Multicultural Policy and Australian National Identity: Building Diversity and Unity

by Herman Bailey | Jun 3, 2023 | Essays | 0 comments

According to Anthony Moran, how has the introduction of the multicultural policy in the 1970s informed a sense of Australian “national identity”?

Moran (2011, p.2) states that there has been an argument for and against multiculturalism. Intellectuals together with politicians have been against as they argue that multiculturalism should be substituted with a renewed prominence on ordinary citizen and a shared national identity (Moran 2011, p.2). However, Moran (2011, p.2) points out that, many protagonists or are apprehensive of national identity, they see it as a way of standardizing the cultures which will, later on, be a threat to cultural diversity.

According to Kickett-Tucker what is a “strong racial identity” and why is it important? Include some examples in your response.

Kickett-Tucker (2009, p.119) states that racial identity in the definition is an aspect of a person’s sense of self. According to Kickett- Tucker (2009, p.119), racial identity is a single component that is relatively positive towards building a person’s self-esteem.

According to Kickett-Tucker (2009, p.119), a strong racial identity is a combination of key aspects of what builds an individual’s personality. Kickett-Tucker (2009, p.120) points out that the key aspects that build the definition of ‘strong racial identity’ include cultural identity, collective identity, group identity, ethnic identity, as well as, self-conceptualization.

Strong racial identity is important to an individual’s growth and development, not only psychological health but mental and physical health as well. As per Kickett-Tucker (2009, p.120), a strong racial identity is significant mostly for the school children as it enhances their school outcomes in both academic and extra curriculum activities like sports. For instance, a study conducted in Australia showed a racial identity positivity blended with merit in the identity of a student as a native student enhances the probabilities of success in school results such as academic grades, class attending, and knowledge retaining for the native youth and children. Also, Kickett- Tucker (2009, p.121) found that the school sports set up accorded the native students the chances to embrace by progressively affirming their distinctive racial identities.

Kickett-Tucker (2009, p.120) expresses that children, particularly the indigenous youth as well as children begin to learn, feel, and think of their racial identity within particular contextualized and certain settings. This knowledge helps them appreciate themselves and their distinctive native humans from centuries back as early as 14th century. It has been a backbone of cultures. Furthermore, embracing one’s racial identity encourages good health and well being particularly amongst young individuals due to their respect, love, and respect for themselves (Kickett-Tucker 2009, p.121).

What is the next stage of humanity? Are humans going to continue to evolve or become extinct? Why?

The next stage for humanity according to Rees and Price (2015, p.7) is the posthuman evolution. Posthuman evolution is defined as the evolution beyond the current age, and after Darwinism; it refers to the evolving of human beings genetically, bionics augmentation as well as culturally and behavioral. Rees and Price (2015, p.7) point out that the post-human evolution is likely to take a considerably long period just as the Darwinian evolution that led to today’s world did. However, with today’s technologically determined time scale, the post-human evolution will go by significantly faster than the natural selection through the drastic advancements in artificial intelligence as well as genetics (Rees & Price 2015, p.7).

Chances are more likely that humans will eventually become extinct. According to Rees and Price (2015, p.7), people are living today with the fear of extinction due to various reasons. First of all, humans are living with the possibility of being eliminated by the evolution of machines. Rees and Price (2015, p.7) explain that there are significant development and investments in artificial intelligence towards making machines more human by programming and building them to entail more human capabilities. Furthermore, there has been substantial investment input in developing synthetics biologies (Rees & Price 2015, p.8). Therefore, creating a fear of human extinction by the new technological advancements in synthetic biologies as well as artificial intelligence, by creating no future for the future human generations.

Second of all, astronomers predict extinction by the occurrence of a cosmic catastrophe. Rees and Price (2015, p.8) mention that astronomical studies predict that humanity will face extinction by a cosmic catastrophe, most likely by an asteroid impact. They explain that an asteroid impact is most likely to cause significant destruction of the earth. Thus, presenting fear of extinction by cosmic catastrophe.

References List

KICKETT-TUCKER, C. S. (2009). Moore (Black)? Djardak (White)? How come I don’t fit in Mum? Exploring the racial identity of Australian Aboriginal children and youth. Health Sociology Review. 18, 119-136.

MORAN, A. (2011). Multiculturalism as nation-building in Australia: Inclusive national identity and the embrace of diversity. Ethnic and Racial Studies. 34, 2153-2172.

REES, M., & PRICE, H. (2015). Will Evolution Leave Humans Behind in the Long Haul? New Perspectives Quarterly. 32, 7-9.

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Herman Bailey

With a student-centered approach, I create engaging and informative blog posts that tackle relevant topics for students. My content aims to equip students with the knowledge and tools they need to succeed academically and beyond.

