Argumentative Draft

                                    Mirror Mirror on the wall, am I beautiful?

As I walk to the mirror and stare inside it, all I can see is fat, ugly, and not good enough. This could be your best friend, sister, brother, mother or even yourself. While growing up did you wish you looked like that model you’ve seen in the magazine or an actor/actress you seen in a movie? You wish you were as skinny as they were. Anyone can fall under the pressures society creates to be ‘perfect’. The trouble these days is that the media is constantly and greatly impacting the people to have a perfect body image, which leads to psychophysical problems such as bulimia and anorexia. This can cause many people to go to extremes in order to achieve what they perceive as the perfect body.

As mention above, bulimia and anorexia is very dangerous. Bulimia is a food disorder caused by mental insecurities. Doctors recommend that bulimic people see a psychiatrist because the illness’s symptoms, including compulsive exercise, taking laxatives, and throwing up can cause one’s body to become short on electrolytes, which is extremely unhealthy. Anorexia is a similar condition in which one loses excessive amounts of weight often by eating very little or long periods of starvation and vomiting.

From an early age we are bombarded with images and messages that reinforce the idea that to be happy and successful we must be thin. It is nearly impossible to open a newspaper or magazine, listen to the radio, shop at a mall or turn on a TV without being confronted with the message that to be fat is to be undesirable. The most frightening part is that this destructive message is reaching kids. When young people feel as though their breasts, weight or hips don’t match up to those of supermodels and actors, they feel fatally flawed. Sadly, even children of elementary school age are obsessed over their weight. To illustrate the media’s obsession with thinness, try and name 5 current female television personalities who are overweight. Did it take you a while, if so, it’s because you barely see any bigger people on the media.

According to a study from the University of Central Florida, nearly 50% of girls aged three to six were already concerned about their weight. Another research also showed that four out of five women in the U.S. are unhappy with their appearance. Many magazines create images of women that don’t really exist by using computer-modified compilations of various body parts. Many actors and musicians have admitted to struggling with eating disorders including Demi Lovato, Katie Couric, Lady Gaga, Kate Beckinsale and Kelly Clarkson.

Dr. Susie Orbach, PhD best known for being the first to raise awareness of women’s body image and eating disorders through her book Fat is a Feminist Issue tells us about how the media affects many women today. Dr. Orbach was part of of a study group at Harvard, through their studies she had found that only 2% of women felt able to say that they were beautiful despite beauty being an incredibly important category for women. Half of 16- to 21-year-old girls would consider having surgery to change the way they look.

Jean Kilbourne, who is well known for her award-winning films Killing us softly tells us about the media effects on body image. Kilbourne says that women in general only exist in a world where their bodies are constantly judged, and their worth depends on how they look. Only 5% of women have the body type that is good enough. They must be young, thin, and almost always have to have breast implants.

Besides all he bad factor that the media plays in body image, being thin and attractive can be very powerful in today’s society. Having this image can mean the difference in getting a job you want or that guy that you’ve had your eye on. Society bases a lot on first impression, which impacts our outside appearance. Therefore, to be successful, women believe that they have to have the perfect body image. Society or success aren’t the only argues why women obsess about their body image; media is one reason too.

Silvia Knobloch Westerwich, PhD, professor and graduate studies director has wrote many articles and journal on the media and body image. She has found that several women may be inspired by the images they view and become momentarily hopeful that they can improve their own body shape and possibly even achieve the same thin-ideal bodies they see in the magazines. The media can play a big role for motivation for men and women. It can be a inspiration to many. This is contradicting as many studies suggest that the media obsession with promoting ideal bodies only damages a woman’s satisfaction about their weight and their body. Westerwich said, “Women are motivated by these fitness and beauty magazines to try to attain these supposedly perfect bodies, and may even get a short-term body image boost when they start dieting.” Westerwich also mention that this stems from problems the person has within themselves rather than the media. Eating disorders are a psychological disorder, so some say the urge to eat less or purge stem from biological concepts, not the media. According to Knobloch-Westerwick the media simply cannot be the cause of 8 million people in the United States who have eating disorders. Other issues such as environments and troubled personalities seem to be labeled as contributing factors on body image and not just the media. The National Eating Disorders Association states that a contributing factor could come from problematic relationships at home with family members, and not the media.

