Environmental Influences On Human Behavior Essay Example for Free

Environmental Influences On Human Behavior Essay Eating disorder is a condition wherein an individual’s eating behavior of eating or not eating is influenced by a psychological impulse, instead of a physiological need. Individuals with eating disorders generally choose to ignore the signals their bodies send out that nourishment is needed for maintenance or that enough food has already been consumed. One general feature commonly observed in an individual with an eating disorder is abnormal weight, which may be either above or below the normal weight. Normal weight has been defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as having a body mass index (BMI) of 18. 5 to 24. 9 kg/m2 (Deurenberg and Yap, 1999; Weisell, 2002). BMI is the ratio of an individual’s weight in kilograms (kg) to his heights in meters squared (m2). An individual with a BMI of 25 to 29 kg/m2 is classified as overweight, those with BMI greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 are categorized as moderately obese, and people with BMI of 40 kg/m2 and above are identified as morbidly obese. Obesity was earlier considered as an imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure. Today, obesity is regarded as a disease that is strongly influenced by genetic, physiologic and behavioral factors (Jequier and Tappy, 1999). The global estimate of overweight people is currently 1. 2 billion, of which at least 300 million are classified as obese. Obesity has been identified as a preventable health risk, but unfortunately, the mortality rate of this disease is still high, contributing to approximately 300,000 deaths each year in the United States alone. Since the cases of overweight and obesity are continually increasing without any preference to economic status of a country, health governing bodies have put in a significant effort to promote awareness of this disease and intervention programs that would teach the public of the risks of being overweight and/or obese. A major factor that influences such excessive weight gain is the poor lifestyle choices individuals make, in terms of their eating, exercising and physical activities. Binge eating is another eating disorder that is characterized by consuming huge amounts of food in order to achieve the strong feeling of being full. This disorder is generally involved with eating bouts even when an individual is not hungry. Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that is recognized in two forms- the restricting type and the binge-eating/purging types (APA, 1994). The restricting type of anorexia nervosa involves the absolute inhibition of food consumption and does not accompany any purging or binge-eating actions. The binge-eating type of anorexia nervosa is commonly characterized by cycles of binge-eating and purging. The classic symptom of anorexia nervosa is subjecting one’s self to a starvation condition, with the main goal of preventing or avoiding gaining weight or sensing that any fat is deposited in the body. The psychological angle with anorexia nervosa is that the individual perceives himself as overweight yet actually, their weight is already below normal. The extreme condition of anorexia nervosa usually involves death due to severe malnutrition. Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder that is characterized by cycles of binge eating, purging and the employment of laxatives to remove any food that has been consumed (APA, 1994). Bulimia nervosa may be differentiated from anorexia nervosa through the feature that the individuals afflicted with this eating disorder typically have normal or above-average weights. In addition, individuals with anorexia nervosa can strongly inhibit their food intake, while individuals with bulimia nervosa find difficulty in avoiding food consumption. Bulimic individuals commonly carry a psychological feeling of guilt and shame of eating so much food, hence they try to appease themselves of their eating faults through purging and chemical elimination of the food they ate through the use of laxatives. They consider such activities as remedies or cleansing rituals so that they can immediately purify themselves of the disgrace they made from eating huge amounts of food. To date, the exact cause of bulimia remains unknown, yet there are theories that this eating disorder is strongly associated to depression and anxiety, however, a precise correlation of this cause still has to be investigated. Another theory involves the motivation of the bulimic individual to escape from reality, by treating for as a comfort instead of a source of energy and nutrition for their bodies. Childhood experiences may also possibly play a role in the cause of bulimia, because young children are often given different types of food in order to pacify them or to reward them for particular activities. Society may also play a role in bulimia, because the media strongly endorses that being thin is good, beautiful and acceptable. It has been suggested