Genetics of Obesity Essay

According to the WHO (2010), childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century. Globally, in 2010 the number of overweight children under the age of 5 is estimated to be over 42 million (WHO, 2010). Obesity can be defined in a number of ways, e.g. by population means, BMI and waist circumference (Odgen, 2012). And according to Kleiser et al (2009), obesity may have several short-term consequences (e.g. social discrimination, lower quality of life, increased cardiovascular risk factors, diseases like asthma) and long-term consequences were obesity is likely to persist into adulthood, were individuals are more likely to develop noncommunicable diseases e.g. diabetes and cardiovascular disease at a much younger age. It is due to this that a great body of research within health psychology has focused on not only the consequences of obesity but also understanding the causes of obesity, both genetic and environmental – this is what this essay will explore†¦. Genetics There have been several theories put forward by research to best explain the causes obesity and one major potential causes is genetics. Maffeis et al (1998) found that obesity in parents was the strongest predictor of childhood obesity, regardless of diet or level of activity. Furthermore recent research has found support for this claim. Moreover, Wardle et al., (2001, 2006) reported that, controlling for other environmental factors, children with obese parents preferred fatty foods, had less liking for vegetables, were more likely to overeat had a higher preference for sedentary activities than did children of normal weight parents. This is further strengthened by more recent research by Kleiser et al (2009) who found that the strongest determinant of obesity was obesity in parents. Despite the evidence for this relationship, Odgen (2012) states that parents and children not only share genetic constitution but also share very similar environments, therefore this relationship between child and parental obesity could be contributed to either factor. However, according to Barlow (2013) twin studies have also have clearly demonstrated a genetic influence on body weight, therefore strengthening the argument for the role of genetics in obesity. For instance studies have found 25 – 40 % of BMI is heritable and identical twins raised apart have been found to have a correlation of .7,  only slightly lower than that of twins raised together (Stunkard et al, 1990). Moreover adoption studies have also provided evidence for a genetic component in obesity, Skunkard (1986) found a strong relationship between the weight class of the adoptee and their biological parents and interestingly found no relationship with their adoptee parents’ weight class. Research has also stated that factors such as metabolic rate (Bouchard, 1990) and appetite regulation may also have a role to play in causing obesity. Research in terms of metabolic rate has suggested a low resting metabolic rate is a risk factor for weight gain (Tataranni, 2003), but in fact there is little research to support this. In particular there is no evidence to suggest that overweight people tend to have slightly higher metabolic rates than thin people of a similar height (Garrow, 1987; Odgen, 2012). A genetic predisposition may also be related to appetite control. For instance, the discovery of leptin, ghrelin, adiponectin, and other hormones that inï ¬â€šuence appetite, satiety, and fat distribution provides insight into metabolic mechanisms for physiological risk of obesity (Maes et al, 1997; Gale et al, 2004). Research, although seen to be in its infancy has yielded support, e.g. Farooqi et al (1999) injected 2 participants daily with leptin, which resulted in decreased food uptake and weight loss at a rate of 1-2kg per month. According to Odgen (2012) there is strong evidence for a genetic basis to obesity, but it is how this genetic bias expresses itself that remains unclear, due to the fact research on lowered metabolic rate has been widely refuted and the genetics of appetite control remain in its infancy. Furthermore, genetic studies are not without their criticisms. For instance small sample size, zygosity needs to be confirmed and again the role of environmental factors cannot be ignored. Behaviour & Environmental factors Therefore in light of the above criticisms research has begun to more fully examine the extent to which an individual’s behaviour and/or environment can influence the development of obesity. As Barlow (2013) states that at a population level, the increase in prevalence is too rapid to be explained by a genetic shift; rather, it must result from changes in eating and physical activity behaviours that have shifted. A recent study by Kileser (2009) found independently of other factors, a positive association was observed between obesity and low SES, migration background (up to age 13), parental overweight, high weight gain during pregnancy (when the mother is of normal weight), maternal smoking during pregnancy, high birth weight, and high media consumption, as well as a negative association with sleep duration for 3- to 10-year olds.