Understanding the Time Value of Money and How to Apply It in Finance

by Herman Bailey | Jun 3, 2023 | Essays | 0 comments

Time value of money concept states that the dollar or the money that a person have today has more worth than the expectation or the promise that an individual or an entity will receive dollar or money in the future. The money that an individual has today has more worth because it can be invested and earn interest. This concept is essential to the financial mangers because they can use it in comparison of the investments alternatives, project appraisals and in solving the problems that involve mortgages, loans, savings, leases and annuities (Peterson & Fabozzi, 2009).

There are two methods used in evaluation or calculation of the lump sum amounts; the lump sum future value and the lump sum present value.

Enhancing Cultural Competence in Nursing for Holistic Patient Care

by Herman Bailey | Jun 3, 2023 | Essays | 0 comments

Strengths

The completed test shows that basic knowledge on the culture and cultural empathy are adequate. During the completion of the test, I felt that I can be an effective healthcare providing. This is because I have appropriate reaction towards taking care and mastering the needs of others. I was pleased to note that not only do I have a strong need to bring humanity to the profession; I also have the skills and character to ensure integration of the humanistic aspect of nursing. Adamson et al (2011) indicates that nursing requires need to demonstrate a high rate of empathy: that is the unconditional and full acceptance of the conditions under which the patients are. It is only through being empathetic that a nurse can be able to provide holistic care for the patients. Holistic care is not just about the right treatment and medication; it is also about improving the psychological and social state of the patient. In line with this, the high scores on questions measuring empathy proved that nursing is the right career path for me. Today’s patients present with a myriad of problems and diverse characteristics. A nurse must be fully empathetic to be able to cope with the different cases, races and even nature of patients.

Weaknesses

Acknowledging culture affects all aspects of life: to be fully empathetic, nurses need to understand that culture and various aspects of it are responsible for influencing patients, their treatment and even recovery. I am expected to understand the role of family culture in treatment. However, I have noted that this is a singular place that I would require improvement. This is because I tend to focus more on the treatment and care of the patient, sometimes electing to ignore the cultural biases of the patient. I tend to forget that what works for one patient may not work for another.

Views of the aging process: Grant et al (2013) states that families often ignore seeking intervention for their parents and loved ones who are either terminally ill or suffering from one ailment or another. In some cases such ailments are often translated as part of the aging process. Dreher and McNaughton (2002) show that nurses are required to understand and in some cases acknowledge families that delay seeking treatment for this reason. However, he continues majority of the nurses cannot appreciate the traditions and norms behind this behavior. This is an area where am having difficulty. Often I have viewed these families as backward and in some cases even cruel. It is important to understand that their decision is not made out of cruelty but simply culture and norms.

Suggestions for improvement

The most important aspect of trans-cultural treatment is complete understanding of community demographics. When a patient for example is African American, nurses often have pre-occupations and misinformation based on this simple aspect. However, there is need to understand that depending on year of immigration, place of birth, schooling, working and even social circle; characteristics of black Americans differ greatly. Truong et al (2014 ) state that misconceptions with regard to gender, race and even social class are common. In his study, for example he found that patients seeking healthcare in public health institutions were often considered not to be wealthy. This includes upper class who visited the emergency wing. Training is vital in hospitals and health centers to ensure that staff understands cultural dynamics.

References

Adamson, Jean, Warfa, Nasir, & Bhui, Kamaldeep. (2011). A case study of organizational cultural competence in mental healthcare. (BioMed Central Ltd.) BioMed Central Ltd.

Dreher, M., & McNaughton, N. (January 01, 2002). Cultural competence in nursing: foundation or fallacy?. Nursing Outlook, 50, 5.)

Grant, J., Parry, Y., & Guerlin, P. (January 01, 2013). An investigation of culturally competent terminology in healthcare policy finds ambiguity and lack of definition. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 37, 3, 250-256.

Truong, Mandy, Paradies, Yin, & Priest, Naomi. (2014). Interventions to improve cultural competency in healthcare: a systematic review of reviews. (BioMed Central Ltd.) BioMed Central Ltd.

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Herman Bailey

Exploring the Relationship Between Dietary Energy, Fat Intake, and Optimal Health

by Herman Bailey | Jun 2, 2023 | Essays | 0 comments

Dietary Energy And Fat Intake And Body Composition In A Student Population

Abstract

Dietary intake, including fat intake in foods has been shown to relate to the body composition of individuals. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships among body fat, energy intake, physical activity and body composition in a student population. 52 college students (26 males, 26 females) were recruited to participate in a cross-sectional study. Body composition was measured by anthropometric measurements, dietary energy and fat intake, and physical activity were assessed by 24-hour dietary recall and a life style questionnaire. The results indicated that females have a greater percentage body fat compared to males, energy intake is not strongly related to body fat, and the sedentary subjects are not more likely to be overweight compared with active subjects. In conclusion, dietary fat intake relates to body composition, but other factors also play a part such as physical activity, gender, and ethnicity among others.