Overall, whether you debate if the media that has a influence on body image is up to you. I personally think that the media is a big factor to body image for today’s society. It plays a big role in everyday life. I’ve seen many of my friends and even family member suffer through eating disorder or just being overly conscious of their body everyday to the extreme. I wish that the media would stop displaying ultra thin models or actress on advertisement and magazines. I want to see real people and know that they are beautiful from the inside and outside.

Brain Storming for final essay

I'm having a hard time deciding at this time but I am probably going to go either one of these below.

Why we should get rid of skinny models stereotypes to solve the problem of bulimia and anorexia among young girls.

Why should obesity is such a problem?

Cause and Effect Blog on Why people exercise

Exercising is very important and positive for a human’s body. People exercise for many reason. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC, they recommend that all adults in the United States get at least 150 minutes of exercise every week to remain healthy. There are many types of work out programs available such as going to the gym, walking, biking, or even working out at home using DVD programs. Exercise intensity levels can vary depending on your overall fitness level, your reason for exercise and goals. For example, someone who is severely overweight may exercise to improve his health by shedding off pounds. Others may exercise for appearance reasons, such as gaining a certain muscle tone and other may exercise just to stay healthy as part of their diet.

One of the most noticeable effects of exercise is the physical changes that occur due to loss of body fat. As you exercise, your body burns calories. Exercising can make people look wonderful and feel amazing. Working out can lead to improving a person self esteem. Your clothes will fit better, hair and teeth will be stronger, and posture will be improved. Exercising also relieve stress and tension. When you exercise, your body produces “feel good” chemicals called, Endorphins that helps treat contributing factors to depression and anxiety per the American Council on Exercise.

Exercise also causes noticeable effects on your heart. When a person’s heart begins working because of exercising it pumps harder and faster. This leads to a better circulation for blood flow. Since the blood flow is increasing it causes more oxygen to be carried through the body resulting to lower blood pressure. In general, exercise is a great benefit of preventing heart disease.

Anyone can exercise, whether you are a baby, teenager, adult, or elder. Exercise can help anyone and it can be fun. Exercising has many great benefits as mention above and there are many more reasons. It’s a great health benefactor for your body, mind, and soul.

Why I Blog

“Why I blog,” by Andrew Sullivan was very interesting to read. First of all many people either knows about blogging or don’t. I had never really follow any blogging until recently this fall per our writing communication class. I agree with Andrew Sullivan “Blogging is to writing what extreme sports are to athletics: more free-form, more accident-prone, less formal, more alive. It is, in many ways, writing out loud.” There are many different types of bloggers, all with different agendas and motivation. In order to get the most from blogging it is important to understand why you are blogging. Without a clear understanding of why you need a blog it’s impossible to develop goals and guidelines to meet your blogging objective. It can also help to understand why other bloggers may be blogging. Here are a few blogs that I’ve come across what bloggers have blogged about: Political or Religious Blogs, Family or Social connections, Personal Journals, and Business and brand building. People write blogs as a way to express themselves and their knowledge or expertise. They are also used to educate people and as a leisure activity. Blogging has emerged as one of the unique and most promising career on the Internet. Other people write on blogs to offer good tips, advice and knowledge. People read blogs as a source of information or because they find the writer interesting. Per Sullivan, “The blog remained a superficial medium, of course. By superficial, I mean simply that blogging rewards brevity and immediacy. No one wants to read a 9,000 word treatise online. On the Web, one sentence links are as legitimate as thousand word diatribes- in fact, they are valued more.”