that eating disorders may be physiologically influenced by serotonin and norepinephrine. It has also been suggested that anorexia is more frequently observed in females in the Western world (Suematsu, 1986). Several theories have been proposed to explain the mechanism behind hunger and eating in overweight and obese individuals. The internal-external theory of Schachter (1971) states that hunger is influenced by external signals such as time, as shown in their experiments involving manipulation of clock rates and counting the consumption of crackers by the subjects. The research showed that faster ticking clocks that would reach meal times earlier would influence the subjects to eat earlier, while slower ticking close would influence subjects to eat later during the day. This theory strengthened the hypothesis that obese people tend to â€Å"feel† hungry based on the time of the day, and not based of the real sensation of hunger. The sensation of hungry in normal individuals is generally induced by internal signals such as an increased appetite or need to eat. The boundary theory of hunger considers the cognitive influence of hunger and satiety, wherein an individual determines the amount of food he should take in, as their limit or boundary (Hermand and Polivy, 1984). During diet regimes, the amount of food an individual eats is a little less than the set amount or boundary and in turn, the body physiologically adapts to the available sources of energy. In overweight and obese individuals, the boundary of food intake is significantly higher than an individual of normal weight. A third theory explaining the relation between excessive weight gain and eating is the set point theory, which is essentially based on the control of the hypothalamus on the body’s predetermined weight. Such set point of weight will be biologically maintained through the natural way, regardless of efforts to loss weight through diets and other weight loss regimens. A decreased intake of calories will not perturb the hypothalamus in its self-regulation of body weight. These theories are comparatively similar in terms of their goal of attempting to describe the mechanisms of obesity. The theories all emphasized that obesity is not influenced by a single factor, such as plain and simple overeating. These theories actually describe external influences of factors that result in overeating. In the external-internal theory identifies the time of the day as the major factor that triggers hunger. For the boundary theory, the individual himself, most probably with the cerebellum as the major organ, determines the amount of food he will eat. As for the set point theory, the hypothalamus controls the individual’s body weight. It is interesting to note that what the society has perceived as overweight is not really caused by a simple excessive hunger that stems from the need of the stomach to carry more food, but actually a more complex network involving the digestive system, the central nervous system and the immediate environment. Treatment for eating disorder often involves physical and psychological approaches. Psychotherapy serves as the main treatment for eating disorders, which often involves sessions with a therapist to discuss issues such as anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and body image concerns. The therapist generally emphasizes the relationship of one’s thoughts and eating activities, as well as teaching the patient that food is a source of nourishment and not a source of comfort or escape. Antidepressants may be prescribed to an individual with an eating disorder, to regulate the emotions of the depressed individual. The physician will also need to regularly check the physical vital signs of the patient, in order to monitor whether the patient is gaining weight and to determine whether any other complications may be present in the individual. Dieticians will design a well-balanced diet for an individual with an eating disorder, as well as educate the person of the nutritional value of every type of food that is consumed. The theories of hunger and eating disorders are based on the concept of primary motivation, which is mainly an interplay between psychology and the biological need to provide energy to the proper functioning of the human body. It is more complicated than the straightforward feeding mechanisms in other organisms because eating in the other species is singly influenced by the need to provide food for the normal physiology of the body. In human beings that have a more complex brain system due to evolution, we have acquired the additional capability to feed our minds, and even our souls, so to speak figuratively. It is important to individuals to understand that the mind is a powerful organ that can influence the actions and activities of the rest of the body but it is also more important to know that such choices of eating the right amount of food, as well as the right type of food, is a conscious and voluntary choice, and the consequences should be seriously considered.

