Nutrition can make the difference between life and death.

I believe all people have the right to food and a healthy diet. A healthy diet is essential for a healthy life. Unfortunately, despite the abundance of food in the world, many people are not well nourished and do not have access to food. At the same time, those with access to all kinds of food, suffer from poor nutrition. Why is this so?
According to the World Health Organization “Nutrition is the intake of food, considered in relation to the body’s dietary needs. Good nutrition – an adequate, well balanced diet combined with regular physical activity – is a cornerstone of good health. Poor nutrition can lead to reduced immunity, increased susceptibility to disease, impaired physical and mental development, and reduced productivity.”
Good nutrition requires a balanced diet. This involves eating the right combination of proteins, fruit, vegetables, dairy products and grains so that our bodies get the nutrients they need to keep us healthy. Fresh foods are always best. It is also important to drink lots of clean water. These are the compenents to a healthy diet.

But not everyone has a healthy diet people all over the world are poorly nourished. In rich countries where most people have access to a wide variety of healthy food there are still problems of poor nutrition.
Many people suffer from diabetes, heart disease, obesity, anemia and other diseases.
Lack of information. Some people are not aware of what makes a healthy diet. So their food choices may not be smart ones. For example most children would prefer soda over water a healthier choice. Even if you wanted to drink something else, you would be hard-pressed to find it as prominently displayed in vending machines, at fast-food chains, and supermarket checkouts. Aswell as the fact that soda is pretty inexpensive when compared to fruit juice and milk (healthier options). Soda contains drastic amounts of sugar, chemicals and calories. Another reason is the abundance of junk and processed food. Kids fancy “fastfood”. McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Burger King, KFC, etc. However the consumption of fastfood is very unhealthy. Fast food is inexpensive,prepared and served quickly. Fastfood is processed, full of fats, salt, sugar and lacking in essential nutrients.Unfortunately some people consume to much fast food that they have forgotten what real food tastes like.In countries like America, where fast food consumption is on the rise, diseases like obesity, diabetes and heart attacks are very common. 9 out of 10 americans think that they have a healthy diet, when in reality 68% of americans are obeise. This suggests that people are ignorant about their diet, and need more nutritional knowledge. “Processed foods not only extend the shelf life, but they extend the waistline as well.” ~ Karen Session

People in poorer countries also suffer from nutrition related diseases like diabetes, heart conditions and obesity. Sometimes local diets contain a lot of fats and sugars. This is true in Malaysia for example where 1.2 million people have diabetes. In other countries the situation is more serious. According to the UN World Food Programme, over 1 billion people in the world don't have enough to eat. Every 6 seconds a child dies from malnutrition and related causes.Malnutrition is a rising empidemic in severals countries. People with malnutrition lack the nutrients necessary for their bodies to grow and stay healthy.Countries in sub Saharan Africa are often the worst affected because of drought. When there is a drought, people cannot grow food and this can lead to famine and death.Because many of these countries are very poor, people also do not have the money to access purchased food. Several poor people also do not have access to clean drinking water. The combination of no food and unclean water leads to malnutrition.

The sad reality of this is that people who have access to the best and most nutritional food in the world often chose to eat junk while at the same time a child dies every 6 minutes from malnutrition. And we should be grateful that we get the oppurtnuity to have our own preferable choice of what we would like to eat, wether it is healthy or not. Part of the solution is better nutrition education. Also the world’s food needs to be better distributed so poor people have access and don’t starve.There are many organizations in the world, like the World Food Programme and World Health Organization that believe that this is a right worth fighting for. All people have the right to a healthy diet and enough food to eat. But that doesn’t seem to be the case. It is unthinkable that any child should go hungry, with the amount of food produced, grown, bought and consumed everyday. Malnutrition is a rising empidemic that should be solved “But If you can't feed a hundred people, feed just one.” Mother Teresa.


Sources
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40907754/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/t/me-fat-americans-denial-about-weight-survey-finds/http://news.discovery.com/human/americans-diet-weight-110104.html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/299975-why-is-it-important-to-include-both-exercise-healthy-eating-habits-in-your-lifestyle/

http://hutchinsonm.hubpages.com/hub/The-Importance-of-Healthy-Eating

http://www.malnutrition.org/malnutrition.html

One Child

What is worth fighting for? In my opinion equality between men and women is a fundamental human rights principle.However throughout history different cultures and countries have shown preference for men or women socially, politically or economically. I believe equality between men and women and women’s rights are worth fighting for, particularly the rights of the girl child.

One example of how girls are discriminated and treated unequally is China’s one child policy which started in 1978.. The policy was implemented in response to China’s rising population and desire for economic success. Under the policymarried couples in China were only allowed to have one child.Traditionally, in Chinese culture boys carry on the family name and are expected to care for their parents in old age.Girls when they are married move to live with their inlaws. So having a boy is desirable.

The policy created a situation where families desired boys even more because they only had one opportunity. Many poor families in particular became so desperate for a boy that they resorted to severe practices to ensure they had sons. Some gave baby girls up for adoption.Others found out through ultrasound what the sex of the fetus was and if it was a girl, aborted it. Other killed the baby girls. This is known as female infanticide and is a horrible crime.

