For Sydnie: Week 7

Percent Body Fat and Chronic Disease Risk Factors in U.S. Children and Youth is an academic study that shows the risk factors among children and youth.  They found a strong relationship between high fat percentage found in children and high risk for high blood pressure, glucose, insulin, and cholesterol levels. I think this will help you in your research because it shows the high risk factors of childhood obesity.

July: Week 7

Chemical Contamination in Southwest Puerto Rico is a survey of the contaminants in the coral reefs surrounding the island of Puerto Rico. It goes in depth with several visuals of statistical information of how much and where the contaminated reefs are. It also, compares the amount of chemicals in the coral to the chemicals found in the sediment nearby. To see if there's a relationship between contaminated coral and and runoff sediment from the mouths of nearby rivers. This article will benefit me in that it is exactly what I'm researching, contamination of the coral reefs in Puerto Rico.

For July: Week 7

Puerto Rico Water Resources

July, Im not sure if you have looked over this source yet but i feel that it can relate to your topic very much. It’s a website of research centers that focus on resolving national water resource problems in Puerto Rico, and train scientists through hands on participation. They have a link to their “Newsletter” that contains important information on all the research they have found along with on going projects they plan on becoming apart of to save the Puerto Rican waters.

Sydnie: Week 7

Childhood Obesity and Its Effects on Self-Esteem

This article contains basic information about children being overweight and how their body mass index can be measured. Obesity is one of the easiest diseases to diagnose but one of the hardest to treat. According to the Non-Toxic Kids Organization, 30% of American children are overweight and formal studies show that it heavily affects a child’s self esteem. Self esteem is a realistic respect for or favorable impression of oneself. We live in a society where media encourages the phase, “you can never be too skinny.” Therefore, obese children are drastically teased for being “different” and are then isolated from the rest of the group. Studies have shown that children with low self esteem are more likely to engage in the use of drugs and alcohol at a young age. Also, they are less likely to use birth control which results in a higher rate for teen pregnancy. Being obese at such a young age negatively affects many factors in a child’s life that no one should ever have to face. Isolation, depression, loneliness, social impairment, bullying, and self image are all issues that correlate to being overweight and having low self esteem. This is a major health concern that seriously impacts a children’s life and needs special attention from the family and friends for prevention. 

For Aubrey: Week 6

The Children's Investment Fund Foundation


This is a website of The Children's Investment Fund Foundation, an international organization that strives to ameliorate the live of children that live in poverty. I believe this article will help you because it shows a different aspect of philanthropy. 

July: Week 6

Coercive Harmony, Deep Capture and Environmental Justice in Puerto Rico

Coercive Harmony, Deep Capture and Environmental Justice in Puerto Rico is about how pharmaceutical companies in Puerto Rico have polluted the waters due to dumped hazardous waste. This article is great because it has an overall view of the environmental conflict in Puerto Rico and the strain it has put on the "corporate-community-government" relationship.

For Connor: Week 6

Media's Influence on Society

Connor, I think this is a great topic to write your paper on. Here is an article that goes into detail about mass media and then it focuses on how media influences the workplace, young people, public opinion, and violence. Also, under each category there are video clips of professionals talking and giving real-life examples of what we see in every day society.

Sydnie: Week 6

Just Do It?

According to this article from ABC News, gym classes are being cut out of children’s schedules to save money and stress raising test scores in reading and math. Statistics show that only about half of students nationwide are enrolled in physical education classes and as they continue onto high school, it decreases to about one third of them being enrolled. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that “More than 60 percent of children aged 9 to 13 so not participate in any organized physical activity during their non-school hours.” Which means, fewer kids are participating in outside activities and not making up for the lack of exercise from gym classes. Doctors are very serious about the dangers of childhood obesity and are warning parents to keep an eye out. Physical education classes held in school allowed children to participate in the recommended time of playing outside, and now that schools are taking this elective away, the importance of exercising in the home becomes more prominent. 

Work Cited: Sealey, Geraldine. "No Sweat When Gym Class Cut." ABC News. 30 Sept. 2010. Web. 13 Feb. 2012. <http://www.ihpra.org/ABCNEWS_com%20%20No%20Sweat%20When%20Gym%20Class%20Cut.htm>. 

For Sydnie: Week 5

Obesity Epidemiology

I believe this source will be useful to you because it discussed childhood obesity in regions of the world, it has statistics, and it has causes of childhood obesity and possible ways to prevent it.

July: Week 5

Rio Grande de Manati

Rio Grande de Manati is a very popular river among the locals that is used recreationally. It was named an impaired water as of 2002 by the Environmental Quality Board because it was contaminated with livestock feces, urban runoff, and landfills and wastewater waste. I believe this article will benefit my article in that it is now a success story since the once contaminated water and has now been approved for recreation.

