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Chapter 8/ Relationship between TV viewing and unhealthy eating

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While reading chapter 8 it is evident that obesity, anorexia, and other eating disorders are caused not only by TV usage, but also how the child is raised.  For instance, obesity has been a growing problem in America for kids, but adults as well.  Some of these parents may buy them junk food each month; as a result, the child only has bad foods in the house to eat.  On the other hand, a parent that eats nutritional food may only buy those foods; as a result, that adolescent only has healthy foods to eat.  Additionally, poverty is a predictor for obesity because fast food is cheaper than organic foods, and these children also don’t have access to sports programs to stay fit.  Another health problem is anorexia and bulimia, which consists of 7-9 million individuals.  It was interesting that this group consists of young women, but men also have these eating disorders as well.  Many people say that the fashion industry is to blame, but I think that it is only a part of it.  I have heard of the “thinspiration” websites before and was astonished to learn that these sites actually exist.  To add, numerous models in the fashion industry are naturally skinny, and I don’t think that young girls take that into consideration.  Also, there are a variety of TV shows based on weight loss, like The Biggest Loser.  I think these types of shows are putting an idea in these kids mind, although not all kids are obese, have anorexia, or another form of eating disorder.   To sum up, I agree that the health care system is a problem.  Many individuals can’t afford health care; as a result, kids don’t have access to nutritional doctors in order to stay at their healthy weight.

While reading the article, it was crazy to me that on a daily basis, children view 15 food advertisements.  I think that this is a factor to develop unhealthy eating habits, although I agree that parent-child communication is vital.  If a parent talks with their child about unhealthy food ads, than they may think twice about eating a bag of potato chips.  I also think that parents should speak to their kids about nutrition, and providing more healthier foods in the home (if they have the means of doing so).  Additionally, I found it interesting that the participants in this study consumed more healthier foods.  Ultimately, I believe that eating habits come from the food provided from parents and schools, and that TV commercials are just a portion of the problem.

Participation Attempts Continued (Challenge 5.2)

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This week’s assignment was to continue participation in social media. Similar to my results last week, I did not get feedback from the many users of the Internet. I went to Instagram to attempt to make contact with other users. I commented on several images that were shared in the #lgbtrepresentation tag asking how users felt about representation in the media with the preface that I’m gathering information for a class. I did not receive any replies.

While this was somewhat discouraging, I continued to at the very least lurk the Internet while awaiting responses to my comments and replies to posts. I looked to Twitter for different accounts that I felt had active users that spoke about LGBT rights and topics, and I found the @BuzzFeedLGBT account! I thought that this account was a very good source especially because BuzzFeed is a site that many young adults browse for information (whether that information is a food recipe or something more worthwhile). I scrolled through their feed and favorited some tweets, but I did not find anything that I felt warranted a retweet.

Unfortunately, from Tuesday to Saturday, I came down with a cold and this limited the amount of time I spent online. Because of this, I did not do too much participation or any browsing online. Hopefully this week, I will be able to commit more time to the assignment at hand. In the meantime, I may continue to participate online; maybe this week will produce more activity!

Santa Rosa part 2

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While I was at the Santa Rosa Island I learned a lot but two things that I remember are the species on the island are all originate from the main land , also that since the plates are in constant motion, this island has been moving north along the coast. Now what I was able to deduce from these two facts I learned from my faculty lead session is that the animals from southern California starts to vary as the island moves further north some species begins to change and as a result. To help understand what I’m talking about I will first explain each theory that I learned while on the Santa Rosa Island then draw a clear connection to these two things I picked up.

The first one I will want to cover is the theory of Island Geography, which states that the number of species on an island is based on the island distances from the main land and also based off of the size of the island. So since the Santa Rosa Island is part of the channel island (3rd farthest of the mainland) and is the second largest island of the Channel Islands it is susceptible to the main land but with a few differences. These spices are able to get to the island through birds, humans, floating, and fecal matter. Once a species finds its way onto the island they evolve or mutate to help survive or thrive on the island.