Keywords: Body composition, energy intake, fat intake

1. Introduction

Overweight and obesity are very common in developed countries, among adults and children. According to Public Health England (2015), the prevalence of obesity is increasing worldwide and results for 2013 showed that around 62.1% of adults were overweight or obese (67.1% of men and 57.2% of women). This trend is also evolving in developing countries where the number of people who are overweight rivals the number of underweight persons globally (FAO, 2003). This displays the great disparity in the global nutritional intake. Additionally, lifestyle choices, including increased calories, sugar and fat intake, large portion sizes of unbalanced food intake, reliance on pre-packaged food, decreased physical activity and increasing amount of fast foods and junk foods which are high in sugar, sodium and fat, have been associated with the increasing epidemic of obesity, overweight and adult onset diseases amongst adolescents such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and disruptive sleep apnoea (Martorell et al., 2000; Dehghan et al., 2005).

Anthropometric (hip girth, waist girth, height and weight) measures provide insight and information into the patterns of eating, especially when used jointly with food observations and recalls (Isabela da Costa et al., 2005). However, literature on the current dietary intake, levels of weight status and the related illness amongst students or school-aged children is limited (Kyle et al., 2004). Furthermore, accurate standards for determining body composition for adolescents and children are critical. With the increasing levels of overweight persons, rapid changes in lifestyles and dietary patterns, and disparities, close monitoring of the prevalence towards children overweight is warranted (Wagner & Heyward, 2000). The objective of this study was to assess the body composition such as fat mass distribution and weight status and dietary energy and fat intake in a student population. The data collected will be used in investigating whether it agrees with the published studies and provide critical analysis of the used methodologies. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to evaluate the relationships among body fat, energy intake, physical activity and body composition by using anthropometric measurements and dietary intake analysis as well as to test the following three hypotheses:

Hypotheses

(1) Females have a greater percentage body fat compared with males.

(2) Energy intake is strongly related to body fat.

(3) Sedentary subjects are more likely to be overweight compared with active subjects.

2. Literature Review

2.1 Gender and body fatness

Generally, women have a higher percentage of body fat compared to men (O’Sullivan, 2009). Men store more fat in the abdominal or visceral areas while women also store fat in the gluteal-femoral parts. Many studies document pronounced regional differences in the regional fatty acid metabolism regulation between women and men (Chumlea et al., 2002; Fomon et al., 1982; O’Sullivan 2009).

In a survey conducted in United States by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III (NHANES III) with a total of 15,912 participants, the results indicated that white females who are non-Hispanic, aged between 12 and 80 years had higher fat mass than men. When comparing the results between males and females for each decade, the results increased 6-11% higher for females. (Chumlea et al., 2002).

Table 1: Percentage fat mass in healthy white men and women who are non-Hispanic Adapted from NHANES III; Source: Chumlea et al. (2002)

Other studies also indicate that significant gender divergence in the composition of the body commences at puberty (O’Sullivan, 2009). The differences between the gender hold across all races, and ethnic groups, although the magnitude is influenced by environmental, genetic and ethnic factors (Wells, 2007). By comparing the fat mass data in women and men after puberty from studies done by Chumlea et al. (2002) and a study conducted by Fomon et al. (1982), statistics show divergence that occurs from puberty and continues to the pre-menopausal years as shown in figure 1. In conducting their study, Fomon et al. (1982) used the 50^th percentile values for height and weight from the National Centre for Health Statistics (NCHS) data. The study also used data from the literature that concerns total body potassium (TBK), total body water (TBW) and total body calcium (TBCa).

Figure 1: Statistics show divergence that occurs from puberty and continues to the pre-menopausal years; Source: Chumlea et al. (2002)

2.2 Habitual energy and fat intake and body composition

In the United States, daily calorie intake has increased and this has dramatically increased body fat in parallel (Bray, 2010). These excess calories, according to Bray (2010), appears to be from protein, carbohydrates and fats at the same time. In a randomised crossover study done by Horton et al. (1995), 16 men (7 obese and 9 lean) were overfed for 14 days in two separate period by 50% of caloric needs by adding excess macronutrients of carbohydrate or fat through the diet. The subjects were given all prepared food in a research kitchen and were even allowed to consume some at home. There were 4 weeks gap between 2 periods. In the second phase, each individual was switched to overfeed fat or carbohydrate which they did not receive in the first phase. The researchers measured changes in lean mass, fat mass and body weight after 14 days. The results indicated that fat and carbohydrate overfeeding caused nearly identical increases in lean mass, fat mass and body weight, in both obese and lean groups. The graphs of changes in body weight and fat mass are shown in figure 2 below.

Figure 2: Changes in body weight during and for 21 days after fat and carbohydrate (CHO) overfeeding in 16 male subjects; Source: Horton et al. (1995)

A similar study was also done by Lammert et al. (2000) in which ten pairs of men who are lean were overfed for 21 days by 1,195 kcal per day, given as either fat rich or carbohydrate rich diet. For the entire research period, subjects ate and lived in a research setting and the study was controlled extremely well. Body composition measurement was done weekly using underwater weighing. The results indicated that between the groups, increase in body weight was similar and fat mass increase was almost identical (see figure 3).