Comparing the Behavior of Characters in Richard III :: William Shakespeare

RICHARD III Compare the behavior and reactions of Richard, Anne and Elizabeth in Act One Scene Two and Act Four Scene Four. In the start of both scenes, both Elizabeth and Anne are enraged and verbally attack Richard. Both women did not intend to marry Richard. hard was a very clever man, until he became king. He became over confident and did not even realise when he was losing a battle with the not-so-soft Elizabeth. He was successful with the weak, tenderhearted Anne in Act one Scene Two. He was very ruthless. He was very determined to get what he wanted, whatever he had to do for it. In Act Scene Two, Richard is very clever and intelligent with his moves in convincing Anne to marry him. In fact his knowledge and organisation led him to having three stages of development in manipulating Anne. Anne was an easy target though. He thought that Elizabeth was just as easy to convince, so he did not put any extra effort in. But little did he know that that extra effort would have saved his life. He totally put aside his manipulation skills and took it calm and easy in Act Four Scene Four, so he had to get quite desperate at the end of the scene. He was satisfied to know that he won both oral battles against the ladies, at least he thought so. But Elizabeth was not as weak as poor Anne was. She had a couple of tricks up her sleeve. She was aware of Richard’s evil plans. She had a feeling Richard had slaughtered her dear sons, as well as innocent lady Anne. She knew for sure that he had murdered Anne’s husband and father in-law. And she had a feeling that he had done more harm than what meets the eye. She acted as though she gave in and made the path clear for Richard to marry her daughter (Elizabeth, of the same name). Richard had weakened since he had become king and was no longer ruthless as he had no reason to be ruthless. He had got what he wanted and was pleased with himself. He thought he was invincible, and he was too confident, which cost him his life. If he had been more careful, he would have been aware of the danger that lied before him. But, he did use some similar techniques in both the scenes. Comparing the Behavior of Characters in Richard III :: William Shakespeare RICHARD III Compare the behavior and reactions of Richard, Anne and Elizabeth in Act One Scene Two and Act Four Scene Four. In the start of both scenes, both Elizabeth and Anne are enraged and verbally attack Richard. Both women did not intend to marry Richard. hard was a very clever man, until he became king. He became over confident and did not even realise when he was losing a battle with the not-so-soft Elizabeth. He was successful with the weak, tenderhearted Anne in Act one Scene Two. He was very ruthless. He was very determined to get what he wanted, whatever he had to do for it. In Act Scene Two, Richard is very clever and intelligent with his moves in convincing Anne to marry him. In fact his knowledge and organisation led him to having three stages of development in manipulating Anne. Anne was an easy target though. He thought that Elizabeth was just as easy to convince, so he did not put any extra effort in. But little did he know that that extra effort would have saved his life. He totally put aside his manipulation skills and took it calm and easy in Act Four Scene Four, so he had to get quite desperate at the end of the scene. He was satisfied to know that he won both oral battles against the ladies, at least he thought so. But Elizabeth was not as weak as poor Anne was. She had a couple of tricks up her sleeve. She was aware of Richard’s evil plans. She had a feeling Richard had slaughtered her dear sons, as well as innocent lady Anne. She knew for sure that he had murdered Anne’s husband and father in-law. And she had a feeling that he had done more harm than what meets the eye. She acted as though she gave in and made the path clear for Richard to marry her daughter (Elizabeth, of the same name). Richard had weakened since he had become king and was no longer ruthless as he had no reason to be ruthless. He had got what he wanted and was pleased with himself. He thought he was invincible, and he was too confident, which cost him his life. If he had been more careful, he would have been aware of the danger that lied before him. But, he did use some similar techniques in both the scenes.

Chase Strategy Essay

What are some of the challenges associated with using the chase strategy and why? The chase strategy is one of three production strategies for aggregate planning in use today. Chase strategy is a form of demand matching. This is done by forecasting the expected demand set by previous sales or projected sales. The purpose of this is to meet or match the demand of their customers. It is also an appropriate strategy with variable demand such as seasonal items. The chase strategy is mostly used in service based industry that concentrate on meeting demand. Due to the unforeseen forecast, the company must hire and fire their employee to meet the production needs. United parcel service and Wal-Mart are examples of companies that use chase strategy. During the holiday season beginning in November, United Parcel Service and Wal-Mart hire seasonal workers to meet the increase in volume. This means that both of these companies expect to be busy and the opportunity to generate revenue is availab le if they have the correct number of employees in place. A primary advantage is the flexibility to meet demand fluctuations. Another advantage is both of these companies do not have to pay for benefits such as medical, dental, or provide retirement since these employees are not vested. According to Seeking Alpha, United Parcel Service expects to pick up 32 million packages on December 2, 2013, which is the first Monday after Thanksgiving and known as Cyber Monday, this will be more packages than 10% last year. On Cyber Monday, online retailers provide steep discounts for holiday shoppers. To handle this increased workload in the holiday season, UPS will hire 55,000 seasonal employees across the U.S. Reference: How This Holiday Season Will Be A Blessing For UPS. (2013, November 3). Retrieved September 26, 2014, from http://seekingalpha.com/article/1800442-how-this-holiday-season-will-be-a-blessing-for-ups