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The other concept that I picked up at the Island was that the island is in fact in constant shift. My guides was also able to tell me that the Island is in fact moving north and the island run East to West it’s a constant line moving up. Since it’s constantly moving north that means that the islands are never in the same place and who know they could even end up outside of the San Francisco Bay.

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Now let’s put these two ideas together, if the island thrives on the main land for species and biodiversity. So if the island is dependent on the mainland then if it moves far enough north toward a different area then the species provided by the main land then change and the island will experience a new type of a species, so in a few hundred years we may find that new species now live on the island.

Nov. 9

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I never realized how the media influences our decisions to eat bad food. I always figured it was the parents who determined how their children ate. I want to have a child and not introduce them to junk food at all, and I want to see what happens! Steinheimer’s book talks about ads that influence children to eat these foods, but what if you don’t let them eat those foods. I have always wanted to try this theory…. if the child never has junk food until they say, go buy it on their own later in their life.. will they be grossed out because they have been taught to like food that is better for you or will they fall in love and become addicted. I hadn’t had a burger in two years and I had one two weeks ago, and was so grossed out, I immediately regretted my decision. Once you stop eating a certain food and you have a reason for it, once you eat it again, 9 times out of 10, you will be disgusted. What happens if we teach our children this!

The article says, “Nutrition appears to be a secondary factor in food preference”. People do not care if certain foods are good for you or not they will still eat. The textbook clearly states this when talking about how sugary cereals came about. Knowing this now though will parents buy cereal without sugar? NO, because they too want their children to finish breakfast.  As an adult you KNOW Mcdonalds (or insert your hearts desire here: mine is Jack in the Box) but you still go through the drive through once in a while and indulge knowing it is bad. As a child you may have been told it is bad for you, but you dont have your own theory as to why and this makes you not care. This is why kids eat so much junk food because they dont care. There has to be a way to make them care, but each child is different. It might be the fact that they are torturing animals everyday or that the chicken is slime or that calories make you fat, or someone found a foot in their burger, whatever.

I find it very interesting that TV dictates what we crave/ eat. Think about this though, the fun loving Mcdonalds commercials appeal to children and the nasty carls jr ads appeal to adults! They’re both doing the same thing! I never thought of this before, the ad makes you feel happy and therefor later when driving by you want that food. This ad made me FINALLY get why Carls jR does what they do.

The article talks about it promoting the tastiness of healthy foods and not just its nutritional value, which is genius, we need to promote its taste, because obviously most don’t care about nutritional value. We also need more healthy and tasteful options out there.

I like how the textbook doesn’t blame media for obesity, she blames the lack of a safe place to play. Which is true, children have no place to play and they are stuck watching tv, because there is nothing else to do.

Anorexia and Bulimia

I will let anorexia and bulimia be the byproduct of media consumption. If people did not have these perfect images bombarded in their face everyday they would feel no desire to change who they are. I like when Sternheimer says, “Even if very few people develop eating disorders, the fashion industry seems to employ many of them” (204). The United States will never do something like have a minimum body mass index such as Australia and Spain. Sternheimer also talks about how we can put regulations on models but we still hate on whatever the celebrities are doing. Thats another great point, we need to stop criticizing what they are doing as well.

 

 

Santa Rosa Through Different Eyes

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Santa Rosa Island differs throughout different minds. One thing is for sure, the island brings peace to ones mind and happiness to the soul. I had the wonderful opportunity to understand and envision the island through the eyes of four different professionals. Each perspective different from the other, yet slightly the same. The fact of this realization is, that no matter what youre looking for, no matter what insight, what major, or anything else for that matter, you will find it. This island brings perspective into every mindset. You just have to be willing to go out and look for it.

Through the minds of these four professionals, I saw many differences in ideas. Through the eyes of a biologist I learn that many species migrated to the island and develop now because of differences in habitat. For example, a fox out in main land may be large and have weaker eyes than the ones on the island. The ones on the island may be smaller because there is less food so their bodies and DNA adjust to becoming smaller to hold in less amounts of food. Their eyes may be stronger in the dark because there is not as much light on the island late at night.

Through the eyes of other professionals I learned that many of the species were brought here. They mutated according to the island and then created a new species. The animals who could not mutate or adjust died on the island long before they could learn to survive there. In the end both professionals agree that these species of animals must adjust to their new habitat in order to survive on this island.

