Pet food recall Essay Example for Free

Pet food recall Essay A recent recall across the United States and Canada has pet owners in frenzy. More than 60 million cans and pouches of pet food have been recalled as they have been linked to 10 cat and 6 dog deaths recently. The manufacturer sells food under 95 different brands, including Wal-Mart, Iams, and Safeway. As of yet the specific ingredient linked to the pet deaths has not been determined. Speculation links the liver failure of the cats to a wheat gluten ingredient. The FDA said that wheat gluten itself would not cause liver failure, but if it was contaminated with metal or mold toxins it could cause liver damage. The chief executive of menu foods, Paul Henderson issued a statement saying, â€Å"Our hearts go out to all of the pet owners across Canada, the United States and Mexico for any losses they experience and certainly for the worry this incident may be causing† (â€Å"Company behind pet†, 2007). Pet owner’s expectations when buying pet food are to keep their pets happy, healthy, and well fed. Many of the products recalled were manufactured under the best pet food names in the industry. Pet owner Chris Wood says â€Å"We love our pets just like children. They are not careful enough with the ingredients they put in pet food. That’s scary† (Molina, 2007). Pet’s are companions that owner’s have a deep responsibility to care for. Implications caused by this recall include worry for one’s pet, having to find a new brand of food not manufactured by menu foods, and in the worse case scenario losing one’s pet to liver failure. The worry alone is taking time and energy from pet owners across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Pet owners are not only returning the recalled food but are taken precautions that cost a lot of money to ensure the safety and well-being of their pets. A veterinarian at the Animal Medical Center on the East Side of Manhattan, Dr. Ann Hohenhaus, said one cat died there over the weekend of kidney failure linked to the recalled food. Hohenhaus said the Animal Medical Center has tested 143 animals for renal failure since worried pet owners started taking their cats and dogs in for blood and urine tests on Saturday (March 18th, 2007)†(Mathews , 2007). Retailers are taking all measures to reassure pet owners. After the recall â€Å"PetSmart general manager Gary Brown said, ‘Everything on our shelves is 100 percent safe for your pet’(Molina, 2007). Petsmart is offering a full refund on all food purchased between December 3-March 6. A Long Island family whose two year old bull mastiff, Princess, died as a result of the recall are suing Menu Foods. Princess ate nothing but Nutro Foods all of her life and passed away from liver failure. The family is absolutely devastated by their loss. The family filed a lawsuit â€Å"Wednesday against Nutro and manufacturer Menu Foods. The lawsuit, filed in state Supreme Court in Nassau County, seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, said Bobbs attorney, Kenneth Mollins†(Mathews, 2007). Quite often consumers put much research and time into products they purchase. When a consumer makes a purchase they assumed the manufacturer is offering a product that will be satisfactory and meet standards. Menu foods did switch to a new supplier for wheat gluten. As of the March 6, 2007 issued recall Mend Foods has once again changed its wheat gluten supply and is once again stocking shelves with premium pet food. Menu Foods expects losses of 24-60 million dollars for this recall and lawsuits that will prevail as a result of the contaminated pet food.

Child Adoption In England And Finland Social Policy Essay

Child Adoption In England And Finland Social Policy Essay This essay attempts to illuminate the differences and similarities in issues related to child adoption in England and Finland while offering an examination into the contexts in which social workers and associated professionals have to function. While both England and Finland are states within the European Union (EU), they demonstrate distinct and differing approaches to the adoption of children. In Finland along with other countries in Scandinavia, child adoption and the permanent transfer of parental rights is less of a central a concern, or worry than currently so in England where child adoption is featured prominently across a range of professional, political and popular discourses. In terms of social work practice the involvement of children and families, coupled with certain factors of the adoption process have been handled in a distinctly different way between the two countries. This can be seen where in Finland adult adoptees were allowed to gain access to records regarding th eir adoption or their birth parents far earlier than their English counterparts where this was not permissible until much later earlier through the Children Act 1975 (Triseliotis, 1973, p. 1). According to Lowe (2000) in the late-nineteenth century attempts were made to introduce adoption, but it was not until 1927, subsequent to the Adoption of Children Act 1926, that child adoption became legally recognised in England. Since then many factors including; reports, legislation and case law have all had an impact, this has resulted in refined policy and changes in social work practice. More recently media attention has illustrated social workers alleged shortcomings in relation to child adoption processes. In recent years, adoption policy has been influenced by a number of socio-cultural and political factors. During the Conservative government of the 1990s politicians and policy makers made attempts ineffectively to restructure what were viewed as unsatisfactory adoption procedures (see PIU, 2000, p. 31). These services were impaired because social workers were driven by political correctness (Hopton, 1997). The white paper Adoption: The Future was published In November 1993, representing a common sense approach to adoption (Department of Health, 1993). In 1996, the DoH published a Draft Bill with an emphasis placed on child adoption as an alternative to single parenthood during the consultation period. The Bill failed to progress any further due to the General Election in May 1997. With a change in government, the then Prime Ministers (Tony Blair) Review of Adoption was published in 2000 (PIU, 2000). Followed by a White Paper, Adoption: A New Approach (Department of Health, 2000), wh ich was followed by the publication of the Adoption and Children Bill in 2001. The Bill failed to materialise due to the General Election later in the same year. It was however re-introduced