Figure 3: Results of Fat gain during carbohydrate and fat overfeeding; Source: Lammert et al. (2000)

However, Lammert et al. (2000) observed the most interesting thing that fat gain between individuals varied tremendously due to physical fitness, genetics and other factors since some people store more fat in their body when they consume excess calories, while others burn off the fat

2.3 Habitual physical activity and body composition

Low levels of physical activity or a sedentary lifestyle can place an individual at an increased risk of obesity and other cardiovascular diseases (O’Sullivan, 2009). In contrast, physical activity has been suggested as a method of reducing and controlling body fat (Sacheck, Kuder & Economos, 2010).

Kyle et al. (2004) conducted a study to evaluate differences in the body mass index (BMI), fat-free mass index (FFMI) and Body fat mass index (BFMI) in sedentary and physically active subjects to determine the association between body composition and physical parameters in a healthy white population. Body fat free and fat mass were determined by bioelectric impedance analysis in 3,549 white men and 3,184 white women and FFMI and BFMI calculated. The definition of the physically active subject was the person who did at least 3hour/week of endurance type of physical activity for over two months (Kyle et al., 2004). The results indicated that the physically active subjects had a higher likelihood of having low BFMI, low likelihood of having very high BFMI and low FFMI as opposed to the sedentary participants.

This study is similar to a study done by Zaccagni, Barbieri & Gualdi-Russo (2014) which mainly aimed at assessing the main anthropometric characteristics that are health related in a sample of students in relation to sport discipline, physical activity and gender. The study recruited 734 students from the university as subjects, of both sexes. A self-administered questionnaire was used in the collection of socio-demographic information (age, sex) and sport participation (sport discipline, hours/week) by using the standardized procedures with anthropometric measurements. Body composition was evaluated using a skinfold method. From the study, the results indicated significant statistical differences between the two sexes in all anthropometric traits, including fat mass, percent fat, body density, Waist-to-Stature Ratio, waist circumference, and skinfold biceps, among different physical activity levels of males, and in fat free mass, arm girths, BMI and weight in females. In conclusion, physical activity plays a significant role in parameters of body composition. Males who are mostly active have the least amount of fat mass and females who are mostly active have the greatest amount of fat free mass (Baumgartner, 2000).

3. METHOD

3.1 Design

A cross-sectional study design, which is a type of observational study involving analysis of collected data from a population or a subset representation at a specific point in time, was used in this study because it can compare different groups of population at a single time point. Moreover, it allows the researchers to compare multiple variables at the same time (Institute for Work & Health 2015).

3.2 Sample

A total of 52 students (26 men and 26 women) participated in this cross sectional study. The participants were recruited around college randomly to avoid bias since all college students were regarded as having an equal chance of participation.

3.3 Materials and procedure

Posters were put up around the college to recruit volunteers as participants. Before participating, they were asked to read and sign the consent form as an ethical step for the study to protect the confidentiality of the participants (see appendix 1). Next, each participant was given a short lifestyle activity questionnaire to complete, which was designed based on the hypotheses of the study (see appendix 2), to assess physical activity. Then they were interviewed by the researchers to obtain their dietary history using a 24 hour dietary recall, which aided in recalling and quantifying their food intake.

Body composition was assessed by anthropometric measurements using weight, height, waist and hip. The subjects were measured for height, weight, waist, and hip circumference to calculate BMI and W: H ratio. The students’ height was measured using a wall mounted stadiometer with a sensitivity of 0.5 cm (Capristo et al., 2000) while barefoot. The current body weight of the students was measured while subjects were in minimal clothing and barefoot with an electronic weighing scale with ability to measure up to 150 kg with the sensitivity of up to 100 g and results recorded to the nearest 0.1kg. The BMI, which is used as the relative adiposity index, was calculated by dividing weight (kg) by height squared (m²). Furthermore, the W:H ratio was calculated by waist girth/hip girth using tape measure. Lastly, the percent body fat was measured through the water and electrolyte component of lean tissue and hence resistance is proportional to total body water volume while barefoot using the bioelectrical impedance machine, Tanita scales (Tanita, 2015).

3.4 Data analysis

The obtained data of the diet from the 24 hour recalls was analysed using Diet plan 6.3 which is a computer software package to determine fat and energy intake. The levels of physical activity were calculated from the short questionnaire of lifestyle, grouped into 4 groups (non-active, moderate non-active, moderate active and active).

Statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) software for windows version 21 was used in performing statistical analysis. To assess all continuous data normality, the Kolmogorov-Sminrnov (KS) test was performed (Wilcox, 2012). Histograms were used to check for outliers in the data (Wilcox, 2012). Depending on the distribution normality, independent Mann-Whitney U test or sample t-test were used for hypothesis 1. To test the relationship between variables in hypothesis 2 and the strength of linear association, Spearman’s Rank or Pearson’s Rank correlation coefficient tests were used. Lastly, to find the association between the groups in hypothesis 3, Chi-Square test was used. The statistical significance cut off was set at the level of 95% (p<0.05). The descriptive data from the study were expressed as mean and S.D. Students t-test was used to assess the body composition differences between the genders.