These are serious human rights abuses and violations of the rights of the girl child. As a result of this policy and the discriminatory practices that it led to, China’s boy to girl ratio is growing wider and wider. China is estimated to have 30million more boys than girls as a result of the policy. This has led to even further abuses of women and girls' rights in China. Because there is a shortage of women, female trafficking and prostitution have increased in China.

So, a policy which on the one hand helped to reduce china’s population and improve the quality of life in China has in fact had a negative impact on girls.Today in China the policy is less strict but it will take China a long time to recover from the loss of so many girls. This is why gender inequality is such a discrimintary issue one that should be stopped. More advocacy is needed to fight for the equality.

Equality: An Impossible Dream

" We hold these truths, to be self evident that all man are created equally"

Martin Luther king Jr said this.

If I were to create a new world I would like it to be based on the principle of equality. Equality is defined as the state of being equal through in status, rights, and opportunities. Equality in my society would be based on gender, race, religion, and ethnicity. In my ideal world, all people would have equal access to basic services and opportunities such as education, health, and employment.

There are many examples throughout history and around the world where people have been denied these basic opportunities and access.

Freedom to choose and follow a religion is one important aspect of equality. A religion is a belief, one that should not be judged. The holocaust is a clear example of religious inequality and discrimination. The Holocaust was the persecution and murder of about 6 million jews by the Nazi regime and their collaborators, due to religion.This contributed to World War II.

Equality amongst people of different ethnicities also contributes to health, equal societies. Ethnic inequality can lead to conflict. The Sri Lankan civil war is an example of ethnic discrimination between the Tamils and the Sinhalese. The inequality between the Tamils and the Sinhalese has led to three decades of violence, conflict, and slow development. The Sri Lankan civil war is one of several crises around the world that demonstrate ethnic inequality.

Both men and women contribute to a society's development. In my ideal world men and women who have equal opportunities and rights. An example that demonstrates gender inequality is the one child policy in China. This regards the discrimination against baby girls , leaving families to abort girls in favor of boy babies. This crisis will effect, and has effected the social development in china, which will take a long time to recover at this rate.

In my ideal world, people would not be treated differently based on the colour of their skin. Racial inequality was a huge crisis in the American south during the 1950's and 60's. This involved the segregation of black"colored" people and white people. Black people didn't have the opportunities that white people had, and were segregated in such ways. Martin Luther King Jr was an activist for this cause, as well as many others.

These examples demonstrate how discrimination based on difference has lead to poverty, conflict and injustice in different societies. This is why I feel that equality which embraces difference would be the most important principle in my new world. However achieving an equal society may be an impossible dream. Many societies around the world, past and present, have struggled to achieve equality, however I believe it's worth striving for.

Hunger Games Assignment!

I chose to do, Map of the Hunger Games arena, Ticket, and Identity chart of Katniss.

I decided to do a Map of the Hunger Games arena, As there is no exact description of what the arena looks like in the book, just small pieces of evidence explaining natural resources and habitats in the arena. I felt that if my partner and created a map it was a way for us to create a visual of what we interpreted the arena looked like in our perspective. We predicted that there would be 2 types of forests, a desert, and tropical islands. We enjoyed making the map as there was no limits to how much we could predict was in the arena. We got to be creative!

My partner and I created a Identity chart for Katniss because we thought that making an Identity chart would help explain the characteristics, her hobbies, and skills. We didn't use specific quotes from the book , instead just using words to describe her. We cut out each words and pasted them on an A3 sheet of paper with a picture of Katniss in the centre.

My partner and I decided to make a ticket. We decided to make a ticket because the book never mentioned how the people from each district watched the Hunger games. We thought it was like a concert where you bought a ticket to come see the show. Merina used paint to create the overall ticket and printed it on photo paper.

The Luttrell Psalter are stories and images that portray the lives of peasants, priests, and kings of that era. The Luttrell Psalter was not the first to include scenes of rustic life in the 14^th century, but it is exceptional in their number and fascinating detail. It contrasts the two immensely different lives of those of the high class and the low class. What makes the Luttrell Psalter such a unique document is the fact that it describes through paintings the lives of those who had to work for lords to make a living. The piece of art is a primary source because it’s the closest picture that we can find from that era.

Profile B

1. I learn best when.... I have clear step by step instructions and through visual and audio details.
2. I need to.... learn how to go beyond the details to understand the big picture.
3. The strategies that would help me in my learning.... is to think about stories and history from many different perspectives than just 1
4. I would like my teachers to know this about me....I prefer to express my ideas verbally rather than through writing

1. Describe what you see in the picture. Consider color, placement, people and objects, and composition. Everything that you see. The picture shows a family of 6, 4 kids and 2 adults. Each member of the family has a big smile on their face. Their body language is energetic and enthusiastic. They look like a German working class family of good health.

2. Interpret: Guess about the creator is trying to express through the caption and images. Why is this message being conveyed? I think the message that is being conveyed is that Happier and Healthier families are what the Germans want representing their nation. Happier and Healthy families will contribute to a strong nation. As German's believed that Jews were unhappy and unhealthy people.

What is the intended purpose of this image? The intended audience? Does the image achieve its purpose? The link between a healthy and happy family and voting for the Nazi's isn't obvious. The message is subtle. Though I do think that the message is clear that Germany wants Happy and Healthy families representing its nation.