in October 2001 and the Adoption and Children Act received royal assent in November 2002. The first Adoption of Children Act in Finland was in 1925, a year earlier than the English equivalent. The present Finnish Adoption Act stems from 1985 followed by an additional Adoption ruling in 1997 which dealt specifically with adoption counselling and inter-country adoptions. Specific to Finnish adoption system is the role of Save the Children originally created in 1945 following the merging of two previous organisations (Homes for Homeless Children which were practicing adoption since 1922 and Save Finlands Children, which was set up after the Second World War in an attempt to help orphaned children). This organisation is now part of the International Save the Children. Save the Children has had an influential position as a provider of adoption services in Finland. In addition to civic welfare bodies, Save the Children is still the only private child welfare organisation in Finland licensed to provide adoption counselling (Pylkkanen 1995) In Finland, adoptions have dramatically changed during the last 30 years, in 1970, 243 Finnish children were adopted through Save the Children. Over the last few years this has decreased to less than fifty. Partly as abortion became more freely available following the Abortion Act of 1970; the number of unplanned children born to young single mothers fell. (Garrett, 2003 p.21). England too has seen a decrease in adoptions, (PIU, 2000, p.10) This may be attributed to the rise in use of the contraceptive pill and the acceptance of single mothers. According to Lowe (2000) The largest decline is in respect of babies (children under the age of 12 months) put up for adoption; in 1968, 12,641 babies were adopted (51% of all adoptions), but only 195 babies were adopted in 1998 (only 4% of all adoptions) According to Bennett (2009) Only 4,637 children were adopted in 2007, the lowest number since 1999. In both states, adoption is far more likely to involve children in public care-or looked after children (In England under the Children Act 1989) who are older, are child protection concerns, or have disabilities (DoH, 1998). This is in part due to the fact that there are very few healthy babies available for adoption. In England there are approximately 60,000 children looked after. (Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), 2007). 62% of these children were removed, on a compulsory basis, from their family. Approximately 1% of all children under 18 years live in foster care, with about 48% in family foster care, 40% are in childrens homes, and the remaining 12% in new formats of family professional care (Kalland Sinkkonen, 2001). In July of this year these statistics were even worse according to sources obtained by Bennett (2009) who claimed that this figure was now almost three quarters of all adoptions, she agrees with the reasoning behind the removal of children form their families stating The increase in alcohol and drug abuse among parents is also a growing factor in care proceedings, with parents often being given several chances to break their habit before children are removed. It may possibly be argued that many of those children in long-term placements should and probably could be adopted, but this is not the overriding view of Finnish society, indeed the dominant view is that of family preservation. Several contributors share the opinion that childrens best interests are met when every effort is made to keep the family together. If foster care is needed, it should always be of limited duration (Garrett, 2003). These views echo FOX HARDING CHECK WHICH PERSPECTIVE AND MENTION Many of these Finnish children in long-term foster care could have been adopted if they lived in England. Evidently, foster care makes it possible for children to keep some contact with their birth family. Unfortunately, this is not always advantageous for the child because of the severe difficulties including both psychological and behavioural of some parents (Quinton et al., 1997). The placement faces the risk of breakdown where the birth parents have sufficiently dealt or recovered from their difficulties, and desire to be a complete family with the return of their child. This may be successful, but may also be short-lived resulting in endless short-term placements. This will have an adverse effect destroying the childs ability to form any meaningful attachments in adulthood. Adoption would offer the child an opportunity to form a stable relationship but this would cut the connections with the birth family. In Finland adoption against the will of the natural parents is far from th e norm. As a result, there are very few contested adoptions. According to the Finnish Adoption Act, the consent of both biological parents is needed before the adoption can take place. It should be noted that there are two exceptions to this; firstly, adoption can be granted if it is believed that the adoption is definitely in the best interests of the child and the refusal of consent of the parents is not suitably justified, secondly, the parents cannot logically express their will due to illness or disability, or if their whereabouts are unknown. Additionally the mothers consent is only accepted after she has recovered from the birth (no earlier than eight weeks). In Finland the feelings and desires of the child are taken into account, this is according to the age and level of maturity. If the child is 12 or older, their opinions must be taken into account. In recent years England has evolved a degree of openness in the adoption process (DoH, 1999, Ch. 5). This is because traditionally in England, the adoption of children resulted in the cutting off of the relationship with the birth mother and birth family. The developments in this area have been provoked through professionals whose opinion that openness is important for the mental health and identity needs of adoptees (Kirton, 2000, p. 108). The ability for English adoptees and their family to gain access to records is relatively recent, in fact as recent as 1973 Scotland and Finland were the only countries in the Western world where an adopted person could obtain information from official records that could help them trace their original parents Triseliotis (1973, p. 1). The move away from high levels of secrecy can also be attributed to adoptees who wanted to find birth relatives (Campbell et al., 1991), birth mothers also campaigned for larger levels of openness in adoption in Engl and (Logan, 1996). These actions coupled with the Natural Parents Support Group, an organisation