McDonald’s Code of Ethics for Employees Essay

The code of ethics that McDonald’s employees are expected to abide by is covered in the corporation’s Standards of Business Conduct document. Each year, all employees must sign a document certifying that they’ve read the document and will follow its precepts. Employees also attend training related to the ethical standards. The document is 40-plus pages and covers six themes. 1. Obligations to Customers McDonald’s fosters an ethical obligation to provide clean, hygienic restaurants; child-friendly toys; and a safe atmosphere for all customers. This means that safety standards for food and toys should match or exceed government standards. The obligation includes ensuring that all advertising is honest and tasteful, and that confidential information is not shared. 2. Obligations to Employees McDonald’s standards booklet includes a section on providing a positive experience for its employees. For example, employees are encouraged to report misconduct without fear of retaliation. The work environment should be positive and fair, free of harassment and violence. Harassment can include sexual harassment, racial jokes and offensive comments. The corporation believes in diversity and treating all employees equally, according to the ethics code. 3. Corporate System McDonald’s believes that its corporations and employees have an ethical obligation to act in the best interest of McDonald’s itself — and not for personal gain. Owners and operators of McDonald’s restaurants should act independently but with integrity, following all relevant laws and safety guidelines. Suppliers should also be treated fairly. 4. Ethical Guidelines The corporate standards book includes a section on ethical guidelines for dealing with McDonald’s assets. These obligations include protecting the  intellectual property of McDonald’s and its assets. For example, employees shouldn’t use company computers to transmit illegal information or use the McDonald’s logo for personal gain. Any conflicts of interest should be immediately shared with the company’s Global Compliance Office. This includes working with family and friends. Bribery is strictly prohibited. 5. Helping Out Communities One of the cornerstones of McDonald’s employees’ ethical obligations is giving back to the community. Employees donate millions in money and hours of service every year, the company says. However, political donations made by the company must be approved by the government relations department. An employee who wants to donate time or money to a political candidate is free to do so, but only on his personal time and at his own expense. McDonald’s also focuses on environmental health, such as investing in climate change innovations and conservation efforts. 6. Seeking Profit and Improvement While seeking profit and growth is of utmost importance to McDonald’s, its corporate standards book stipulates that no employee should engage in such actions if it violates antitrust or fair competition laws. Competitive advantages shouldn’t be gained through unfair or illegal trade, but through research, marketing and quality service. An independent Board of Directors provides monitoring and communication to the shareholders and internal investigations will be ordered to look into any potential employee misconduct. Starbucks Code of Ethics Our Starbucks Mission To inspire and nurture the human spirit—one person, one cup, and one neighbourhood at a time. Here are the principles of how we live that every day: Our Coffee It has always been, and will always be, about quality. We’re passionate about ethically sourcing the finest coffee beans, roasting them with great care, and improving the lives of people who grow them. We care deeply about all of this; our work is never done. Our Partners We’re called partners, because it’s not just a job, it’s our passion. Together, we embrace diversity to create a place where each of us can be ourselves. We always treat each other with respect and dignity. And we hold each other to that standard. Our Customers When we are fully engaged, we connect with, laugh with, and uplift the lives of our customers—even if just for a few moments. Sure, it starts with the promise of a perfectly made beverage, but our work goes far beyond that. It’s really about human connection. Our Stores When our customers feel this sense of belonging, our stores become a haven, a break from the worries outside, a place where you can meet with friends. It’s about enjoyment at the speed of life— sometimes slow and savoured, sometimes faster. Always full of humanity. Our Neighborhood Every store is part of a community, and we take our responsibility to be good neighbors seriously. We want to be invited in wherever we do business. We can be a force for positive action— bringing together our partners, customers, and the community to contribute every day. Now we see that our responsibility—and our potential for good—is even larger. The world is looking to Starbucks to set the new standard, yet again. We will lead. Our Shareholders We know that as we deliver in each of these areas, we enjoy the kind of success that rewards our shareholders. We are fully accountable to get each of these elements right so that Starbucks—and everyone it touches—can endure and thrive. Code of Ethics of Pizza Hut There are specific rules and principles, which are being involved in the code of conduct at pizza hut. Each employee which is working at pizza hut has to sign the code of conduct documentation which ensures that he/ she will observe all the rules. Raw material ethics According to the given percentage the head office located in Karachi provides 90% of the raw materials that are being used at pizza hut. The raw material, which is being provided, is tested for quality and hygienic measures and then it is provided to the end users. For the rest 10% raw material pizza hut is using the JIT (just in time) concept. It is done on the basis of fair transactions with vendor and suppliers. The transactions are credit based. The issue regarding the raw material is some time payments get late according to the fixed schedule. Opportunity and growth ethics Opportunity and growth are the basics, which an organization must follow to earn the future success. At pizza hut opportunity and growth is considered as the basic right of the employee. The employees are given the opportunity in the form on training courses, which help them to enhance their speaking, managing, cooking, maintenance and dealing capabilities. I.e. the manager has done 6 courses in time period of 6weeks all being sponsored by pizza hut to enhance his managing skills. Security ethics The security ethics are being observed in many ways. There are 4 guards, which are performing their duties at pizza hut. One guard is at the entrance making sure the no body is carrying a prohibited thing with him and its also being aided by a metaldetector installed at the entrance door. Others are in the parking area to keep the vehicles safe. Pizza hut have also installed cameras in the sitting areas, everyone is being monitored for the sake of the security. All these arrangements have made pizza hut a safe place to dine-in. Recruitment ethics The recruitment which is being done at pizza hut is under the HRM department .the employee are recruited on the basis of their education, personality, speaking style, and facial expressions because they have given a very strong importance level to their customers so employee are selected on the basis with whom the customer feels comfortable to talk and deal with. The manger level recruitment is done by the headoffice n lower employee recruitment is done on the third party basis.

