsibility for their dangerous products.
On the Other Hand
Cigarettes contain substances that are addictive to smokers, and tobacco companies have been made to pay the price for selling a product that is dangerous to the health of their customers. But no one can claim that a Big Mac or a Whopper is addictive. They may be tasty, and people may eat too many of them, but McDonalds and Burger King are not responsible for their customers' lack of self-control.
Lawsuits against fast food companies on behalf of obese "victims" would say more about the greed of trial lawyers than about any real danger posed by fast food. Most people choose to eat fast food even though they know it's bad for them. Individuals have to take responsibility for that choice, not the company that provides the food.
• The US. Department of Agriculture estimates the cost at more than $ 71 billion a year in added health-care and related expenses.
• In 1991, one in eight Americans were obese. In 1999, the number had increased to one in five.
• A study by Policy Analysis Inc. concluded that overweight people cost their employers $12.7 billion in sick time and insurance coverage in 1994 alone.
• It is estimated that kids get up to 40 percent of their meals from fast-food chains, convenience stores and restaurants.
• There are fast-food franchise outlets in 13 percent of the nation's schools.
• One American Medical Association study estimates that 300,000 Americans die each year from obesity-related causes such as heart disease, diabetes and stroke.
• Obesity levels are sky-rocketing despite the fact that $33 billion a year is spent on weight-loss aids.
Washington Post, Guest Choice Network, the Nation, Time

Annotation: It talks about how the fast food portions are getting larger than the recommended portion size for most foods and the obesity rate have doubled in the past twenty years and overweight children are being diagnosed with obesity-related illnesses such as diabetes, sleep apnea and respiratory illnesses that in the past have only afflicted adults.

6. http://www.fastfoodobesity.net/

Teenage And Childhood Fast Food Obesity Epidemic Is Affecting The World Now!!!
Today, teenage and childhood fast food obesity epidemic is growing around the world. Part of the reason is advertising, which has positioned fast food as an 'in' thing and this has appeal to the teenage and childhood group. Look at the Breakfast, what you have just order? It might be a sausage and biscuit with an order of soft drink and hash brown potatoes. The fast food biscuit is usually come with margarine, or even worse, lard.
Fast food obesity is a problem because fast food meal contains low quality carbohydrates; high levels of saturated fat, white bread, and a sugary soda and also has relatively low fiber content. This kind of eating pattern is entirely gives negative effect, which resulted cardiovascular disease and diabetes in the United States. This alarming teenage and childhood fast food obesity epidemic is rapidly rising during the past few years.
Fast food and obesity is interrelated with each other. For a person who takes fast food meal twice a week, obesity ratio will be raised about 50%. In this juncture most of our people are taking fast food many times a week. You can now imagine what ratio is this kind of people will get. Though fast food is very cheap and tastier, these products are restrained with high levels of sodium, oil, refined sugar, and refined flour. You may all aware that these combination are how much harmful to our health.
The Danger Of Fast Food Obesity Epidemic
Fast food obesity is one of the main causes for Type II diabetes. The content of the fast food leads much strain to the body to produce insulin. If a person is having fast food very often, body needs to take much strain to produce insulin and thereby one day the body will loses the ability of producing insulin which resulted type II diabetes. Now in the modern life style , most of the people are not getting any physical activities and getting fast food and pre-packed food products, beverages etc. This lead us to believe that teenage and childhood fast food obesity epidemic has just began and the problem doesn't seem to end soon.
Teenagers and children have forgotten the ways of reducing the calories they intake and thereby obesity is inevitable. This leads to increased body sugar levels and possible blocked arteries. Medical professionals say that fast food obesity along with the sedentary life style are becoming one of the top causes for type II diabetes and coronary artery disease. Most of the people are spending more time on watching TV, riding cars etc., without getting any physical activity and also having fast food products more than that of their body need thereby they can't isolate fast food and obesity.

Annotation: This source talks about obesity is a problem because fast food meal contains low quality carbohydrates; high levels of saturated fat, white bread, and a sugary soda and also has relatively low fiber content. It also talks about the different types of health problems that obesity can cause.

Annotated Biblography

1. Increasing obesity in children and adolescents: An alarming epidemic
Kimberly M Wilkinson. JAAPA : Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants. Montvale: Dec 2008. Vol. 21, Iss. 12; pg. 31, 7 pgs

Abstract (Summary)
Currently, adolescents have an increased intake of sweetened beverages, French fries, pizza, and fast food entrees, and a consequent inadequate intake of recommended fruits, vegetables, dairy foods, whole grains, lean meats, and fish.11 School lunch programs are also to blame for the rise in the numbers of overweight children. Behavior targets include increasing consumption of fruits, vegetables, and fiber-containing grain products, switching from full-fat to 1% or fat-free dairy products after age 2 years, preparing and eating family meals at home, increasing daily physical activity, and limiting sedentary time.8 Interventions that include changes to classroom and physical education curricula and after-school programs as well as dietary modifications in school meals and vending machine products, can improve dietary patterns and increase physical activity.

Annotation: Since my paper is pertaining to fast food and nutrition, this information is important since it talks about fast food entrees.

2. Fatty meals, advertising linked to youth obesity
Anonymous. The Nation's Health. Washington: Apr 2004. Vol. 34, Iss. 3; pg. 7, 1 pgs

Abstract (Summary)
Food advertising and marketing aimed at children as well as fat-laden restaurant meals are two recent targets of public health advocates seeking to stem skyrocketing childhood obesity rates. To counteract the problem, Center for Science in the Public Interest called for nutrition labeling on restaurant menus. Legislation that would require all chain restaurants to print nutritional information such as calories, fat and sodium on menus is pending in five states, the District of Columbia and Congress.

Annotation: The fast food industry is advertising to the younger generations and those are this is the generation which is increasing in obesity.

3. the fast track to fat
Mary Ellen Strote. Shape. Woodland Hills: Jun 2005. Vol. 24, Iss. 10; pg. 104, 1 pgs

Abstract (Summary)
Researchers tracked the fast-food habits of more than 3,000 healthy men and women ages 18-30. After 15 years, people who had frequented fast-food restaurants more than twice a week gained ten pounds more than those who went less than once weekly.
» Jump to indexing (document details)
Full Text
(127 words)
Copyright American Media, Inc. Jun 2005
If you eat fast food often and are a young adult, you may be more likely to enter middle age fatter and at greater risk for insulin resistance (a risk factor for diabetes) than your peers who forgo the drive-through. Researchers tracked the fast-food habits of more than 3,000 healthy men and women ages 18-30. After 15 years, people who had frequented fast-food restaurants more than twice a week gained 10 pounds more than those who went less than once weekly. They also had double the increase in insulin resistance, a risk factor for adult-onset diabetes, says Gina Wei, M.D., project officer of the study. If you must eat fast food, Wei suggests you look up your meal's nutritional content before ordering. - Mary Ellen Strote Jafe

Annotation: I was informed that research has proven that those who eat at a fast food restaurant more than 2 times a week gained 10 pounds more than those who went less than once. To me this correlates obesity and fast food.