of birth mothers, who lobbied the UK parliament for a public inquiry into the injustices which occurred through the mass adoption in the 1950s and 1960s (Rickford, 2000, Fink, 2000). The Children Act 1975 gave adopted people over the age of 18 years the right to apply for access to their original birth certificates. The recent openness has enabled in some instances, contact arrangements between the child and birth family after the adoption has taken place (Lowe, 2000, p. 326-329). The Adoption Act 1976 amended by the Children Act 1989, made it compulsory for the Registrar General to set up an Adoption Contact Register in an attempt to make it possible for adopted people to contact their birth parents and other birth relatives. It the opinion of Hughes Logan (1995) that these measures are in part due to the increasing awareness of the importance of post-adoption services. The view in Fin land however has been far more open indeed; Save the Children has mediated between the adopted child and biological parents since the 1960s. It should be mentioned that large proportions of adopted people in Finland still do not wish to seek contact with their original families, usually those that felt disappointment about being adopted inn the first instance (Garrett 2003). This all means that while the recent drive toward adoption being more open is obviously important, it must be recognised that openness is not simple or straightforward. Kalland et al. (2001) shows that mortality rates in Finland for both sexes on the child welfare registry are in excess compared with the general population. Another Finnish study showed aggressive behaviour, delinquency and attention problems were associated with children and adolescents in childrens homes and that children may also be at risk of sexual abuse in these homes with the person responsible for the act often being an older adolescent (Hukkanen et al., 1999). What is important though is, none of these negative instances can be entirely attributed to poor quality or damaging care that children get whilst in public care. Numerous children arrive in these institutions already suffering from been highly traumatised in some cases due to parental addictions. In short, it is not simply the looked-after experience which leads to poor outcomes. Whereas in contrast concerns about the poor outcomes of children who are looked after (Parker et al., 1991) in England such as; ineffective health provision available for looked after children (Butler Payne, 1997), poor levels of educational achievement (Aldgate et al., 1993, Fletcher-Campbell, 1998), the bullying that takes place in care settings, the high pregnancy rates amongst teenagers in care in 2007 there were 360 mothers aged 12 and over who were looked after, an increase of 15 per cent from the previous year, (Corlyn McGuire, 1998, DCSF, 2007), the disappointingly high number of moves from care environment to care environment (Sone, 1997), and the lack of preparation for those leaving care, and poor after-care support (Biehal et al. , 1995) has led to the English adoption system making wholesale reform In July 2000 the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair published the governments Review of Adoption which contained over 80 recommendations. Four of these recommendations focused on plans to; develop and implement a National Adoption Register, drawing up of new National Standards for local authorities to follow, the setting up of an Adoption and Permanency Taskforce to promote best practice and challenge poor performance, and conducting a rapid scrutiny of the backlog of children that were waiting to be adopted (PIU, 2000, p.4).This was followed in December 2000, with the White Paper, Adoption-A New Approach. The aim of establishing a National Adoption Register and an Adoption and Permanency Taskforce were again set out. A national target was to be set with the aim of increasing the number of looked after children adopted. Other processes highlighted in the consultation paper integrated within the plan were to introduce new National Standards for councils and adoption agencies. To enforce these standards, powers were put in place emergency inspections and special measures to deal with problematic service providers. Other plans included, timescales for children enabling a sound plan for their permanent future, this would be made within six months of their starting to be continuously looked after. When the decision was made that adoption was to take place, a new family should be found within a further six months. In an attempt to aid adoptive parents new plans to support them were briefly set out. Other significant measures included: a new legislative option, called special guardianship, this would provide a sense of stability for the child, but fall short of legal separation from their birth parents. Unlike England there is no National Adoption Register and there are no plans to develop and implement one in Finland, a National Register however, could possibly help in advancing research and practice in a Finnish framework. Likewise an Adoption and Permanency Taskforce similar to that of England would be welcomed by many in Finland. Finlands parliament however, have this year voted to give people in same-sex couples who are registered in an official partnership the legal right to adopt the naturally-born child of their partner.(Finnsson, 2009) No further plans to speed up adoptions of looked after children are planned. This is, perhaps, because as suggested earlier of the dominant position Fox Harding again which places an emphasis on family preservation services. There are very few Finnish waiting to be adopted. There are however in contrast, hundreds of couples waiting to adopt a child. There has been some discussion in the media about the intense frustration of these couples. It may take four or five years to have a child adopted. This has raised the notion of an adoption industry which is fed by the child protection system, Regrettably, in many cases, the emphasis has changed from the desire to provide a needy child with a home to that of providing a needy parent with a child. As a result, a whole industry h as grown, generating millions of dollars of revenues each year, seeking babies for adoption and charging prospective parents enormous fees to process paperwork.(Pragnell, 2008) It is also his view that the interests of the child are now the cause of atrocities committed against children and parents by well-meaning and well-intentioned employees of state and related agencies but whose acts are leading to immense suffering for children.