4. RESULTS

The sample used in the study was 52 college students (men= 26 and women= 26) of ages ranging from 18 years to 30 years. An Independent t-test (normal distributed) analysis was used to examine that there was a difference of the percentage body fat between males and females. The results are presented in Table 2. The results from the different sexes showed that the percentage body fat was positively significantly different between males and females (P<0.001, t (50) = -4.007). Females were more likely to have a greater percentage body fat (Mean=28.038, SD= 7.6445) compared with males (Mean=19.308, SD= 8.0636). The statistical results indicated that hypothesis 1 was proven to show that females have a greater percentage body fat compared to males. The greater percentage of fat amongst women than men correlated with the studies done by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III (NHANES III) which also found women having higher percent body fat than men (Chumlea et al., 2002).

Table 2: Shows the statistical results from independent t-test.

Group Statistics
	Gender	N	Mean	Std. Deviation	Std. Error Mean
%Body Fat	Males	26	19.308	8.0636	1.5814
%Body Fat	Females	26	28.038	7.6445	1.4992

The relation between energy intake and percentage body fat of the participants is shown in Table 3. By using Pearson’s correlation (normal distributed) in testing hypothesis 2, the results revealed that there was no significant positive association between energy intake and body fat (P= 0.560, r = -0.083). The statistical results proved hypothesis 2 to be null and void to show that energy intake is not strongly related to body fat. The findings correlated to a study done by Lammert et al. (2000) who observed that fat gain between individuals varied tremendously due to physical fitness, since some people store more fat in their body when they consume excess calories, while others burn off.

Table 3: Shows the statistical results from Pearson’s correlation

Correlations
		Energy_intake_kcal	Body_Fat_Percent
Energy intake (kcal)	Pearson Correlation	1	-.083
	Sig. (2-tailed)		.560
	N	52	52
%Body Fat	Pearson Correlation	-.083	1
	Sig. (2-tailed)	.560
	N	52	52

The question of whether participants who engaged in less physical activity would be more overweight, this was examined by using a Chi-Square analysis. As can be seen in Table 4, the results indicated that there was no significant statistical difference between active subjects and sedentary subjects (P= 0.359, Chi²= 0.84, df = 1). Of the original 52 samples, 14 subjects were overweight (BMI>25). Out of the 28 active participants, 9 participants (32.14%) were overweight. However, 5 participants (20.83%) out of 24 sedentary participants were overweight. Active students were more likely to be overweight compared to sedentary students, so there is no association between a sedentary lifestyle and being overweight. The statistical results proved hypothesis 3 to be null and void to show that sedentary subjects are not more likely to be overweight compared with active subjects.

Table 4: Shows the statistical results from Chi-Square Tests

*Overweight Active Crosstabulation**					Pearson Chi-Square
		Active	Inactive	Total	Asymp. Sig. (2-sided)
Not overweight BMI <=25	Count	19	19	38	.359
Not overweight BMI <=25	Expected Count	20.5	17.5	38.0
Overweight BMI > 25	Count	9	5	14
Overweight BMI > 25	Expected Count	7.5	6.5	14.0
Total	Count	28	24	52
Total	Expected Count	28.0	24.0	52.0

5. DISCUSSION

5.1 Higher body fat percentage among women than men

In relation to hypothesis 1, the results found that females have a higher percentage body fat than males, and, therefore, the findings agree with hypothesis 1. In the literature review, it was evident that females have higher percent body fat compared to the men. The explanation for the disparity in the body fat between men and women can be explained from different angles. According to Blaak (2001), fat in normal women is usually between 18%-20% of body weight while in men is between 10%-15%. The higher percentage of fat in women is that at some point in women’s lives, they may nourish a foetus using their fat reserves; hence they stock energy in the form of fat in readiness of future pregnancies (Blaak 2001).

Another biological reason for the differences is that women need fewer calories per body weight pound daily than men (Pomroy & Adamson 2013). Moreover, the hormones of the females make it easier for converting food into fat. For instance, oestrogen hormone alone causes increased fat deposition (Pomroy & Adamson 2013). Blaak (2001) also pointed out that females experience more hydration level changes compared to men due to their menstrual cycle, and this has a potential of affecting measurement of body fat, especially when the BIA method is used.

5.2 Energy intake and body fat

In relation to hypothesis 2, the more energy intake does not mean that there will be more body fat and, therefore, disagrees with the hypothesis 2. This is also echoed in a study by Lammert et al. (2000) who observed fat gain between individuals varied tremendously due to physical fitness, genetics and other factors since some people store more fat in their body when they consume excess calories, while others burn off fat.