4. Fast Food Really Can Be Unhealthy...
Anonymous. Child Health Alert. Newton Highlands: Mar 2005. Vol. 23 pg. 3, 1 pgs

Abstract (Summary)
Obesity is widely recognized as a major public health problem in the US, and health experts are particularly concerned about the dramatic increases in obesity among children. Two major causes are lack of exercise and diet; when it comes to diet, many have blamed fast food. In a study, researchers have found out that the more people ate fast food, the more their body weight increased.
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Full Text
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Copyright Child Health Alert Inc. Mar 2005
Obesity is widely recognized as a major public health problem in the U.S., and health experts are particularly concerned about the dramatic increases in obesity among children. Two major causes are lack of exercise and diet; when it comes to diet, many have blamed fast food. Though it is surprising, there have been few scientific studies that have actually considered the impact of fast-food on body weight. To fill that gap, researchers reviewed data on over 3,000 young white and black adults who took part in a 15-year follow-up study of cardiovascular risk factors. The authors studied how often the subjects ate at fast-food restaurants over the 15-year period and they measured changes in bodyweight over that time.

Annotation: There are more than one cause to obesity yet fast food is the one that contributes to the majority of obesity.

5. Compensation for Energy Intake From Fast Food Among Overweight and Lean Adolescents
Cara B Ebbeling, Kelly B Sinclair, Mark A Pereira, Erica Garcia-Lago, et al. JAMA. Chicago: Jun 16, 2004. Vol. 291, Iss. 23; pg. 2828, 6 pgs

Abstract (Summary)
Fast food consumption has increased greatly among children in recent years, in tandem with the obesity epidemic. Fast food tends to promote a positive energy balance and, for this reason, may result in weight gain. Ebbeling et al test the hypothesis that overweight adolescents are more susceptible to the adverse effects of fast food than lean adolescents.

Annotation: The consumption of fast food in the adolescence time frame greatly deals with the obesity rates. Since fast food restaurants promote to adolescence it makes sense to me to why that is where the majority of obesity comes from.

6. Governing childhood obesity: Framing regulation of fast food advertising in the Australian print media
Julie Henderson, John Coveney, Paul Ward, Anne Taylor. Social Science & Medicine. Oxford: Nov 2009. Vol. 69, Iss. 9; pg. 1402

Abstract (Summary)
Childhood obesity is widely constructed as reaching epidemic proportions with consumption of fast food viewed as a contributing factor. This paper analyses media reporting of the regulation of fast food consumption to children. A media search of five Australian newspapers for the period January 2006 to June 2008 elicited 100 articles relating to the regulation of fast food advertising to children. Content and thematic analysis of the articles reveal conflicting perspectives on the role of the state; the level of accountability of the food and advertising industries; and responsibilities of parents for regulating fast food consumption in children. The Federal Government, food and advertising industries and free to air broadcasters favor industry self-regulation and personal responsibility for fast food consumption while the proponents of government regulation include consumer groups, state government health ministers, nutrition and public health academics and medical and health foundations. The regulation of fast food advertising to children is discussed in relation to ideas about governance and the public health strategies which follow from these ideas. The paper argues that all proposed solutions are indicative of a neoliberal approach to the governance of health insofar as the responsibility for regulation of food marketing is viewed as lying with industry and the regulation of lifestyle risk is viewed as an individual responsibility. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

Annotation: Fast food is viewed as a contributing factor to obesity and the fast food consumption with children is majorly increasing. The fast food industry is most advertised to children with children’s meals and including a toy with them.

Brianne's Game Plan

Word Count: 506

1. My purpose for writing is to inform others of the relations between fast and unhealthy food to obesity in response to prompt number two. In this day and age, more and more people are becoming obese. There are many causes to why more people are becoming obese but the unhealthy lifestyle is a major component. This selection is the best one for me to write about due to the fact that I am going into the health profession field and obesity deals with health. I have learned a lot about obesity thus far, from medical facts to facts about fast food nutrition. I believe that my peers will have a general understanding about my topic. I considered numerous other options before deciding to write my paper on obesity; my overall goal to writing my paper is to inform everyone on the alarming rates of obesity.
2. The specific topic that I plan on writing about is obesity and the factors that are making more and more people obese. Thus far, I have composed a list of reasons which I will write paragraphs on: the sedentary lifestyle, and unhealthy eating habits. Since we were reading the book, Fast Food Nation, I decided that those would be good components to in cooperate into my paper. I have limited my paper to the current time frame and geographically all over the world. I believe I will focus in more on teenagers and children for my paper.
3. I believe that anyone who is going into the health professions field would be interested in reading my paper. My paper is of interest to me now because the rate of obesity is rising at an alarming rate.
4. The types of source material which I believe will best support my thesis is internet based material and possibly some medical magazines which have articles and stories about obesity and fast food. The modes of writing which I believe I will use include: cause and effect, description, illustration, and definition. I believe that those will be the most effective in my paper. I may gather some information off of charts and in cooperate that into my paper as well as statistics.
5. The research that I plan on conducting is: finding valuable information about nutrition in fast food and the relationship to obesity, some underlying causes to obesity outside of nutrition, and how the sedentary lifestyle is increasing and the factors which correlate to it. Thus far, my research is going pretty well, I still need to use the databases. Daily, I plan on researching more and finding new information that will be vital to adding into my paper. I think that a good approach for writing this paper would be to write a few paragraphs a day and not try to tackle it all at once. I have not encountered difficulties while working on my paper. The source material which I hope to find during our research days include more charts with statistics which I can in cooperate into my paper.

Fast Food Nation Post 9 Part 2

1. How the HACCP is a program of prevention for the meatpacking industry.
2. Why Theno made the Jack in the Box managers attend a food saftey course and no other fast food resturatnts.
3. What exactly the "Performance-based grading" system would consist of.
4. Why it is that when a company decides to voluntarily pull contaminated meat from the markert, it is under no legal obligation to inform the public or the state health officials that a recall is taking place.
5. Why the most questionable ground beef was distributed to school cafeterias throughout the country for the children to eat.

Fast Food Nation Post 9

1. What exactly is in the meat which is used at fast food resturants?
2. How long do fast food chains keep food frozen in their freezers?
3. Why so many people become ill everyday do to foodbone disease?
4. Why a hamburger was considered the food of the poor.
5. Why 1/4 of the cattle used to make ground beef are diseased.