Mixed Martial Arts Essay -- Sports Mixed Martial Arts History Essays

Mixed Martial Arts   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First off mixed martial arts is what it sounds like. It is a session between two opponents who have trained or cross trained in martial arts. Although mixed martial arts in not a mainstream sport, there is no reason why it should be banned in any state here in the United States. Like most, if not all sports, there are rules that one most abide by , the fights are sanctioned, so rules must apply. There are regulations and weight classes much like other sports. Mixed martial arts is considered to be the ultimate fighting method. To be considered an accomplished fighter you have to have skills in striking, take downs, submissions, stamina, but most of all you need heart.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mixed martial arts, or MMA, started back in the United States in 1993, and over 70 year ago in other countries. â€Å"The first mixed martial arts organization in the United States was the Ultimate Fighting Champion or UFC. Japan's biggest mixed martial arts organization is PrideFC, which started back in 1997,† (Doty 13). These may be the two largest mixed martial arts companies in the world. Back then and still today mixed martial arts have been the subject of arguable political debate. The people against mixed martial arts have had many arguments against the sport in the early to mid 90s. It even convinced several states to ban the sport. This was because when mixed martial arts first started there was little to no rules. This was a one-event night tournament, where any fighters that signed up would fight numerous matches in one night, in a single elimination style tournament until one champion was named. Two men entered an octagon arena and did whatever they had to do to knock out, or tap out their opponent. Mixed martial arts fighters could not bite, eye gouge, or fish hook, and fights could only end with a referee's stoppage, a knock out, or submission (Royce 6). Basically it was a street fight without weapons. In 2001 a major factor in the comeback of the sport, and the return of the sport to pay-per-view was the employ of a new set of rules. The unified rules of mixed martial arts combat, as drafted in New Jersey, and later adopted in Nevada 2001 were a welcome change to the sport. â€Å"The new rules featured five weight classes, rounds, time limits, a list of over 31 fouls, and eight possible ways for the fight to end,†(Walter, grapplearts.com). The unified ... ... Its fans and fighters can be found all over the country. They represent every race and class of people in the United States. They are teachers, student, attorneys, truck drivers, accountants, ministers, soldiers, doctors, police officers, and family members. They are as much American as the fans and athletes involved in any other sport that is popularly and culturally accepted by the people of the United States of America. They are not savages, barbarians or criminals, or are they a collection of social deviants and miscreants as people like John McCain would have the voting public believe. They are simply people who enjoy a sport that is misunderstood and as a result, feared and hated. With this stated, MMA should be completely legalized in the United States. Work Cited Doty, Edward. Life in The Cage. New York, NY: EZboard Inc, 1998. Hester, Todd. "Wanderlei Silva." Grappling May 2004 36-40, 91,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  92, 97, 98. Royce, Gracie. "What it Takes to be a Fighter." Grappling. May   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2004 6-7. Walter, Donald. Mixed Martial Arts: Ultimate Sport, or Ultimately   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Illegal? . 8 Dec. 2003. . 21 Apr. 2005.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .

Evolution of the Haunted House in Early and Modern Gothic Novels Essay

Evolution of a Haunted House: The use of setting in early and modern gothic novels The setting for a novel plays a big part in how the story and its characters relate to the reader. This paper will examine how setting in gothic literature, plays an important role in the telling of a story by using Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto and Shirley Jackson’s The House on Haunted Hill as examples. During the eighteenth century, the Romantic period of literature emerged. The works of this time were often filled with imagination, strong emotional contexts, and freedom from the classical notions of art and social conventions (wordiq.com). The Castle of Otranto, while considered by many to be a Romantic drama, had a style that was distinctively different (Mulvey-Roberts, 226). Elements, not previously seen in works of literature were added to the story, much in the way embellishments were added to buildings of the time. Horace Walpole, used elements of the macabre, mysterious, and violent incidents; along with desolate and remote settings to create the first true English-language gothic novel (Merriam-Webster.com). The ruins of castles and other ancient settlements, set amongst the gloominess of the surrounding landscape provided the perfect backdrop for the early English gothic novel (Goldstein, Grider, Thomas 145-146). It was at once mysterious, foreboding, and could create a sense of fear and dread in the reader. Horace Walpole took advantage of setting in The Castle of Otranto. The castle evokes feelings of darkness, solitude, loneliness, and claustrophobia (Mulvey-Roberts, 174). There are secret passages, trap doors, secret rooms, and areas of ruin. The aim is to produce the classic emotion of fear of the unknown. Add in a... ..., a moaning sound is heard prior (Walpole, 34). In The Haunting of Hill House, it is the female protagonist who hears a hammering against the upper edge of a bedroom door that sounded like â€Å"something children do†. She also hears "little mad rising laugh" outside the door (Jackson, 95,97). For more than two centuries, the setting of the haunted castle or house has played with our emotions and psyches. They create tension and fear, while we wait for the ghost or bogeyman to jump out. Author H.P. Lovecraft, known for creating these emotions with his own works, states â€Å"the oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown† (Lovecraft, 12). This fear of the unknown continues to make gothic novels as popular today, as when Horace Walpole took a romantic drama, added a few shiny bits, and called it gothic.