There are many causes of body fat including energy intake, but intake of energy is not the only cause of body fatness. According to Rothblum & Solovay (2009), the first cause of fat is unhealthy diet practices involving the intake of junk food and excessive oil in the diet. Additionally, lack of exercise causes body fat due to slow metabolism of food in the body. Rothblum & Solovay (2009) also indicated that genetic factors also cause disparities in body fat. Furthermore, hormones that are irregular can also cause excess fat deposition in body areas and can result in obesity. For instance, men who develop “female buttocks” and “man boobs” as a result of increased female hormone oestrogen secretion in higher quantity compared to the testosterone hormone in males.

5.3 Sedentary and active people and their likelihood of being overweight

In relation to hypothesis 3, being sedentary is not a prerequisite for being overweight. Non-active people may not exceed calorie intake so they can burn fat and manage to be the regular weight (Kyle et al., 2004). In contrast, even though some people might do exercise every day, they consume total energy intake more than energy expenditure, therefore, they are more likely overweight. Moreover, there are many factors that can cause overweight than the sedentary lifestyle among individuals such as ethnicity, age, energy intake, hormones among others (Kyle et al., 2004). Additionally, to use BMI > 25 as an index of overweight people may be not appropriate since some people have higher muscle than fat that might affect their weight such as athletes (Kyle et al., 2004).

As much as sedentary lifestyle can cause overweight to an individual, there are additional factors that can cause overweight even to the active people (Martorell et al., 2000; Sacheck, Kuder & Economos., 2010). Environment of an individual can also cause overweight amongst persons such as tight work schedules that limits the time for physical activity (Martorell et al., 2000). Moreover, lack of sidewalks in the neighbourhoods and recreational places and affordable gyms for people to be active physically (Kuder & Economos., 2010). Oversized portion of food in the environment such as in restaurants, gas stations, fats food places, supermarkets movie theatres and even at home (Martorell et al., 2000; Sacheck). Lammert et al. (2000) pointed out the food adverts that surround people everywhere majorly targeting children with their sugary drinks and high-fat snacks.

5.4 Limitations and implications of the study

The limitations of this study might be the small sample size used in the study and a short period of data collection compared to the other research discussed in the literature review. The percentage body fat measurement may not also be the same as the reality because possibly there was bias in regard to the Tanita Scales measurements. For example, the subject should not consume any food or drink in the previous 4 hours before testing. Moreover, there could also be some bias in using 24-hour recall since the accuracy of the total energy intake data had to rely on the memory of the participants and it might not be the habitual intake of them.

The final results of the study indicated a significant relation between weight status and dietary intake. However, the results showed some insight into the patterns of eating, environmental influence and the changing economy on dietary habits and lifestyle, weight status and offered valuable information on improving on future methods of collection of data on college students.

6. Conclusion

In summary, the paper was a study on dietary energy and fat intake and body composition in a student population. The study was aimed at investigating whether the data collected agrees with the studies published and also aimed at testing the three hypotheses proposed. The cross-sectional study design of 52 participants found that females have a greater percentage of body fat compared to males. However, the study disagreed with the hypotheses that energy intake is strongly related to body fat, and that sedentary subjects are more likely to be overweight compared with the active individuals. The data collected agrees with most studies published as discussed. The limitations of the study included small sample size, technique used, possible biases during the study. To warrant the outcomes, long-term research, larger sample and different technique used are needed in further studies. Additional work is also needed to investigate on the dietary energy and fat intake and body composition of black/white/Hispanic student population, since body composition also is influenced by ethnicity/race.

References

Baumgartner, R.N. (2000) Body Composition in Healthy Aging. Annals of the NEW YORK Academy of Sciences. 904 pp.437-448.

Blaak, E. (2001) Gender differences in fat metabolism. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition
and Metabolic Care. 4(6) pp.499-502.

Bray, G. A. (2010) Chapter 8 – Control of Weight: How Do We Get Fat? Textbook of Diabetes, (4^th ed.) Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell. pp.126-137.

Chumlea, W.C., Guo, S.S., Kuczmarski, R.J., Flegal, K.M., Johnson, C.L., Heymsfield, S.B., Lukaski, H.C., Friedl, K. & Hubbard, V.S. (2002) Body composition estimates from NHANES III bioelectrical impedance data. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders. 26(12) pp.1596-1609.

Dehghan, M., Akhtar-Danesh, N. & Merchant, A.T. (2005) Childhood obesity, prevalence and prevention. Nutrition Journal. 4(24).

FAO (2003) Nutrition country profiles of Fiji, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Rome, Italy.

Fomon, S.J., Haschke, F., Ziegler, E.E. & Nelson, S.E. (1982) Body composition of reference children from birth to age 10 years. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 35(5 Suppl) pp.1169-1175.

Horton, T.J., Drougas, H., Brachey, A., Reed, G.W., Peters, J.C. & Hill, J.O. (1995) Fat and carbohydrate overfeeding in humans: different effects on energy storage. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 62(1) pp.19-29.