10 New Sources for Obesity and Fast Food

1. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=0&did=1947037401&SrchMode=1&sid=2&Fmt=2&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1270479932&clientId=4130

Value for money or making the healthy choice: the impact of proportional pricing on consumers' portion size choices
Willemijn M Vermeer, Esther Alting, Ingrid H M Steenhuis, Jacob C Seidell. European Journal of Public Health. Oxford: Feb 2010. Vol. 20, Iss. 1; pg. 65

Abstract (Summary)
Large food portion sizes are determinants of a high caloric intake, especially if they have been made attractive through value size pricing (i.e. lower unit prices for large than for small portion sizes). The purpose of the two questionnaire studies that are reported in this article was to assess the impact of proportional pricing (i.e. removing beneficial prices for large sizes) on people's portion size choices of high caloric food and drink items. Both studies employed an experimental design with a proportional pricing condition and a value size pricing condition. Study 1 was conducted in a fast food restaurant (N = 150) and study 2 in a worksite cafeteria (N = 141). Three different food products (i.e. soft drink, chicken nuggets in study 1 and a hot meal in study 2) with corresponding prices were displayed on pictures in the questionnaire. Outcome measures were consumers' intended portion size choices. No main effects of pricing were found. However, confronted with proportional pricing a trend was found for overweight fast food restaurant visitors being more likely to choose small portion sizes of chicken nuggets (OR = 4.31, P = 0.07) and less likely to choose large soft drink sizes (OR = 0.07, P = 0.04). Among a general public, proportional pricing did not reduce consumers' size choices. However, pricing strategies can help overweight and obese consumers selecting appropriate portion sizes of soft drink and high caloric snacks. More research in realistic settings with actual behaviour as outcome measure is required.

2. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=4&did=1683442861&SrchMode=1&sid=3&Fmt=2&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1270480163&clientId=4130

Development and Evaluation of a Brief Screener to Estimate Fast-Food and Beverage Consumption among Adolescents
Melissa C Nelson, Leslie A Lytle. American Dietetic Association. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. Chicago: Apr 2009. Vol. 109, Iss. 4; pg. 730

Abstract (Summary)
Sweetened beverage and fast-food intake have been identified as important targets for obesity prevention. However, there are few brief dietary assessment tools available to evaluate these behaviors among adolescents. The objective of this research was to examine reliability and validity of a 22-item dietary screener assessing adolescent consumption of specific energy-containing and non- energy-containing beverages (nine items) and fast food (13 items). The screener was administered to adolescents (ages 11 to 18 years) recruited from the Minneapolis/St Paul, MN, metro region. One sample of adolescents completed test-retest reliability of the screener (n=33, primarily white adolescents). Another adolescent sample completed the screener along with three 24-hour dietary recalls to assess criterion validity (n=59 white adolescents). Test-retest assessments were completed approximately 7 to 14 days apart, and agreement between the two administrations of the screener was substantial, with most items yielding Spearman correlations and k statistics that were >0.60. When compared to the gold standard dietary recall data, findings indicate that the validity of the screener items assessing adolescents' intake of regular soda, sports drinks, milk, and water was fair. However, the differential assessment periods captured by the two methods (ie, 1 month for the screener vs 3 days for the recalls) posed challenges in analysis and made it impossible to assess the validity of some screener items. Overall while these screener items largely represent reliable measures with fair validity, our findings highlight the challenges inherent in the validation of brief dietary assessment tools. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

3. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=6&did=1777844091&SrchMode=1&sid=3&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1270480163&clientId=4130

Increasing obesity in children and adolescents: An alarming epidemic
Kimberly M Wilkinson. JAAPA : Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants. Montvale: Dec 2008. Vol. 21, Iss. 12; pg. 31, 7 pgs

Abstract (Summary)
Currently, adolescents have an increased intake of sweetened beverages, French fries, pizza, and fast food entrees, and a consequent inadequate intake of recommended fruits, vegetables, dairy foods, whole grains, lean meats, and fish.11 School lunch programs are also to blame for the rise in the numbers of overweight children. Behavior targets include increasing consumption of fruits, vegetables, and fiber-containing grain products, switching from full-fat to 1% or fat-free dairy products after age 2 years, preparing and eating family meals at home, increasing daily physical activity, and limiting sedentary time.8 Interventions that include changes to classroom and physical education curricula and after-school programs as well as dietary modifications in school meals and vending machine products, can improve dietary patterns and increase physical activity.

4. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=10&did=1004678571&SrchMode=1&sid=3&Fmt=2&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1270480163&clientId=4130

Healthful Fast Foods Not Part of Healthful Revenue
Karen Stein. American Dietetic Association. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. Chicago: Mar 2006. Vol. 106, Iss. 3; pg. 344

Abstract (Summary)
When the prevalence of overweight and obesity was upgraded from "common" to "epidemic," the media reports on how to combat it were consistent in repeating what health care professionals had been saying for a long time: overconsumption of fast food could have a negative impact on a person's weight. Many fast food restaurants began adding more healthful options to their menus, but some chains discovered that such items were not necessarily profitable.

5. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=11&did=994444151&SrchMode=1&sid=3&Fmt=2&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1270480163&clientId=4130

Fast food and sedentary lifestyle: a combination that leads to obesity
David R Jacobs Jr. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Bethesda: Feb 2006. Vol. 83, Iss. 2; pg. 189

Abstract (Summary)
Bes-Rastrollo et al. report that the consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks and fast-food intake--and, to a lesser extent the consumption of sweetened fruit drinks and red meat--predicts a weight gain of [about] 0.4 kg/y independent of energy intake, physical activity, and television viewing. Jacobs says Bes-Rastrollo et al. points out the need for societal changes in diet; however, attention to physical activity is also required.

6. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=15&did=1091388341&SrchMode=1&sid=3&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1270480163&clientId=4130

Portion distortion: a food service viewpoint
John S A Edwards. The Journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health. London: May 2005. Vol. 125, Iss. 3; pg. 109, 2 pgs

Abstract (Summary)
Business must make a profit in order to survive, and it applies just as much to the food service industry as any other. Portion sizes are an important marketing tool used to increase sales and therefore, profit. Here, Edwards analyzes whether food service industry has a moral responsibility to ensure that people consume an appropriate diet, and should portion sizes be used as one of the techniques.

7. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=17&did=806795881&SrchMode=1&sid=3&Fmt=4&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1270480163&clientId=4130

Fast Food Really Can Be Unhealthy...
Anonymous. Child Health Alert. Newton Highlands: Mar 2005. Vol. 23 pg. 3, 1 pgs

Abstract (Summary)
Obesity is widely recognized as a major public health problem in the US, and health experts are particularly concerned about the dramatic increases in obesity among children. Two major causes are lack of exercise and diet; when it comes to diet, many have blamed fast food. In a study, researchers have found out that the more people ate fast food, the more their body weight increased.

8. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=18&did=816007321&SrchMode=1&sid=3&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1270480163&clientId=4130

Health Consequences Of Too Much Fast Food
Maryann Napoli. HealthFacts. New York: Mar 2005. Vol. 30, Iss. 3; pg. 3, 1 pgs

Abstract (Summary)
According to the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults, eating fast food regularly increases the odds of becoming obese and/or type 2 diabetic. This is the first large-scale, long-term study to investigate the link between fast-food consumption and changes in body weight and insulin resistance.

9. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=6&did=1446009441&SrchMode=1&sid=22&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1270481377&clientId=4130

Poor Options Affect Kids' Weight Gain
Anonymous. USA Today. Farmingdale: Feb 2008. Vol. 136, Iss. 2753; pg. 3, 2 pgs

Abstract (Summary)
It asserts that, in most middle and high schools across the nation, contracts with soft drink bottling companies give students easy access to sugary beverages.

10. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=27&did=208160081&SrchMode=1&sid=30&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1270481700&clientId=4130

Raising fit kids in a fattening world
Barbara Loecher. Prevention. Emmaus: Nov 2002. Vol. 54, Iss. 11; pg. 114

Abstract (Summary)
About nine million US children are overweight or obese. Loecher offers tips to parents of obese children, including quietly phasing in changes, encouraging one-bite trials, and improving the quality of snack attacks.

Ten Things About The Economic Crisis

Ten Things Your Reader Won’t Know About The Economic Crisis

1. Fact or detail:
There is a widespread belief that the current economic crisis is a result from a financial/banking crisis.
Source information:
http://cynicuseconomicus.blogspot.com/2009/02/economic-crisis-underlying-cause.html

2. Fact or detail:
The economic crisis has gotten so bad due to greed, the housing market, and how the credit well dried up.
Source information:
http://cashmoneylife.com/2008/09/29/economic-financial-crisis-2008-causes/

3. Fact or detail:
The U.S. economy is currently experiencing its worst crisis since the Great Depression.
Source information:
http://www.isreview.org/issues/64/feat-moseley.shtml

4. Fact or detail:
The economy has been steadily declining for over three years.
Source information:
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/statistics_explained/index.php/Impact_of_the_economic_crisis_on_unemployment

5. Fact or detail:
Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rates for adult men (10.0 per-cent), adult women (8.0 percent), whites (8.8 percent), blacks (15.8 percent), Hispanics (12.4 percent), and teenagers (25.0 percent) showed little to no change in February.
Source information:
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm

6. Fact or detail:
The unemployment rate is predicted to decline.
Source information:
http://www.forecasts.org/unemploy.htm

7. Fact or detail:
For every 1% increase in job creation, there would be approximately 250,000 additional jobs created in the United States over the next ten years.
Source information:
http://www.lewrockwell.com/thornton/thornton20.html

8. Fact or detail:
A survey indicates that less than 10% of American workers loose jobs due to American Job outsourcing which makes the picture clear that the problem is somewhere else.
Source information:
http://www.cyfuture.com/outsourcing-american-jobs.htm

9. Fact or detail:
Workers in manufacturing jobs, also known as “blue collar workers,” have long been exposed to foreign competition, losing jobs to lower wages abroad.
Source information:
http://gbgm-umc.org/global_news/full_article.cfm?articleid=2574

10. Fact or detail:
The Economic Crisis of 2008 is believed to have occurred because of global inflation, increased unemployment, high oil and food prices, a declining dollar value, a horrible housing market, and a subprime mortgage crisis.
Source information:
http://wiki.lexisnexis.com/academic/index.php?title=Economic_Crisis_2008

Fast Food Nation Post 6

1. All of the history destroyed when new huge houses were built.
2. How competitive the markplace was for ranchers selling there cattle.
3. What sparked the great idea to have chicken finger food.
4. What exactly is in all the food at fast food resturants.
5. What goes on at meat packing industries.

Fast Food Nation Post 5

1. The different inventions that have been created to help with potatoe farming.
2. The competitiveness of selling frozen fries in bags.
3. The prices that potatoes sold for and how much profit the companies would make off of them.
4. How McDonalds use to make their fries.
5. All of the ingrediants that go into making a single milkshake at Burger King.

Fast Food Nation Post 3

1. How every few miles you will see a new cluster of fast food resturants.
2. Half of the jobs in Colarado Springs still depends on military spending.
3. Colarado Springs is slowly starting to turn like Southern California.
4. How a high schooler goes up into work at 6 am at a local McDonalds.
5. How numerous deaths have occured after hours at fastfood resturants due to robbery.

Subject and 5 topics

Subject: Fast Food
Topic 1: Obesity- does fast food play a role in the rising rates of obesity?
Topic 2- Nutrition- how much nutrition is in the meals at fast food resturants?
Topic 3- Diabetes- does fast food increase the cases of diabetes?
Topic 4- Medical Problems Arising from Fast Food- Cause an increase in heart attacks, alzeheimers, and other health problems?
Topic 5- Life Span- is all the fast food consumed causing a decrease in lifespan?

Talking About My Generation

“Generation Dope.”
I got this idea from the New York Times Friday July 31, 2009 issue. The title of the article is, “Stars of Red Sox Title Years Are Linked to Doping.” In this day and age, a lot of athletes are being accused of doing dope and it comes up a lot with sports.

“Generation Economic Crisis, Not Many Show It.”
I got this idea from the New York Times Friday July 31, 2009 issue. The title of the article, which I got my idea from, was “The Pizza Now Costs $5 a Slice. May Say It’s Worth Every Cent.” The economy today is not doing so well, and for people to be paying five dollars for a slice of pizza is a lot. They need to be budgeting their money better.

“Generation Diversity.”

I got this idea from the New York Times Sunday March 15, 2009 issue. The article’s title was, “Where Education and Assimilation Collide.” In America today, we are becoming more and more diverse. To me, this article stated how America is becoming more inter-racial.

“Generation Unemployment.”

I got this idea from the Wall Street Journal’s Saturday/Sunday January 30-31 2010 edition. The title of the article was, “Growth Hits 6-Year High.” I got this idea because I was thinking and the economy is in such a bad state that it is a good thing that the growth rate has hit its high prior to 6 years ago.

“Generation I’ve Been Found.”
I got this idea from the New York Times Friday January 15, 2010 issue. The title of the article, which I got this idea from was, “Can ‘Idol” Still Churn Out Stars? Time Will Tell.” American Idol has been on for numerous seasons and they keep finding singing sensations. Every year, they host a new season and they keep on finding hidden stars. I got this idea because the stars, which have been found, lives have drastically changed because of this show.