Post-Modern Victorian: A. S. Byatts Possession Essay examples -- essay

Post-Modern Victorian: A. S. Byatt's Possession If I had read A. S. Byatt's novel Possession without having had British Literature, a lot of the novel's meaning, analogies, and literary mystery would have been lost to me. The entire book seems one big reference back to something we've learned or read this May term. The first few lines of chapter one are poetry attributed to Randolph Henry Ash, which Byatt wrote herself. Already in those few lines I hear echoes of class, lines written in flowery Pre-Raphaelite tradition. "The serpent at its root, the fruit of gold /†¦At the old world's rim, /In the Hesperidean grove, the fruit /Glowed golden on eternal boughs, and there /The dragon Ladon crisped his jewelled (sic) crest†¦." Because of class, I was able to pick up on this poetry tradition right away. This story within a story is strengthened by Byatt's ability to write Victorians accurately. Until I read some of the reviews, I thought Byatt's Victorian characters were actual historical literary figures, when actu ally they are fictitious, and their journals, letters, and poetry are written by Byatt. The action of the book takes place in two periods. The two main characters, Roland and Maud, are literary scholars living in the 1980's. Their love story is shared and played out by the diaries, poetry, and correspondence of two poets and lovers from the 1860's-Randolph Henry Ash and Christabel LaMotte. Although the book is modern fiction, much of it is a Victorian novel as well. Possession is characteristic of Byatt's love for intertextuality and imbedded texts. Possession is also an example of several literary genres, all written into one book. At various times it gives evidence of poetry, mythology, a romance novel, a detective story, a fairy tale, journals and diaries, and scholarly writings. There are several themes in Possession that tie this book to earlier texts that we have read. Individual versus group identity, feminism, sexuality and the link between present and past are themes that Byatt deals with in her novel. Interestingly, Byatt expresses many of these themes using symbolic color imagery, a technique that makes her writing reminiscent of Pre-Raphaelite style. According to Byatt, the "struggle of the individual to discover and then live out her... ...hanged, and romance from one time to another is not so different as we thought. The characters mix the old and the new; Maud wears a brooch once belonging to Christabel, and another Ash scholar, Mortimer Cropper, carries Ash's pocket watch. In the end of the novel, the last love letter written by Christabel enables Maud to finally enjoy the value of love in the present, and give her trust to Roland. The cyclical time frame of the novel provides an interesting contrast to the normal, stifling, linear time frame of typical literature and everyday life. The way Byatt expresses many of these themes through her symbolic use of color is significant. Byatt paints with words, making her reminiscent of the Pre-Raphaelites. She gives color descriptions for her characters, painting the women such as LaMotte and Christabel in gold and green description, while persons whose characters are flat and never well-developed, such as Paola the secretary, are described in colorless terms. Paola has "long, colourless hair bound in a rubber band" huge mothlike glasses, and "dusty grey pads" for fingertips. Her lack of color sets her off from the beginning as a very flat character.

Applying Models of Health Promotion to Improve Effectiveness of Pharmacist-Led Campaign in Reducing Obesity in Socioeconomically Deprived Areas

Abstract This essay aims to determine how different models of health promotion can be used to improve effectiveness of pharmacist-led campaign in reducing obesity in socioeconomically deprived areas. The health belief, changes of stage and ecological approaches models are some models discussed in this brief. These models are suggested to be effective in underpinning pharmacist-led campaigns for obesity in the community. This essay also discusses the impact of obesity on individuals and the community and its prevalence in socio-economically deprived groups. Challenges associated with uptake of healthy behaviour are discussed along with possible interventions for obesity. It is suggested that a multi-faceted, community based intervention will likely lead to a successful campaign against obesity. Introduction Blenkinsopp et al. (2000) explain that health promotion is aimed at maintaining and enhancing good health in order to prevent ill health. Health promotion encompasses different issues and activities that influence the health outcomes of individuals and society. Health promotion involves the creation and implementation of health and social care policies that are deemed to prevent diseases and promote the physical, social and mental health of the people. Blenkinsopp et al. (2000) observe that pharmacists are perceived to have crucial roles as health promoters in the community. Since health promotion incorporates a range of actions that are aimed in promoting health, it is essential to understand the role of pharmacists in promoting health. In this essay, a focus is made on health promotion for individuals suffering from obesity in socioeconomically deprived areas. A discussion on the different models of health promotion will also be done. The first part of this brief discusses models o f health promotion while the second part critically analyses how these models can be used to underpin pharmacist-led campaigns in reducing obesity. The last part of this essay will summarise the key points raised in this essay. Models of Health Promotion Blenkinsopp et al. (2003) argue that, in the past, perspectives of pharmacists on ill-health takes the biomedical model approach to health. This model considers ill health as a biomedical problem (Goodson, 2009) and hence, technologies and medicines are used to cure the disease. Pharmacists are regarded as ‘experts’ in terms of their knowledge on a health condition and its cure. Hence, when the biomedical model is used, pharmacists’ response to a health-related query likely takes the disease-oriented approach to medical treatment and referral. This approach limits the care and