Process Analysis Draft - Basic Guideline to cleansing

Many of us have heard celebrities talked about cleansing their body and I’m sure several of us have wondered what it is and how to do it. Well, cleansing is a strategy that helps your body get rid of bad toxins. We’re exposed to harmful substances all the time ((pesticides, microbes, and mercury, to name a few) they’re in our diet, and every air that we breathe in (think disinfectants, deodorizers, and the gasses released by fresh paint). We as human being have an excellent system in place to handle those toxins: Enzymes throughout the body are continuously breaking them down and helping to flush them out. Think of it as the body is coming out of what might be called hibernation. It’s a way you can jump-start your body for a more active life, a healthier life.

I’m just going to provide you some guidelines when it comes to doing a diet or whole body cleansing. First step for cleansing is choosing what type of cleansing you want to do. A good rule of thumb for a thorough and effective body cleansing is to focus on what your expectations are and your individual health needs. There are various types of cleansing techniques and programs; some have been around for centuries, while others are new. Make sure to look closely at your choices and weigh the pros and cons of each and every option you are considering.

Afterwards, make sure to follow your instructed instructions according to your cleansing product. When you start an cleanse, you don’t have to go caffeine free but it is not a bad idea. Sweeteners and extra fats are not helpful during a cleanse so try to avoid them if all possible. Try substituting green tea for coffee, and most definitely stay away from sodas and alcohol. Drink plenty of water. Increasing your water intake is one of the most important things you can do when attempting to cleanse your body naturally. You should aim to drink at least 8 glasses or 2 quarts of water throughout the day.

Next, you want to think about your meal plans. Fiber is the number one nutrient for maintaining proper digestive function. Eating more fiber helps the body to rid itself of the toxins, preservatives, and other harmful waste materials. Increasing your fiber intake helps to cleanse your body by stimulating regular bowel movements, leaving you feeling light and healthy, rather than bloated and sluggish. Therefore, try having whole-grain cereals, pasta, rice, fresh fruits and vegetables. For your meat, do chicken, turkey, or fish.

Following, you want to get some exercise. Getting regular exercise is one of the healthiest, most natural ways to cleanse the body. It helps you lose weight, thus releasing the toxins that have built up in fat cells over the years. Exercise improves both circulation and digestion. Try to incorporate at least 30 minutes of exercise within a day. Any exercise will do, walking, biking, going up and down the stairs, or dancing.

These are just some general guidelines on doing body cleansing. If you follow these instructions you’ll feel healthier and happier in no time. How often you cleanse is an individual matter and it’s up to you. I would usually recommend doing a cleansed at least twice a year. Once during spring and once during the fall.  

Compare and Contrast Blog - Strength training vs. Cardiovascular

When it comes to exercise, strength training vs. cardiovascular, it can be a very big debate whether which type of exercise is better for you to lose weight. Many people usually jump into conclusion and either go with just cardio or weight training right away and don’t actually think about what are the correct exercise to jump into.

Cardiovascular exercise is pretty much anything that gets your heart rate up and makes you feels sweaty, and gets more oxygen pumping through your blood. You are increasing your body’s endurance and efficiency. In addition, cardio burns more calories. According to Wayne Westcott, Ph.D., director of research at the south shore YMCA in Quincy, Massachusetts, “ You’ll burn 8 to 10 calories hoisting weights, compared to cardio with 10 to 12 calories running or cycling”.

            Strength training is any exercise that helps the different muscles in your body become stronger and more powerful.  It helps preserve body mass and at the same time it assists in long-term fat loss. Some strength training such as squats, pushups and using weights doesn’t necessary shed off pounds, but instead it sheds off fat.  A person’s body is consisting of muscles and fats, and when you are eliminating fats, you will look leaner, toned, and streamlined even if you don’t lose any pound.

            In my opinion, cardio is more effective if you want to lose weight.  I believe that you should diet and start off with cardio to shed off the pounds. Once the pounds are off then start with strength training so that you can begin to tone and build muscle with your body.   Both type of exercises are effective if you do it right.