Websites and Articles

Websites

http://www.ajc.com/news/community-gardens-grow-fresh-357600.html

-growing fresh vegetables helps to build friendships.

http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/food/articles/2010/03/10/family_campaign_against_childhood_obesity_can_be_painless_filling_and_still_taste_good/

- More children are obese these days. How to kick to obesity epidemic.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/fea/healthyliving2/stories/030910dnlivkidsweight.18ece5a1c.html

-States that there is a 15% higher chance of a child becoming obese if
their grandparents watch them.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/mar/08/aids-virus-can-hide-in-bone-marrow/
-talks about how the AIDS virus can hid in bone marrow and that a lot of research lies ahead about this.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-dorm-gender15-2010mar15,0,4585257.story

- Talks about how more and more colleges are allowing co-ed roommates.

Magazines

http://discovermagazine.com/2009/oct/30-20-things-you-didnt-know-about-sugar

-this article informs us of 20 things you did not know about sugar.

http://usnews.feedroom.com/?fr_story=0b22e4508db3aabbca803e5ac1a75a4001779fff
-this video article states that even if one takes junk food away from schools, it does not prevent from over eating at home.

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1971906,00.html

-talks about lead poisoning could lurk in spices


http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2010/02/18/wellness/fitness.html

-talks about 10 different exercises that can help lead to stronger muscles and healthier joints.

http://discovermagazine.com/2010/mar/03-fish-oil-is-no-snake-oil

-talks about the omega-3 fatty acids that fish oils contain has been shown to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Dinnertime Isn't Only For Eating Final

Brianne Butler
bmbutler@mail.usi.edu
English 201.010
Essay 2 Final
Word Count: 1,163

Dinnertime Isn’t Only for Eating
Passing around the dinner rolls, scooping pasta out of the pot and serving apple sauce is quite common at the Butler household. Pasta is an entrée my family commonly eats. Dinnertime at my house is not only a time to consume food, but also for communicating about our day and quite frequently bringing up memories of the past. At some point during our meal, someone will say something hysterical or bring up a funny memory. There is rarely a meal that goes by without laughter. You know what is coming when you hear the words, “Do you remember when…”
Since I was young, we have had pasta at least once a week. The type of pasta would vary, with my favorite being what we call manicotti. My mother’s creation of manicotti is my favorite. Manicotti noodles, tomato sauce with just the right spices, ground round, sausage, and cheeses combine to make an excellent family meal. Yes, those are the typical ingredients for manicotti, but for some reason my mother’s has always tasted better than any other I have eaten. I believe her manicotti is made with love and no one else can re-create or come close to it.
When I began the teenage years, my mother decided that it would be wise if she began to teach me how to cook. I remember one Saturday afternoon in Autumn, my mother said to me, “Brianne, I am going to teach you how to make manicotti.” I was on Cloud 9 when she informed me that I would be cooking dinner. She figured since I absolutely loved pasta, she would start big and taught me how to make manicotti. At about four thirty in the afternoon, we began my first cooking lesson. I thought that cooking was a lot harder than she made it seem. I had a problem boiling the water; I was impatient and could not wait. There was too much going on at once: waiting for the water to boil, preheating the over, preparing the meat, and starting the sauce. At first, I was overwhelmed and about gave up. I decided that my mother wanted to teach me for a reason, so I stuck with it. She told me a good cook will do things in a certain order and she taught me how she prepared one of my favorite meals.
After we got a majority of the meal started, we began adding spices to the sauce. Parsley flakes, minced onion, minced garlic, and garlic salt are the ingredients we add to the secret sauce; there is no set amount to add, we just stop when it smells good. After the noodles were cooked, we put them in a cool water bath so we would be able to stuff them with meat. We began to roll the meat into a cylinder shape, so it would fit in the noodles; we would then put the stuffed noodles in the baking dish. Once all fourteen noodles were stuffed, we poured our homemade sauce on them. Before we put the meal in the oven, we needed to put parmesan cheese, Swiss cheese, and mozzarella cheese on the top of the sauce. The final step of the meal, before consumption, was to put our manicotti in the oven for an hour at 350 degrees. After completing all of the steps of making manicotti, my mother said, “You did a really good job and I am proud of you.” This was a proud moment and memory for me.
During the time I was learning to prepare this delicious meal, sauce ended up all over me. Who knew when cooking, more food could end up on you than in the meal! As I waited for the timer to go off, which felt like an eternity, I anxiously waited to see the end product. The timer sounded. As I opened up the oven, I saw the golden brown dish. Excellent, would be the word to describe the manicotti. I was ready to eat this scrumptious meal; I eagerly called the rest of my family for dinner so we could begin or feast.
As I served dinner, my family was impressed that I had made this meal. It tasted delicious. I received so many compliments about my cooking. Since my family enjoyed my cooking, it made me want to be able to cook everything just like my mom. My mother gradually began teaching me to cook more and more things. To me, cooking was a huge responsibility and I was glad to take on the duty. Food, cooking lessons, and my mom all equal memories stored in my memory bank.
As long as I can remember, at almost every meal there would be an outburst of laughter with my mother often crying due to the funny situation or memory. To me, food not only represents nourishment for the body but a time of laughter and jubilation. Mealtime usually entails me laughing hysterically as well. There is never a dull conversation when my family and I eat. Someone will say something completely out of order, something that happened to them during the day or even the occasional impersonation of a co-worker from my dad.
Before I left for college, I made my mother cry from laughter. As we were recalling stories from the past, one came up about me falling out of a high chair when I was six months old. This was a shocker to me, as I never knew this happened and this was not a happy memory for my mom. The unhappy memory is now a funny memory, due to what I said at the age of 18. Without thinking about the proper way to phrase what I wanted to know, I immediately asked, “Did you think you hurt her?” By the time the words were out of my mouth, my entire family was laughing hysterically. It takes a lot to make my father laugh, but even he was laughing. I did not realize what was so funny, until almost thirty minutes later when someone finally calmed down and told me what was so funny. Whenever we see our mother in tears from laughing we know someone has said something ridiculously funny; the culprit is usually me.
Since I have been away from home, for mealtime, I feel as if I am missing out on a part of my family’s life. My family will call me if something made everyone laugh at the dinner table and tell me all about it. The Loft is currently providing me with more memories, that I in turn share with my family.
I wish food and dinnertime could equal fond memories for everyone. I feel as if talking and laughing, during mealtime, brings people and families closer together and they stay more connected. Mealtime is something I look forward to daily, not only for the food but for the conversation that will arise and ultimately the memory.