Although there werent many similarities or correlations in the ideas and perspectives of these professionals, the few that were there were definitely strong ones. Throughout every group exploration I kept hearing this idea of a balance in everything you do. I found it so interesting that everyone said that equally throughout the island, in the air, and in the water, there is a balance.

Another idea i came across in each pod is that everything we do on the island can affect it in a positive or negative way. Every step we take creates a new story. Years from now our steps may be deep imprinted into the land and biologist, archeologist and more will have a story to tell or look into. Our footprints or the way we position a certain artifact or the way we created a trail will affect the art. There will be more dimension and meaning to the art.

A research project that we could look into has to do with the fresh water pond by the ocean. The pond was said not to have any fish in it. According to our art professor some fresh water fish have been spotted. The research project could be focused on how the fish got there and how they are surviving. How were they created, or were they brought there? Our biologist and even the artist may look into this. One can capture photographs of the fish. The other may study how they were brought up there. Theres so many quetions to be asked about these fresh water fish and maybe soon we will know.

 

We Are All Connected

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Over and over we hear this concept of a circle of life, whether it be the food chain, the water cycle, or even theories such as reincarnation. We learn that no matter what and no matter how, we are all connected to each other and other things. The Santa Rosa writing retreat definitely proved that entirely. Experiencing this beautiful island opened my mind to may new research opportunities as well as new perspectives. This island carried many different artifacts, views, resources and animals. Immediately one might assume that only specific people with specific majors will benefit from this island. That is exactly what I thought! In retrospect I did believe that you could only do research within certain majors. I was wrong. There is a variety of many different things and places out in the world, there is always room for more answers and more knowledge.

Believing what I did, one must know that I was entirely surprised to know that our different pods would each be looking at this island not only in a resourceful, and biological way, but through the eyes and mind of an artist. In no way did I believe that the resources that we use in our everyday lives and the conservation of those resources really connect with art. In many ways they are two completely different topics. Little did I know that, they both connect in many significant ways.

Experimenting in Caus’s group, was a process. I learned about the water conservation used on the Island. They are limited to so many gallons of water. They’re conducting the process of growing a plant that collects the moisture from the fog and uses it to water itself. This will help conserve water on the island. It is all within its own balance. I was constantly reminded about this balance between  these resources and the world around it.

In Matt’s group I learned that with imagination and an open soul, you can find art in anything. The beauty on the island was not limited. The beauty of the island expanded on to even the smallest grain of sand on the ocean. As an artist, clearing your mind is something that is not always easy, but, the moment you do, you are limitless. The wonderful thing about the art of the island is that there is history behind it. You imagine the history on each bone and on each ridged edge on a rock, then, you are able to give off a feeling in the art, an emotional tie. The great thing about art is that it is limitless. There are so many different forms of art and so many different ways to interpret it.

Together what I learned in Caus’s group interconnects with what I learned in Matt’s group. Everything came down to a balance in life. Cause spoke about how, there is a chain, one thing happens because of another and another happens because of something else. It is a perfect balance in the ecosystem, the habitat, and in general the life. One small change in this cycle and the balance becomes undone and then it creates chaos. In life, there is a balance, and everything on that island was balanced perfectly. In Matt’s group, the balance was between the art and the mind. In order to feel a connection between you and the art, there has to be an equal balance. This is why we were told not to touch certain artifacts or to put them back in the same place for it was part of a balance on the island and it was to be untouched. The connection between these two are significant because the balance of life in the ecosystem is the balance that gives the art life. It is important to leave this balance at peace because it truly does give the island life. It is what gives the island purpose and history.