Black Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Black Studies - Essay Example will analyze the case of two â€Å"white† newspapers and one â€Å"black† newspaper as a means of identifying key differentials in the reporting of the same noteworthy incident. For purposes of analysis, an article from all three newspapers, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and the New York Amsterdam News will each by discussed and analyzed. The subject matter that has been chosen for analysis between the three newspapers is that of the unveiling of a brand new statue of Rosa Parks within the rotunda of Capitol Hill. Whereas many white individuals have been immortalized by inclusion in the U.S. pantheon as it were, the exhibition of an African American within such austere company was never before realized. As a function of this, the black newspaper which will be analyzed The New York Amsterdam News recently published an article on the internet entitled, â€Å"A Statue of Rosa Parks Unveiled in the Capital Building† which opens by stating the following: â€Å"With a caramel-colored statue of Rosa Parks to his right, President Barack Obama offered a moving tribute to the great civil rights icon in the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday morning† (Boyd 1). This in and of itself is interesting due to the fact that although the other papers which will be discussed are forced to mention the importance that race has to do with the given subject matter, The New York Amsterdam News opens its piece by reaffirming the historic and current overarching importance that an understanding and appreciation of race has. Consequently, the article goes on to re-emphasize the importance of Rosa Park’s statute being the first African American depicted within Capitol Hill has on the national consciousness and the furtherance of the ongoing Civil Rights movement. Only after these topics have been thoroughly discussed does it deviate towards a historical approach to why Rosa Park’s contribution maintains a dominant and relevant role within the current times. In a way, the

Write a discussion in the form of a literature review that identifies Essay

Write a discussion in the form of a literature review that identifies what the different research philosophies are - Essay Example Thus, the choice of methodology for answering a research question or investigating a specific problem is an important decision for the final result or outcome. The way in which people collect and interpret data or information during the research is broadly varying and depends on the research philosophy followed by a researcher. Every methodology has its own philosophical groundwork, which is important for understanding as it promotes better informed research (Eriksson & Kovalainen, 2008). The aim of this research is to provide an overview of the literature related to various research philosophies including both ontological and epistemological research stances, and to explore such main philosophical research paradigms, as idealism, realism, positivism, interpretivism, pragmatism, and phenomenology. Saunders, Lewis, and Thornhill (2012) explain that practically every stage of research process is based on assumptions about human knowledge, and state that these assumptions shape the researcher’s understanding of the questions he/she is looking answers for. Therefore, assumptions of the researcher predefine his/her research philosophy – the way which he or she views the world (Saunders, Lewis, and Thornhill, 2012; Crossan, 2003). Research philosophy is defined by Saunders, Lewis, and Thornhill (2012, p. 127) as â€Å"the development of knowledge and the nature of that knowledge†. Proctor (1998) explains that research philosophies depend on the level of enquiry and can be differentiated by three categories: epistemological (what can be known?); ontological (what is the nature of reality?); and methodological (how can a researcher explore/find what he/she believes can be known?). More detailed overview of ontological and epistemological stances in provided in th e next section. While researchers rarely take time to explore and analyze assumptions related to their personal values, this practice could be very helpful in understanding wider