Institute for Work & Health (2015) What researchers mean by…cross-sectional vs. longitudinal studies. Available at: http://www.iwh.on.ca/wrmb/cross-sectional-vs-longitudinal-studies (Accessed: 06/023/15).

Isabela da Costa, R., Taddei, J.A. & Colugnatti, F. (2003) Obesity among children attending elementary public schools in São Paulo, Brazil: a case–control study. Public Health Nutrition. 6(7) pp.659-663.

Kyle, U.G., Morabia, A., Schutz, Y., & Pichard, C (2004) Sedentarism affects body fat mass index and fat-free mass index in adults aged 18 to 98 years. Nutrition. 20(3) pp. 255-260.

Lammert, O., Grunnet, N., Faber, P., Bjørnsbo, K.S., Dich, J., Larsen, L.O., Neese, R.A., Hellerstein, M.K. & Quistorff, B. (2000), Effects of isoenergetic overfeeding of either carbohydrate or fat in young men. The British Journal of Nutrition. 84(2) pp.233-245.

Martorell, R., Kettel Khan, L., Hughes, M.L. & Grummer-Strawn, L.M. (2000) Overweight and obesity in preschool children from developing countries. International Journal of Obesity. 24(8) pp.959-967.

O’sullivan, A.J. (2009) Does oestrogen allow women to store fat more efficiently? A biological advantage for fertility and gestation. Obesity Reviews. 10(2) pp.168-177.

Pomroy, H., & Adamson, E. (2013) The fast metabolism diet: eat more food & lose more weight. New York: Harmony Books.

Public Health England (2015) UK and Ireland prevalence and trends. Available at: http://www.noo.org.uk/NOO_about_obesity/adult_obesity/UK_prevalence_and_trends (Accessed: 06/03/15).

Rothblum, E.D. & Solovay, S. (2009) The Fat Studies Reader. New York: New York
Unviersity Press.

Sacheck, J.M., Kuder, J.f. & Economos, C.D. (2010) Physical fitness, adiposity, and metabolic risk factors in young college students. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 42(6) pp.1039-1044.

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Wells, J.C. (2007) Sexual dimorphism of body composition. Best Practice & Research. Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 21(3) pp.415-430.

Wilcox, R. (2012) Modern statistics for the social and behavioural sciences: a practical introduction. Boca Raton: Taylor & Francis.

Zaccagni, L., Barbieri, D. & Gualdi-Russo, E. (2014) Body composition and physical activity in Italian university students. Journal of Translational Medicine. 12(120).

5/5 - (6 votes)

Herman Bailey

MGM-Mirage & Mandalay Resorts Merge to Create a Casino Giant

by Herman Bailey | Jun 2, 2023 | Essays | 0 comments

In June of 2004, in an attempt to capture the resurgent popularity and profitability of Las Vegas, billionaire Kirk Kerkorian’s MGM Mirage announced a bid to buy rival Mandalay Resort Group, a deal, if successful, which would turn his casino company into an unprecedented giant. MGM-Mirage’s offer was $68 a share, or $4.85 billion, plus the assumption of $2.8 billion in debt, which would make the merger the largest acquisition in the casino industry.

If the merger passes the scrutiny of government anti-trust regulators, Mr. Kerkorian would dominate the Las Vegas Strip, just as it experiences a revival. He would control more than half of the 72,000 hotel rooms on the famous boulevard and most of the acreage along the west side of the Strip from its southernmost casino, Mandalay Bay, and northward for approximately two miles.

Pioneer Construction Company’s Affordable Housing Proposal

by Herman Bailey | Jun 1, 2023 | Essays | 0 comments

Introduction

The Department of Housing in the Eastern Province is seeking proposals from businesses to offer services in the management of houses, slum upgrading, and construction of new housing units in the province. Pioneer Construction Company seeks to provide services to the government by building new housing units in the province for better housing for the residents. The housing problem in the province has seen the emergence of slums, mismanagement of houses, and poor housing structures in the province. Furthermore, the housing problem in the province has also seen an increase in the rate of crime as criminals transform the slums to be their dens.

The plan

Project activities

Establishing a new section for housing management will allow Pioneer Construction Company to expand and improve the Company’s fast-paced housing agenda for two years efficiently, responsibly, and effectively. The new section for housing will formulate a reliable mechanism, quickly respond, to changing external and internal circumstances of the market, and manage the Company’s action plans of the management through the joint ventures (Common Wealth, 2004).

The Company will use the government’s funds to form a section for housing management that will forge public and private company partnerships to manage the 300 controlled or government-owned low-income homeownership units of housing in the Eastern Province. The government’s funds will improve greatly the delivery of services, by the competent management to more than 5000 Eastern Province residents in about 150 site buildings that are scattered an estimate of a small town (McLeod et al, 2009).