interventions for the patients. Bond (2000) observes that while not necessarily inappropriate for pharmacy practice, the biomedical approach results to ‘medicalisation’ of health. This means that health and illness are both determined biologically. It should be noted that the primary function of pharmacists is to dispense medications. Hence, when making health-related advice to patients, this often involves information on medications appropriate to the health conditions of the patient. However, the role of pharmacists in providing medicines has expanded to include advice on the therapeutic uses of medications and information on how to maintain optimal health (Levin et al., 2008). Taylor et al. (2004) also reiterates that pharmacists are beginning to promote health through patient education that supports positive behaviour and actions related to health. This new approach is consistent with health models for individuals such as health belief model and stages of change. The health belief model teaches that individuals have to acknowledge the perceived threat and severity of the disease and how positive health behaviour can give them benefits (Naidoo and Wills, 2009). The benefits of the new behaviour should outweigh perceived barriers to the physical activity behaviours (Naidoo and Wills, 2009). This model requires that individuals have cues to action to help them adapt a new behaviour and gain self-efficacy. The latter is important since individuals suffering from chronic conditions need to develop self-efficacy to help them manage their condition and prevent complications (Lubkin and Larsen, 2011). It is well established that obesity, as a chronic condition, is a risk factor for development of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, orthopaedic abnormalities and some form of cancer (Department of Health, 2009). When individuals receive sufficient patient education on obesity and the risks associated with this condition, it is believed that they will take actions to manage the condition. While the health belief model has gained success in helping individuals take positive actions regarding their health, Naidoo and Wills (2009) emphasises that patient education alone or informing them on the severity and their susceptibility of the disease may not be sufficient in changing or sustaining behaviour. Although individuals are informed on the benefits of the health behaviour, there is still a need to consider how environmental factors help shape health behaviour. It should be considered that obesity is a multifactorial problem and environmental factors play crucial roles in its development. Public Health England (2014) notes that in the last 25 years, the prevalence of obesity has more than doubled. This rapid increase in overweight and obesity prevalence shows that in 2010, only 30.9% of the men in the UK have basal metabolic index (BMI) within the healthy range (Public Health England, 2014). In contrast, the proportion of men with healthy BMI in 1993 was 41.0%. Amongst women, proportion of women with healthy BMI in 1993 was 49.5% but this dropped to 40.5% in 2010. It has been shown that almost a third or 26.1% of UK’s population is obese. If current trends are not addressed, it is projected that by 2050, 60% of adults will be obese (Public Health England, 2014). The effects of obesity are well established not only on the health of individuals but also on the cost of care and management of complications arising from this condition (Public Health England). Managing obesity at the individual level is necessary to help individuals adopt a healthier lifestyle. It has been shown that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables (Department of Health, 2011) and engagement in structured physical activities (De Silva-Sanigorski, 2011) improve health outcomes of obese or overweight individuals. The stages of change model (Goodson, 2009) could be used to promote health amongst this group. This model states that adoption of healthy behaviours such as engagement in regular physical activity or consumption of healthier food requires eliminating unhealthy ones. The readiness of an individual is crucial on whether people will progress through the five levels of stage of change model. These levels include pre-contemplation, contemplation followed by preparation, action and maintenance (Goodson, 2009). Different strategies are suggested for each level to assist an individual progress to the succeeding stage. It has been shown that prevalence of obesity is highest amongst those living in deprived areas in the UK and those with low socio-economic status (Department of Health, 2010, 2009). Families with ethnic minority origins are also at increased risk of obesity compared to the general white population in the country (Department of Health, 2010, 2009). This presents a challenge for healthcare practitioners since individuals living in poverty belong to the vulnerable groups (Lubkin and Larsen, 2011). It is suggested that development of obesity amongst this group could be related to their diet. Energy-dense food is cheaper compared to the recommended fruits and vegetables. In recent years, the Department of Health (2011) has promoted consumption of 5 different types of fruits and vegetables each day. However, the cost of maintaining this type of diet is high when compared to buying energy-dense food. The problem of obesity also has the greatest impact on children from low-income families. R esearch by Jones et al. (2010) has shown a strong link between exposures to commercials of junk foods with poor eating habits. It is noteworthy that many children in low-income families are exposed to long hours of television compared to children born to more affluent families (Adams et al., 2012). The multi-factorial nature of obesity suggests that management of this condition should also take a holistic approach and should not only be limited to health promotion models designed to promote individual health. Hence, identifying different models appropriate for communities would also be necessary to address obesity amongst socio-economically deprived families. One of models that also address factors present in the community or environment of the individual is the ecological approaches model (Goodson, 2009). Family, workplace, community, economics, beliefs