Social Contract Theory of John Locke Research Paper

Social Contract Theory of John Locke - Research Paper Example The US constitution includes the Bill of rights, which protects the freedom, liberty, and other rights of the individuals; at the same time, the constitution specifies the scope of authority of the President, the Judiciary, and the Congress. Thus, the constitution in its true sense in indeed a contract between the individuals and the state, whereby the natural laws of the individuals are intact and the state authority has been specified as well. Moreover, the criminal justice system also follows the principals of Locke`s social contract theory, as the system ensures that the rights and the belongings of individuals are protected, and, by collective submissiveness to law, all citizens empower the system to take punitive action against the violators. In this context, one can conclude that freedom leads to complete independence and liberation; however, as per the social contract, one also has to fulfill the duties and comply with ethical standards to obtain one`s own rights. Social cont ract is an intellectual, even political theoretical paradigm, which focuses on the origins of the society and the legitimacy of the state authority over the individuals of the state. The basic tenet of this theory implies that the individuals of the state have permitted the state to exercise power over them to protect their rights and freedoms; in other words, there is a social contract between the state and the individuals – the people will give authority to the government and, in turn, seek the protection of their natural laws. Different theorists have come up with their own versions of the theory, with the same basic assumptions but, however, with minute differences in the perspectives. Hugo Grotius (1625) gave the idea of the natural laws and argued that all individuals should comply with the moral and religious values to ensure that everyone receives their due share of rights. Thomas Hobbes has an important contribution to the development of the theory, as he suggested t hat a social contract resulted between individuals and the state due to the anarchy, which was the reason behind poor living conditions of the individuals. Rousseau, on the other hand, gave a different version of the theory, as he believed that the general will of the people should be considered for the social contract, as every person has the right to express his or her will – thus he aimed at attaining social contract not by collective will but rather by the general will of the individuals. However, Pierre-Joseph’s version of the social contract implies that the contract is a result of the individuals trying to avoid coercion from other individuals; he argued that the contract is a result of â€Å"†¦ An agreement with a man to a man...† (Morris, 1990). However, Locke`s form of social contract theory implies that the individuals would willingly form a state in an effort to protect their natural rights by virtue of the state, which would further be discusse d in detail. (Morris, 1990) John Locke is of the view that the natural law transcends all other man-made laws, and thus, to protect these natural laws, the individuals themselves willingly give authority to

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 3

Human Resource Management - Essay Example Thus, under management, there exists difference between staff authority and line authority. Line authority offers managers the privilege or power to issue commands or orders to other employees or managers. Line authority establishes subordinate-superior relationship. Thus, managers connect line managers with administering various functions like production or sales which are very important for the survival of a business or industry. Line authority ushers a relationship which is advisory in nature. Line managers have line authority whereas staff managers normally have staff authority. However, staff managers do not have authority down the chain of command. Staff managers always have supportive or advisory functions. However, line managers who give the busiess the biggest headache are the ones who normally meet the business goals but make life traumatic for the business with their idiosyncratic demeanour. These are the persons who are usually blamed for showing an attitude issue: a poor , a bad, a negative attitude. Such idiosyncratic demeanour may result in either diminishing or low productivity, increasing or high error rate thereby resulting in the deteroiration of quality, frequent infringmetn of procedures and rules, lack of cooperationf from subordinate employees or lack of team spirit, poor overall performance of the business, large employee turnover and acute resistance to change in the organisation (McConnell 2010:314). As Boxall and Purcell (2003) rightly said that "here is no such thing as the single HR practice of the firm. It is more accurate to imagine the HR practices of the firm as norms around which there is variation due to the idiosyncratic behaviour of line managers† (as cited in Redman and Wilkinson, 2009), this research essay will make an earnest attempt whether there exists a single HR practice of the business as this will be influenced due to idiosyncratic behaviour of line managers in a major way. â€Å"Line Manager – Definiti on† The front line managers are one who can be accountable for the success or failure of a company and to whom much authority has been delegated for decision making and with whom the CEO is likely to spend less time. Thus , the front line managers may be general managers of sales or R&D department , floor- shop supervisors , general managers of call centres or restaurant chains. Line managers occupy a pivotal position in any organisation as they boost and motivate the morale of the employees who design, manufacture and market the company’s services or products to end consumers. Line managers are like backbone of a company as it is they who administer its execution. CEO of a company is briefed with the current happenings in the company due to the feedback loop given by the line managers . Thus , the line managers are a vital part of CEO team and comprises of senior functional heads , executive team or major investors or customers of the business. CEO should see that the line managers are being given much significance as they comprise a vital group in the management cluster , sharing much of his time by lisentening to them and employing the feedback of their interaction with the line managers to mobilise the whole organisation and

Reflective paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reflective paper - Essay Example Getting to lead the youth in church, in some of the activities, was an honour. However, problems came as a result of failure to understand many of the peers in the group. In the book, by Dr. Allender, Leading with a Limp, there is talk of how leaders do not rise to power in spite of their weaknesses; rather they rise because of their weaknesses (Allender, 2008). This gave inspiration to group members. The thought of getting to understand people made it easier to relate to them. Adopting a positive attitude through all that increased the chances of finding favour among peers and the elders around the church. This response was welcome from all quarters, and people appreciated the effort to lead through the identified weakness. In conclusion, the lesson learnt is that whatever thing one might think will pull them down, it is wise to try it out first (Allender, 2008). If one fails, it means they know of one way of how not to do something. After all, if nobody makes a mistake, it means they have never tried anything