Budget

INCOME	EXPENDITURE
SOURCES	AMOUNT ($)	USES	AMOUNT ($)
Revenue	General operating support
Government grants and contracts	300,000	Salaries and the fringe benefits	700,000
Banks and foundations	100,000	Insurance and taxes	600,000
Earned income	2,000,000	consultants	200,000
Fundraising	_____	In-kind expenses	100,000
Donations	400,000	Supplies and Equipment	500,000
In-kind support	200,000	Savings	90,000
TOTAL	3,000,000	TOTAL	3,000,000

Programs and accomplishments

Every year, Pioneer Construction Company does help the residents reclaim their neighborhoods back from decay, crime, and drugs. Building by building, the Company has developed an averagely 70 affordable units of housing for the past three decades (Oxley, 2004).

The current portfolio of housing management represents the whole ladder of housing, ranging from housing the households that were formerly homeless to ownerships of homes for the low income working families. The Company’s tremendous growth of ten years attests to proficiency.

In 2009 alone, Pioneer Construction Company completed 30 buildings with 320 apartments and even started another 160 units in 15 buildings. This is about $50 million for one year in constriction.

The Company built housing for the physically handicapped and the elderly on the former garbage and heroin dens. Today, there are parks with flowering plants and trees, sitting areas, and about 120 beautiful housing apartments housing the senior people in dignity and peace.

Plan for measuring the expected results

The Company will measure the housing management project by many housing programs and initiatives for housing management which the Company has developed and implemented for the past three decades, and which have already significantly impacted, the quality housing practice in the Eastern Province, and which rest as a model to the government.

The Company will also submit a report of the project upon completion, funded in part by the government, under the Department of Housing. The Company will also keep complete, accurate, and detailed records of expenditures made under the company’s management, and actively participate in the evaluation of the activities of the projects during the course of the year.

Upon request, the Company will also provide an audited financial statement of the expenditure and income related to the income and expenditure by a qualified public accountant who is self-sufficient as documentation that the money from the government is spent on the provided purposes. Furthermore, evaluation of the Pioneer Construction Company’s overall effectiveness is measured by the satisfaction of the residents, and the level of tenant services that are provided and successful. The tenants serve as shareholders in the company and are closely involved in the management, programs, and oversight (Common Wealth, 2004).

Conclusion

The Eastern Province which Pioneer Construction Company serves is a collection of numerous sub-communities, including a variety of new and old mixed-use residential buildings, small and retail manufacturing firms, and many elevators–type public housing that is conventional. Approximately half of the Eastern Province’s land and housing are government-owned. Furthermore, the area is a blend of ethnic groups, most of whom have a median household of $15,000 and poor (Al-Ankary et al, 2009).

The need for affordable housing is a matter of urgency than what the data census reveals. This underreporting can be attributed largely to illegal aliens, many public housing residents, and language barriers, which makes official reporting of census very difficult.

Pioneer Construction Company is a recognized champion in affordable housing management and development in the EasternProvince government, with a $2 million budget for operations and a management portfolio of 150 buildings of 2500 units. According to Dasgupta et al (2006), the government also commits to privatizing the building’s management. The low-income housing future in the Eastern Province will be effectively answered through private-public partnerships, with backing and support of the community, and the producing capability and managing the Eastern Province housing of the low-income residents.

A contract from the government will provide Pioneer Construction Company the opportunity to form the private-public partnership with the government, effectively, to manage 300 low-income Province’s owned homeownership housing units in the Eastern Province. Furthermore, it will continue to improve, preserve, and dignify the Eastern Province’s fabric.

References

Al-Ankara, K. M., & Bushra, -S. (2009). Urban and rural profiles in Saudi Arabia. Berlin: G. Borntraeger.

Common Wealth (Political Party). (2004). Housing & planning. London: C.W. Pub., Ltd.

Dasgupta, B., Lall, S. V., & World Bank. (2006). Assessing the benefits of slum upgrading programs in second-best settings. Washington, D.C: World Bank, Development Research Group, Infrastructure, and Environment Team.

McLeod, R., Case, L., & United Nations Human Settlements Programme. (2009). Guarantees for slum upgrading: Lessons on how to use guarantees to address risk and access commercial loans for slum upgrading. Nairobi: UN-HABITAT.

Oxley, M. (2004). Economics, service delivery and policy making. The experience, capabilities and thinking of makers of policy, and those individuals who have liability for planning and housing. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.

5/5 - (6 votes)

Herman Bailey

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Strengths

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Weaknesses

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Dietary Energy And Fat Intake And Body Composition In A Student Population

Abstract

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1. Introduction

Hypotheses

2. Literature Review

2.1 Gender and body fatness

2.2 Habitual energy and fat intake and body composition

2.3 Habitual physical activity and body composition

3. METHOD

3.1 Design

3.2 Sample

3.3 Materials and procedure

3.4 Data analysis

4. RESULTS

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5.4 Limitations and implications of the study

6. Conclusion

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The plan

Project activities

Budget

Programs and accomplishments

Plan for measuring the expected results

Conclusion

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