Executioner's Outline

The Executioner’s Outline
I) Introduction- Start with an interesting fact or unusual detail that catches the reader’s attention
A) There is rarely a meal at my house that goes by without laughter.

II) Body Paragraphs
A) My mother’s creation of manicotti is one of the best I have ever eaten.
a) Ingredients, love, and no re-creation.
B) When I began the teenage years, my mother decided that it would be wise if she began to teach me how to cook.
a) Not having any food.
C) I was on Cloud 9 when she informed me that I would be cooking dinner.
a) Impatient and overwhelmed
D) This was a proud moment and memory for me.
a) Step by step instruction
E) Since my family enjoyed my cooking it made me what to be able to cook everything just like my mom.
a) Serving dinner and responsibilities.
F) As long as I can remember, at almost every meal there will be an outburst of laughter with my mother often crying due to the funny situation or memory.
a) Laughter, jubilation, and memories.
G) Since I have been away from home for meal time, I feel as if I am missing out on a part of my family’s life.
a) Family calls.

III) Conclusion- Summarize the main points of the essay.
A) I wish food and dinnertime could equal fond memories for everyone.

Essay 2 Self Evaluation Questions

A. What invention strategy did you find worked best for you? Why do you think this strategy was the most helpful? What other prewriting did you do before writing your draft?

The strategy that I found to work best for me was to construct a game plan. For the most part, I stuck with my game plan to help me write my essay. I did not do any other pre-writing; I stuck with the game plan so I could get it accomplished.

B. Which prompt did you end up selecting? Did you consider any other options or change your mind during the drafting process?

I ended up choosing the second prompt. I also considered the first prompt but then decided against it. I thought about changing my mind when I began to write my essay, but I called my mom and she gave me some ideas to help me get started writing.

C. What difficulties did you experience trying to discover a single focus or reason for writing?

The main difficulty that I experienced was thinking of a select memory. That was the part that took me the longest to do.

D. What one or two (thesis) sentence(s) from your essay articulates your purpose for writing? (Write your thesis statement below.)

There is rarely a meal at my house that goes without laughter.
Since I was young, we always had pasta at least once a week.

E. What problems did you have trying to organize your essay? How did you overcome these difficulties?

The main problem I had with organizing my essay was the organization of some of the paragraphs. For the most part, I believe my essay is in order, but there is room for improvement.

F. If you were starting the assignment over from scratch, what would you do differently? What changes would you make to your writing /thinking process?

If I was to start over, the things I would do differently are as follows: call my mom before sitting there trying to write for an hour and getting nowhere, construct a better game plan, and thinking about all of the options for a longer time than what I did to better make a decision.

G. What do you like best about your essay?

The part of my essay that I like the most is the conclusion. Not because it is the end but because I think I did a relatively good job of wrapping my thoughts up.

H. What do you like least about your essay?

The part of my essay that I like the least is the body. I fell as if it does not flow that great and is kind of choppy. I need to work on the transitions from paragraph to paragraph.

Food Essay

Brianne Butler
bmbutler@mail.usi.edu
English 201.010
Essay 2 Draft
Word Count: 1162

Dinner Time Isn’t Only for Eating
Passing around the dinner rolls, scooping pasta out of the pot, and serving apple sauce is quite common at The Butler household. Pasta is an entrée that my family commonly eats. Dinner time at my house is a time not only to consume food but also for communication about our days. At some point during our conversation someone will say something hysterical. There is rarely a meal at my house that goes without laughter.
Since I was young, we always had pasta at least one a week. The type of pasta would vary week to week. Most common, we had manicotti . The manicotti that my mother makes is one of the best I have ever had. Creamettes manicotti noodles, original Prego, tomato paste, and ground round. Yes, those are typical ingredients for manicotti, but for some reasons my mother’s has always tasted better. I believe it is made with love and no one else can re-create that. When I began the teenage years, my mother decided that it would be wise if she began to teach me how to cook. She always thought that during the winter months she would get snowed in at work, across the state line in Missouri, and the rest of the family would not have any food made to eat; since my father cannot cook. She figured that since I absolutely love pasta that she would start small and teach me how to cook manicotti.
One Saturday afternoon in autumn, my mother said to me, “Brianne, I am going to teach you how to cook manicotti this evening.” I was on Cloud 9 when she informed that I would be cooking dinner. At about four thirty, we began my first cooking lesson. I thought that it was a lot harder than she made it seem. I had problems with boiling the water, I was impatient and I could not wait. There was too much going on at once; waiting for the water to boil, preheating the over, preparing the meat, and starting the sauce. At first, I was overwhelmed and was about to give up. I decided that my mother wanted to teach me for a reason and I stuck with it. She told me that a good cook will do things in a certain order and she taught me how she prepared one of my favorite meals.
After we got a majority of the meal started, we started adding spices to the sauce. Parsley flakes, minced onion, minced garlic, and garlic salt are the ingredients there is no set amount that we put in; we just stop when it smells good. After the noodles were cooked, we put them in a cold water bath so we would be able to stuff them. We began to roll the meat in a cylinder shape so it would fit in the noodle; we would then put the stuffed noodles in the pan. Once all fourteen noodles were stuffed we poured our homemade sauce on them. The final step before putting the meal in the oven was to put parmesan cheese, Swiss cheese, and mozzarella cheese on the top of sauce. The final step of the meal before consumption was to put it in the over for an hour at 350 degrees. After completing all of the steps to making manicotti, my mother said, “You did a really good job and I am proud of you.”
During the time I was learning to prepare this delicious meal, the sauce ended up all over me. Who knew that during cooking more food could end up on you than for the meal? After waiting for the timer to buzz felt like an eternity when in reality, it was only sixty minutes. The timer buzzed. I was excited to see the end product. Excellent, would be the word to describe the meal. I eagerly called the rest of my family for dinner. As I served dinner, my family was impressed that I had made this meal. It tasted delicious. I received so many complements about my cooking. Since my family enjoyed my cooking it made me what to be able to cook everything just like my mother did. My mother began allowing me to cook more and more things. I was glad to take on the responsibility of cooking.
As long as I can remember, every meal there will be an outburst of laughter; at least one time a week, my mother will end up crying at the table due to laughter. To me, food not only reminds me of time to eat but a time of laughter and jubilation. Meal time does not only mean food, it usually entails me hysterically laughing as well. There is never a dull conversation when my family and I eat. Someone will say something completely out of order or something that happened to them during the day or even the occasional impersonation of a co-worker from my dad. Before I left for college, I made my mother cry from laughter. We were recalling stories from the past and the one came up about me falling out of the high chair when I was a few months old. This was a shocker to me I never knew that I fell when I was a baby. Without thinking about the proper way to phrase what I wanted to say, I immediately said, “Did you think you hurt her?” By the time the words were out of my mouth, my brother, mother, and father were all laughing hysterically. It takes a lot to make my father laugh, but I sure did. I did not realize what was so funny until about thirty minutes later when someone finally calmed down and was able to tell me what was so funny. Whenever we see our mother in tears from laughing we know someone said something ridiculously funny. Usually the culprit is me.
Since I have been away from my house for meal time, I feel as if I am missing out on a part of my family’s life and since I do not have a kitchen in my room on campus, I make it up at The Loft most days. Maybe I have luck that makes everything that happens to me seem funny or maybe I am a funny person in general. My family will call me if something made everyone laugh at the dinner table and tell me all about it. Laughter burns calories and on some occasions I feel as if at dinner time my family burns more calories than they consumed.
Dinner time to me is not only a time to eat but a time for conversation as well. I fell as if talking during meal time bring people closer together and more connected. Food brings people together for more than one thing. Meal time is something that I look forward to daily, not for the food but for the conversations that will arise from the meal.