and traditions and the social and physical environments all influence the health of an individual (Naidoo and Wills, 2009). The levels of influence in the ecological approaches model are described as intrapersonal, interpersonal, institutional, community and public policy. Addressing obesity amongst socio-economically deprived individuals through the ecological approaches model will ensure that each level of influence is recogn ised and addressed. Pharmacist-led Campaigns in Reducing Obesity The health belief, stages of change and the ecological approaches models can all be used to underpin pharmacist-led campaigns in reducing obesity for communities that are socio-economically deprived. Blenkinsopp et al. (2003) state that community pharmacists have a pivotal role in articulating the needs of individuals with specific health conditions in their communities. Pharmacists can lobby at local and national levels and act as supporters of local groups who work for health improvement. However, the work of the pharmacists can also be influenced by their own beliefs, perceptions and practices. Blenkinsopp et al. (2003) emphasise that when working in communities with deprived individuals, the pharmacists should also consider how their own socioeconomic status influence the type of care they provide to the service users. They should also consider whether differences in socio-economic status have an impact on the care received the patients. There should also be a consideration if th ere are differences in the culture, educational level and vocabulary of service users and pharmacists. Differences might influence the quality of care received by the patients; for instance, differences in culture could easily lead to miscommunication and poor quality of care (Taylor et al., 2004). Bond (2000) expresses the need for pharmacists to examine the needs of each service user and how they can empower individuals to seek for healthcare services and meet their own needs. In community settings, it is essential to increase the self-efficacy of service users. Self-efficacy is described as the belief of an individual that they are capable of attaining specific goals through modifying their behaviour and adopting specific behaviours (Lubkin and Larsen, 2011). In relation to addressing obesity amongst socio-economically deprived individuals, pharmacists can use the different models to help individuals identify their needs and allow them to gain self-efficacy. For example, pharmacists can use the health belief model to educate individuals on the consequences of obesity. On the other hand, the stages of change model can be utilised to help individuals changed their eating behaviour and improve their physical activities. Uptake of behaviours such as healthy eating and increasing physical activities are not always optimal despite concerted efforts of communities and policymakers (Reilly et al., 2006). It is suggested that changing one’s behaviour require holistic and multifaceted interventions aimed at increasing self-efficacy of families and allowing them to take positive actions (Naidoo and Wills, 2009). There is evidence (Tucker et al., 2006; Barkin et al., 2012; Davison et al., 2013; Zhou et al., 2014) that multifaceted community-based interventions aimed at families are more likely to improve behaviour and reduce incidence of obesity than single interventions. Community-based interventions can be supported with the ecological approaches model. This model recognises that one’s family, community, the environment, policies and other environment-related factors influence the health of the individuals. To date, the Department of Health (2010) through its Healthy Lives, Healthy People pol icy reiterates the importance of maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle to prevent obesity. This policy allows local communities to take responsibility and be accountable for the health of its community members. Pharmacists are not only limited to dispensing advice on medications for obesity but to also facilitate a healthier lifestyle. This could be done through collaboration with other healthcare professionals in the community (Goodson, 2009). A multidisciplinary approach to health has been suggested to be effective in promoting positive health outcomes of service users (Zhou et al., 2014). As discussed in this essay, pharmacists can facilitate the access of service users to activities and programmes designed to prevent obesity amongst members in the community. Finally, pharmacists have integral roles in health promotion and are not limited to dispensing medications or provide counselling on pharmacologic therapies. Their roles have expanded to include providing patients with holistic interventions and facilitating uptake of health and social care services designed to manage and prevent obesity in socio-economically deprived individuals. Conclusion In conclusion, pharmacists can use the different health promotion models to address obesity amongst individuals with lower socioeconomic status. The use of these models will help pharmacists provide holistic interventions to this group and address their individual needs. The different health promotion models discussed in this essay shows that it is crucial to allow service users gain self-efficacy. This will empower them to take positive actions regarding their health. Finally, it is suggested that a multi-faceted, community based intervention will likely lead to a successful campaign against obesity. References Adams, J., Tyrrell, R., Adamson, A. & White, M. (2012). Socio-economic differences in exposure to television food advertisements in the UK: a cross-sectional study of advertisements broadcast in one television region. Public Health Nutrition, 15(3), 487-494. Barkin, S., Gesell, S., Poe, E., Escarfuller, J. & Tempesti, T. (2012). Culturally tailored, family-centred, behavioural obesity intervention for Latino-American Preschool-aged children. Pediatrics, 130(3), 445-456. Blenkisopp, A., Panton, R. & Anderson, C. (2000). Health Promotion for Pharmacists, 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Blenkisopp, A., Andersen, C. & Panton, R. (2003). Promoting Health. In: K. Taylor & G. Harding (Eds.), Pharmacy Practice (pp. 135-147). London: CRC Press. Bond, C. (2000). An introduction to pharmacy practice. In: C. Bond (ed.), Evidence-based pharmacy (pp. 1-21). London: Pharmaceutical Press. Davison, K., Jurkowski, J., Li, K., Kranz, S. & Lawson, H. ((2013). A childhood obesity intervention developed by families for families: results from a pilot study. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 10(3). Retrieved November 21, 2014 from http://www.ijbnpa.org/content/10/1/ De Silva-Sanigorski, A. (2011). Obesity prevention in the family day care setting: impact of the Romp & Chomp intervention on opportunities for children’s physical activity and healthy eating. Child Care, Health and Development, 37(3), 385-393. Department of Health (2009). Change4Life. London: Department of Health. Department of Health (2010). Healthy Lives, Healthy People. London: Department of Health. Department of Health (2011). The Eatwell Plate. London: Department of Health. Goodson, P. (2009). Theory in health promotion research and practice: Thinking outside the box. London: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Jones, S., Mannino, N. & Green, J. (2010). Like me, want me, buy me, eat me’: relationship-building marketing communications in children’s magazines. Public Health and Nutrition, 13(12), 2111-2118. Lubkin, I. & Larsen, P. (2011). Chronic illness: impact and intervention. London: Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Levin, B., Hurd, P. & Hanson, A. (2008). Introduction to public health in pharmacy. London: Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Naidoo, J. & Wills, J. (2009) Foundations for health promotion. London: Elsevier Health Sciences. Public Health England (2014). Trends in Obesity Prevalence. Retrieved November 21, 2014 from http://www.noo.org.uk/NOO_about_obesity/trends Reilly, J., Montgomery, C., Williamson, A., Fisher, A., McColl, J., Lo Conte, R., Pathon, J. & Grant, S. (2006). Physical activity to prevent obesity in young children: cluster randomised controlled trial. British Medical Journal, doi: 10.1136/bmj.38979.623773.55 Retrieved November 21, 2014 from http://www.bmj.com/content/333/7577/1041.full.pdf+html Taylor, K., Nettleton, S. & Harding, G. (2004). Sociology for pharmacists: An introduction. London: CRC Press. Tucker, P., Irwin, J., Sangster Bouck, L., He, M. & Pollett, G. (2006). Preventing paediatric obesity; recommendations from a community-based qualitative investigation. Obesity Review, 7(3), 251-260. Zhou, Z., Ren, H., Yin, Z., Wang, L. & Wang, K. (2014). A policy-driven multifaceted approach for the early childhood physical fitness promotion: impacts on body composition and physical fitness in young Chinese children. BMC Pediatrics, 14: 118 Retrieved November 21, 2014 from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24886119

Improving Youth Roles in Poverty Reduction

IMPROVING YOUTH ROLES IN POVERTY ERADICATION Poverty is one of the biggest problems that is faced by almost every nation world wide, including Indonesia. It is a clinched problem that is influenced by various factor such as income rate, access to education, public health services, environmental issues, and another basic needs. Eradicating poverty has always been discussed in both regional and international meeting and conferences, yet there is no suitable approach can be found to fight against it.Indonesia, as a developing country in Asia, has more than thirty million people living under poverty line. Government has been trying to actuate many program that seemingly can reduce the number of poverty. It is essential to be perceived that poverty is not only individual problem, this is also considered as structural problem which means that it needs an integrated method and approach to handle it. Regarding this, government is not the only party that has responsibility to work on poverty eradication, it’s a must that the society be involved in.Talking about society participation in reducing poverty numbers, youth is the most potential element that has a role as the agent of changes that carries out social missions to better a country’s life. Young people need to play a key role in shaping the future of their nations and communities and yet they are often excluded from the decision making processes. They should be at the forefront of global change and innovation. Empowered, they can be key agents for development and peace. Youth has fresh, creative ideas and perspectives which can be very helpful in finding solutions to development problems.However, this is not going to run smoothly if young people has no concern about the future life of their country nor have any sense of belonging to the country which will be the obstacles to the government to succeed this approach. Attracting young people to actively and productively engaged in government program of empowerment is the prior task. This has to be started from a very early level of education, young people has to have a great empathy toward social issues. This feeling of empathy will bring them closer to concrete actions and efforts to fight against poverty.Youth can take a part in different ways, those are: 1) giving help in fundraising or charity event, this can help many lives to get better access to basic needs and provide them a better living standard, 2) conducting social projects related to poverty reduction, youth as social control can attempt many social projects in distinctive areas in order to help government works on society empowerment and address local development challenges in their communities, 3) contributing ideas and initiatives towards government policy, youth is the representative of the whole citizen can work together to find the best solution for fight against poverty and for sure build a strong relations between the state and society by collaborating with yo uth â€Å"champions† within government, 4) being a social entrepreneur, it is a sort of entrepreneur who runs a business whose profit is going to be allocated to the poor, 5) getting involved in youth organizations for change, this is kind of organizations which is being spread out around the globe, it helps young people develop their skills and awareness towards social and environmental issues and 6) advocacy, generally defined as an action for carrying out public interest, youth in advocacy can give important contribution in monitoring service provision at different levels.