B-26 Marauder, World War II Bomber Aircraft

General: Length: 58 ft. 3 in.Wingspan: 71 ft.Height: 21 ft. 6 in.Wing Area: 658 sq. ft.Empty Weight: 24,000 lbs.Loaded Weight: 37,000 lbs.Crew: 7 Performance: Power Plant: 2 Ãâ€" Pratt Whitney R-2800-43 radial engines, 1,900 hp eachCombat Radius: 1,150 milesMax Speed: 287 mphCeiling: 21,000 ft. Armament: Guns: 12 Ãâ€" .50 in. Browning machine gunsBombs: 4,000 lbs. Design Development In March 1939, the US Army Air Corps began seeking a new medium bomber. Issuing Circular Proposal 39-640, it required the new aircraft to have a payload of 2,000 lbs, while possessing a top speed of 350 mph and a range of 2,000 miles. Among those to respond was the Glenn L. Martin Company which submitted its Model 179 for consideration. Created by a design team led by Peyton Magruder, the Model 179 was a shoulder-winged monoplane possessing a circular fuselage and tricycle landing gear. The aircraft was powered by two Pratt Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp radial engines which were slung under the wings. In an effort to achieve the desired performance, the aircrafts wings were relatively small with a low aspect ratio. This resulted in a high wing loading of 53 lbs./sq. ft. in early variants. Capable of carrying 5,800 lbs. of bombs the Model 179 possessed two bomb bays in its fuselage. For defense, it was armed with twin .50 cal. machine guns mounted in a powered dorsal turret as well as single .30 cal. machine guns in the nose and tail. While initial designs for the Model 179 utilized a twin tail configuration, this was replaced with a single fin and rudder to improve visibility for the tail gunner. Presented to the USAAC on June 5, 1939, the Model 179 scored highest of all of the designs submitted. As a result, Martin was issued a contract for 201 aircraft under the designation B-26 Marauder on August 10. Since the aircraft was effectively ordered off the drawing board, there was no prototype. Following the implementation of President Franklin D. Roosevelts 50,000 aircraft initiative in 1940, the order was increased by 990 aircraft despite the fact that the B-26 had yet to fly. On November 25, the first B-26 flew with Martin test pilot William K. Ken Ebel at the controls. Accident Issues Due to the B-26s small wings and high loading, the aircraft had a relatively high landing speed of between 120 and 135 mph as well as a stall speed of around 120 mph. These characteristics made it challenging aircraft to fly for inexperienced pilots. Though there were only two fatal accidents in the aircrafts first year of use (1941), these increased dramatically as the US Army Air Forces expanded rapidly after the United States entry into World War II. As novice flight crews struggled to learn the aircraft, losses continued with 15 aircraft crashing at McDill Field in one 30-day period. Due to the losses, the B-26 quickly earned the nicknames Widowmaker, Martin Murderer, and B-Dash-Crash, and many flight crews actively worked to avoid being assigned to Marauder-equipped units. With B-26 accidents mounting, the aircraft was investigated by Senator Harry Trumans Senate Special Committee to Investigate the National Defense Program. Throughout the war, Martin worked to make the aircraft easier to fly, but the landing and stall speeds remained high and the aircraft required a higher standard of training than the B-25 Mitchell. Variants Through the course of the war, Martin continually worked to improve and modify the aircraft. These improvements included efforts to make the B-26 safer, as well as to improve its combat effectiveness. During the course of its production run, 5,288 B-26s were built. The most numerous were the B-26B-10 and B-26C. Essentially the same aircraft, these variants saw the aircrafts armament increased to 12 .50 cal. machine guns, a larger wingspan, improved armor, and modifications to improve handling. The bulk of the added machine guns were forward-facing to allow the aircraft to conduct strafing attacks. Operational History Despite its poor reputation with many pilots, experienced aircrews found the B-26 to be a highly effective aircraft that offered a superb degree of crew survivability. The B-26 first saw combat in 1942 when the 22nd Bombardment Group was deployed to Australia. They were followed by elements 38th Bombardment Group. Four aircraft from the 38th conducted torpedo attacks against the Japanese fleet during the early stages of the Battle of Midway. The B-26 continued to fly in the Pacific through 1943 until it was withdrawn in favor of standardizing to the B-25 in that theater in early 1944. It was over Europe that the B-26 made its mark. First seeing service in support of Operation Torch, B-26 units took heavy losses before switching from low-level to medium-altitude attacks. Flying with the Twelfth Air Force, the B-26 proved an effective weapon during the invasions of Sicily and Italy. To the north, the B-26 first arrived in Britain with the Eighth Air Force in 1943. Shortly thereafter, B-26 units were shifted to the Ninth Air Force. Flying medium-altitude raids with the proper escort, the aircraft was a highly accurate bomber. Attacking with precision, the B-26 struck a multitude of targets prior to and in support of the invasion of Normandy. As bases in France became available, B-26 units crossed the Channel and continued to strike at the Germans. The B-26 flew its last combat mission on May 1, 1945. Having overcome its early issues, the Ninth Air Forces B-26s posted the lowest loss rate in the European Theater of Operations at around 0.5%. Briefly retained after the war, the B-26 was retired from American service by 1947. During the course of the conflict, the B-26 was used by several Allied nations including Great Britain, South Africa, and France. Dubbed the Marauder Mk I in British service, the aircraft saw extensive use in the Mediterranean where it proved an adept torpedo bomber. Other missions included mine-laying, long-range reconnaissance, and anti-shipping strikes. Provided under Lend-Lease, these aircraft were scrapped after the war. In the wake of Operation Torch in 1942, several Free French squadrons were equipped with the aircraft and supported Allied forces in Italy and during the invasion of southern France. The French retired the aircraft in 1947.