My Second Essay Pick

For our second essay that we have to write I have chosen to write about Food and Memory. It is the best selection for me because since I have been away from home it really has hit me that I miss having a home cooked meal; I also know what ingredients are in as well. Numerous time I have thought about my mothers food I don't think I would be missing home cooked food so much if I lived in the apartments and had a kitchen where I could cook when I wanted.

The modes of writing which I will probably use are description, narration and illustration.

My game plan for writing this essay is as follows:
1. Walk to the library and find a nice place where I will be able to write without distractions.
2. Pre-write a list of possible topics to include.
3. Think of a catchy and cleaver title.
4. Write some great paragraphs.
5. Take a brief break and gather my thoughts; see what everyone is doing later in the evening.
6. Finish composing the rest of my essay and revise it.
7. Have a friend or two look it over and tell me where all I could use improvement.

That is my game plan for tackling this essay. I hope I don't get off-sides while writing.

Fast Food Nation Post 2

Things that I would be interested in learning more about:
1. The correlation of parents working more and spending more money on their children.
2. Why in 1999 children's favorite television ad was the Budweiser ad.
3. Why fast food chains spend nearly 3 billion dollars on television advertising.
4. Who thinks about the toys which are distributed within the Happy Meals. What the thought process is to determining which toy will be put in when.

3 Paragraphs

As one would walk into the bookstore, they may notice the prices of items to be higher than expected. There are many ways that the university bookstore takes advantage of students. The prices of textbooks are extremely expensive. I have only bought a few of my books from the bookstore, all the other ones I have rented from Txtbookrental so I would be saving money. At the end of the academic school year, I plan on selling the few books that I did by back even though I will not get as near as much money for the book as it is worth. The price of tuition is not cheap and you would think that the university would help its students out by lowering the price of textbooks.
Mode of writing: illustration

As my alarm went off at 6:10, I looked out the window and noticed the sidewalks were still covered in snow. Confused, I logged on to my computer and realized that the university would be closed until noon. I fell back asleep for a few more hours woke up only to realize that I needed to hurry and get ready or I would be late to class. Rushing to get ready, I could not remember if it was test day or not, I could not remember anything. Being able to sleep for a few more hours had really messed my sense of time up. When I strolled on to class, I came to realize that test day was not until the following class. When it was all said and done, I was just glad to call it a day.
Mode of writing: Narration

As I came back to campus from a nice weekend away Sunday evening, I wondered if any crazy events took place in my room. As soon as I opened the door to my dorm, I knew that my roommate has played party host all weekend long. The place was a disaster and she was not there, so I could not ask her what exactly happened. Cups, bottles, cans, and food took over the room and I could barely make it out of the common room to my room. When I walked into there it was not much better; it look like the next World War occurred. On my half of the room, nothing was where I had left it and all of my stuff had been tampered with. I was beyond angry that all of my stuff was out of place.
Mode of writing: Description

Fast Food Nation Post 1

From this chapter what I'd be interested in learning more about.
1. More about the McDonald's headquarters because it is in Illinois and that is my home state.
2. More about the Disney animators strike.
3. More about Kroc's plans to build an amusement park like Disneyland.
4. More about the reasoning for Disney to build Disney World in Florida.

Revision Blog

In order to make my essay better, Alissa suggested that I put more conversation into it. I think that is a really good idea and I plan on doing so. I believe that I can also make my essay more descriptive. I plan on building up anticipation in parts of my essay to leave the reader wondering what will happen next. I believe the peer edit was beneficial to us all as writers; we take in feedback better if it is from one of our peers.
My detailed revision plan includes: checking for punctuation and grammatical errors, adding in more conversation and description, and having a friend edit my paper for any other possible errors. I might take my paper to the Writers Room.
Alissa also suggested to me that I should not make the outcome of events so noticeable. I’m going to work on that part of my essay as well adding in my detail for a dramatic effect. I believe my paragraph order is in chronological order, so I don’t think that I will change that around.
I’m going to re-read my paper backwards from finish to start, so I can check for grammatical and punctuation errors better. I was taught this technique last semester and I think that it works really well. You catch things that may not be noticeable to you if you read your paper from start to finish in the revision stage.
Overall, I believe that I did a really good job on my essay; I’m not saying that it’s perfect because there’s always room for improvement!

Self-Evaluation for Draft 1

English 201—Essay #1 Draft Self-evaluation

1. Which prompt did you select? Why did this one appeal to you over the others? What other prompts did you consider?
The prompt that I selected was the second one. I choose to write about this one because I felt that I would be able to expand more off of this topic than any of the other prompts. I considered writing about the prompt from Shame, but I ended up choosing the one about Malcolm X.

2. Which mode(s) of writing were most helpful to you in terms of creating content? Did you primarily tell a story, compare and/or contrast or describe, for example? What other modes of writing/thinking did you utilize?