Project 3

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Project 3

November 2

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I find it so disturbing to see the issues young girls face in todays society, as we dig deeper on the issue however, it seems the younger kids are the sooner they start to dress sexy. I know that now a days on social media girls compete for  things like how many followers they can get and hitting over 100 likes is a big deal to their self esteem. it  bothers me because it seems to only get worse and everywhere are youth look models are getting skinnier and less dressed is better.  I must admit that I sometimes myself find myself in a rut over what to wear but nit to be sexy but to be what I feel is presentable. in my family we didn’t grow up dressing provocative and at family partys of one of our cousins is dressed a bit to revealing we have no problem being straight up and saying you look slutty. I know it might seem wrong but in the chapter it talks about what parents should ask about why do they feel they need to dress in such a way however i feel if the parents have no idea why their daughters are dressing in such a way then how can their kids know. its just me but my family is more direct and we will say that shirts too tight or you look like you have a camel toe in those jeans i know it might sound harsh but it works for us.

My blog 2015-11-02 01:21:40

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I had the opportunity to see Santa Rosa Island from different perspectives. Three different faculty members taught me how they do there research on the island as well as why it’s important. What caught my attention was the fact that these three different researchers were able to do there different research on the same island. This taught me how everything is intertwine with each other. As different as the research was it was still some what similar to each other. For example without the research that the three faculty members do the island would not be recognized by the wonderful things its known now. I see it as a puzzle and everything that is found contributes the next discovery and all these discoveries depict what the island was years ago and how it became what it is now. With this being said in a more broader perspective research found on the island and having everything recorded demonstrates how the weather is changing since that’s a big topic now a days. I just went from speaking of the researchers to what there research means to how it applies to everything in the world.
Everything overlaps in many ways, one simple thing is that the three researchers use nature as there laboratory. The first researcher that talked to us spoke of the history of the Island. Of how there was different generations who lived there. The records of the past can help the other two researchers as a place to start there own research. The bird researcher can know how the bird species has been helping the environment and how it changed it. I know that some of the animals and the plants that are on the island are not native they were brought to the island different ways one of those ways could be by birds transporting them. Seeds could have easily attached to the birds and now they are at the island. Other animals is hard to explain how they got there but at least that part of the puzzle has been solved. The second researcher that talked to us was a more creative one. He used art as a way to research. He captured picture of the island in different perspectives. There are picture carvings in the caves on the island. The carvings are a way in which people before us captured a moment in time then. Now It’s a lot different people take pictures or let nature take pictures like this researcher does. People can compare the pictures from the past to the present ones to better understand the island. The island itself is art, the mountains have molded themselves in a very artistic way. For example if you see the different layers of the mountains it means something it tells a story.
A good activity to combine these different subjects of nature would be by telling a story within a painting of birds. This would speak of the history which is what we learned as well as bring birds in the picture since it is something else we learned. Painting a drawing would incorporate what the third researcher is which is graphic design.
Overall these three researchers did not only show me what they are interested in but also how everything is similar in so many ways.

November 2nd.

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APA Task Force on the  Sexualization of Girls:

This topic on the sexualization of girls motivates me be more aware of what soceity is doing. Young women are being trained  at such a young age by family, friends, and media about what they should and should not wear. The pressure that is put on young girls to be these sexual objects is so disturbing. We have come a long way to having women become more powerful in society; however, we fail to encourage success in something other than their appearance…

“More general societal effects may include an increase in sexism; fewer girls pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM); increased rates of sexual harassment and sexual violence; and an increased demand for child pornography (pg 1).”This is upsetting and I cannot imagine what goes through  these young girls’ minds when letting the presence of sexism determine their career. I am most motivated by this because I strongly believe women need to be in these type of careers.  Women need to feel motivated by knowing their desired career in mostly pursued by men. Women are discouraged becuase of what they learn at such a young age. For example, the swimsuit and sweater test conducted in this article proves how insecure women feel about their appearance. The participants who tested worse were those young girls in swimsuits? Why? The ones who were comfortable wearing a sweater did better becasue they didn’t have the pressure of exposing their skin. Should we blame media for this?

Video:

Karen Sternheimer mentions in this video how society finds it convenient to blame media for sex and drugs. I agree with Sternheimer because many people believe in the protectionist approch  eventhough reality is that sex and drugs are everywhere not only in media.

Relating this video to the article on sexualizing women, Rap music sexualizes women extremely well. However, popular culture accepts this. I myself dont mind some Rap music. If you really listen to some of the lyrics you will hear how women are described as sex objects. Music and how popular culture accepts music may lead to the continuous use of sexism in society today.