Primary mode(s): Narration

Secondary mode(s): Description

3. What specific details will you include for your reader? Why are these details important? What do they accomplish?
The specific details that I will include for the reader include the anticipation of try-outs, practices and gymnastics, and the falls which I took.
These details are important because the practices and gymnastics helped me to become the cheerleader that I am today, as well as the falls.
These details accomplish to tell my story about my past and current cheerleading life.
4. What “place(s)” or “scene(s)” do you try to recreate for your reader? Why are they crucial? Paste the most important scene in your essay below:
The places and scenes that I try to recreate for the reader was try-outs and some of the practices. They are crucial because the most detail is given at these points.
The very first practice, I began to learn how to full down from stunts. For months, I wasn't able to make it completely around. I was told, "Grab your pocket." For me, grabbing my pocket wasn't working and I would get stuck half way. In September, I tried a new technique and I was just waiting for the rough on the stomach painful landing. I made it all the way around and was very confused to what had happened and why I was not in pain. After months of hard work and determination, I mastered one of my newest goals.
5. Thinking in terms of your thesis, explain your main reason for writing…What are you hoping to accomplish in your essay? Why does it exist?
My main reason for writing this was to tell my story of cheerleading and to tell about the goals and obstacles I overcame. In this essay, I’m hoping to inform others that cheerleading is not as easy as it may seem.
6. Thinking in terms of your audience, explain what choices you made with your reader in mind…What did you include, what did you take out?
I decided to keep the parts about try-outs and practices. I ended up taking out the part about cheering at the games because I decided that it was not vital to my story with my goals.
7. What problems or struggles did you experience writing this draft? What kind of feedback would you like from your peer reviewers?
I did not seem to run into any struggle writing this draft. The feedback that I hope to get is making sure that my grammar and punctuation are proper.

Cheerleading My Working Goal

Brianne Butler
bmbutler@mail.usi.edu
English 201.010
Essay 1 Draft
Word Count: 1453

Cheerleading My Working Goal

Ever since I was a young girl, I have set goals. My goals have ranged from athletics to academics. Over the years, I have set more goals in athletics because I wanted to be the best. I began setting athletics goals when I was in the fifth grade. I was a member of all the school athletic programs and I was the tiniest one. I had to set goals for myself so I would improve, get better, and have more playing time. After a few months of setting my athletic goals, I began to notice improvement. From that moment on, I knew that if I set goals and strived to reach them that I would be able to accomplish all of my goals.
Before seventh grade, I had never heard of cheerleading. I decided I might as well try it to see if cheerleading was something that I would enjoy. When I first began cheering, I could not do a cartwheel. Once we began I knew that if this was something I wanted to continue, I would have to set goals so I could improve. I asked my mom if I could enroll in a gymnastics class, and she said I could. I started to go to the local gym, Midwest Twisters, and I was soon able to do a cartwheel. I was able to mark one item off of my cheerleading goals, being capable of doing a cartwheel. I then began working on harder tumbling skills; I knew these were not going to come to me as easy and they would take a lot more work and determination.

After cheering for one year at Holy Cross Lutheran School, I decided to transfer schools. I would be attending Collinsville Middle School. My mom called the school district to see when cheerleading try-outs were. That evening, she told me that she called and found out when the try-outs were. At that point in my life, I did not know if cheering was what I wanted to do. I really enjoyed basketball and track, and I did not know if I wanted to give up all other sports just for cheerleading. I ended up going to try-outs and I was certain that I was not going to make the squad based on my tumbling and stunting abilities. A majority of the girls could flip. I decided that I really didn’t have anything to lose so I went to the rest of try-outs. I gave it my all at try-outs and I knew the rest was out of my control to if I made the squad. The next day, we went to go look at the list to see who all had made the squad. The second name on this list happened to be mine, Brianne Butler, I was really excited. I then knew I would have to set a lot more cheerleading goals to improve so I would be right up with all the girls who could tumble.

At practices and gymnastics, I gave it my all; I wanted to get my back handspring. I was then introduced to more stunting than I was at Holy Cross; I was no longer a flyer and had to learn to base. I was still one of the tiniest so I knew it was going to hard work to be able to lift people that weighed more than I did. I set goals for stunting as well, but I wanted to focus more on tumbling. I began taking private tumbling lessons to get better. As the end of the year approached, I had improved but still did not have my back handspring.

Even though I still did not have my back handspring, I decided to try-out for the high school squad. When the day for high school try-outs came around, I was ready. I once again gave it my all and proved that I was working on my back handspring. I made the Collinsville High School JV cheerleading team. From here, I went back to flying and began to work on one leg stunts. I began stretching everyday so I would be able to pull things in the air. During my freshmen year of high school, not only did I get my back handspring, but I also got my round-off back handspring.

The following year at try-outs, I did all of my tumbling that I had and I made the Varsity Squad. I was still flying and improving my air skills and then I got moved back to basing. I had to start all over again, learning the techniques. I based for the next year and a half. My basing goals ranged from basing heel stretches to being able to catch full downs. I managed to meet my stunting goals. I set another tumbling goal that year; to get my round-off back handspring tuck. Every week at gymnastics I tried really hard, and despite numerous face plants to the ground and months later, I achieved my goal! My junior year of try-outs, I made the Varsity squad again and did my tuck at try-outs! I based this entire year without having to start from square one with stunting again. This year, I really decided to challenge myself, I wanted to get more standing tumbling. I took a countless number of face plants into the blue mats that year, but it didn’t discourage me. For our competition routine, I was told I would be doing a standing back handspring tuck; a skill that I did not have. Even though I could not do it, I was determined to get it. Every time we practiced our routine I took another face plant. Taking numerous face plants to the ground each practice was rough, in the end my coach took that part out because none of us who were supposed to do that skill could.

My final year on the high school squad, I had to start over with stunting skills, I was a new and young squad and was the only senior. I had to learn to back spot. I was accustomed to having to learn different places in a stunt group, so I took to it and told myself that I was going to be able to back all kinds of stunts. I became a great back spot. I also challenged myself to more tumbling goals. I told myself by the end of the year that I would have my layout and I would begin working on my full. In November of last year, I got my layout and I begun working on my full.

This past May, I figured why not try-out for college cheerleading, I tried out as a back spot and did all of my tumbling. That night, the coach, asked me about my standing tumbling. I wasn’t planning on throwing my standing tuck but I decided that I had nothing to lose. I took a face plant to the ground but I still held my head up and continued to throw it that night despite only one successful landing. I made the squad and immediately was told that I needed to learn to fly again. The very first practice, I began to learn how to full down from stunts. For months, I wasn't able to make it completely around. I was told, "Grab your pocket." For me, grabbing my pocket wasn't working and I would get stuck half way. In September, I tried a new technique and I was just waiting for the rough on the stomach painful landing. I made it all the way around and was very confused to what had happened and why I was not in pain. After months of hard work and determination, I mastered one of my newest goals. I have never set so many goals for myself in one year. I have gone from pro-back spot to a flyer that isn’t scared to fall from pyramids.
My main goal that I set for myself this year was to improve my stunting skills and to not be afraid of stunting. I have passed that goal with flying colors! I really proved this past month when we were doing stunts that I had never done before and I went in not afraid and I did what I had to do.

Moreover, I have set many goals in my life. Mostly, my goals have dealt with cheerleading and athletics. I still am setting goals cheerleading goals so that I can improve and become a better cheerleader. I know I am not the best and that is what pushes me to make and meet goals. For me, it goes to show that hard work and determination will help you reach your goals!