For Connor: Week 5

130 Doctors Without Borders Staff Disappear in Sudan

I believe this is an interesting article relating to your topic because it talks about how doctors without borders also go to areas of conflict and often find themselves getting into trouble. These doctors tried to help those in need and ended up disappearing and getting into more danger. Basically, what i'm trying to say is you can talk about the dangers doctors without borders face while trying to help others in need.

Sydnie: Week 5

Government Doc. Child Obesity

This article touches base with facts and statistics on the crisis of “childhood obesity.” In the case of obesity, one in every three children are born overweight. This is a serious healthcare problem and will continue to be a threat all over the world if people don’t start becoming completely aware of the consequences. Within the last 40 years, obesity rates for children between the ages of 6 and 11 have quadrupled while those between 12 and 19 have tripled. At this standard, children born in the year 2000, will be the first generation not to live as long as their parents. After screening, 42 percent of children in schools are either overweight or are in danger of being overweight. Children like this, suffering from weight issues are at high risk of dislipidemia, hypertension, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. 8 out of 10 states with the highest obesity rates are located in the south; Hispanics and African Americans are at an even bigger insecurity than Caucasians.

Aubrey: Week 5

Although this does not specifically talk about an event, I feel that this video relates to my topic because it talks about a charitable organization and the effects it has had on families in our society. Ronald McDonald house charities is a foundation based on helping families who have sick members such as children or parents. RMH hosts many fundraisers and every month has people come to the houses and cook dinner for the families living there. In this video, we can see how truly admirable this organization is.  Speaking from experience with volunteering with RMH, I know that it is so fulfilling to go and make dinner for the families. It is very eye opening and feels so great to know we are helping such wonderful people. I really liked this video because it displays that an event so simple as going to a specific location and making dinner for those in need can truly make a difference in someone's life.

For Sydnie: Week 5

I think that this will be a good video for you to watch because in it we can hear from experts and doctors as well as parents their take on childhood obesity. It also demonstrates the food that is being distributed in schools and the effects it has on children today.

Aubrey: Week 4

http://helpchildren.org/news-events/exclusive-wine-tasting-at-gavis-in-support-of-h-e-l-p-malawi/

This is an example of the invitation that was sent out for a wine-tasting event in order to benefit the HELP Malawi foundation. This event was held by a couple who owns Gavi's and they were willing to share the proceeds with the foundation. HELP Malawi's mission is to "promote sustainable primary education in impoverished African regions.  We work toward this mission by utilizing a child-centered and integrated approach to sustainable development and continued education." For this event, there was a $60 fee to get in and that money would go towards improving children's education in Africa. This relates well to my topic because the company, HELP Malawi, put together an event in which they charged an entrance fee, with the goal of raising money towards their foundation. 

For July: Week 4

http://prwreri.uprm.edu/documents/FS_2009.pdf

I feel that this will be a good resource for you topic. It displays what the University of Puerto Rico is doing to help their environment and water system and their motivation behind it. In this newsletter, they talk about different projects they are using for development.

For Connor: Week 4

I think this article will benefit you in your research because it is written by Dario Lince, a locum physician in British Columbia who tells about his experiences working with the Rural Specialist Locum Program.

Doctors Without Borders in British Columbia

July: Week 4

Groundwater Disaster in Puerto Rico - The Need for Environmental Education argues that although the industrialization of Puerto Rico through pharmaceutical companies has greatly benefited the economy, it has also had severe side effects on the environment. There are worries that toxic chemicals from the pharmaceutical companies have leaked into the groundwater system, which endangers the health of the population. This article will help me in that it specifies a major cause as to why the pollution of Puerto Rico’s waters are so important and how it impacts the people.

Groundwater Disaster in Puerto Rico - The Need for Environmental Education

For Aubrey: Week 4

America's Top Fund-Rasing Groups Face Big Trouble

Aubrey, Im not sure what your main points are for this paper but this article explains how some of the biggest charity's aren't raising as much money as they did last year due to the economy. Also, there is a link towards the bottom of the article that tells more about strong fund-raising tactics that help charities raise millions of dollars annually and achieve respectable gains. I was thinking maybe you can talk about how raising money to help others isn't always an easy thing to do and then lists some examples of what popular charities raised last year compared to this year.

Sydnie: Week 4

When it comes to childhood obesity, I believe what goes on at home influences greatly on the types of food children choose to eat. This video stresses the advantages of eating a healthy meal with parents in a home oriented environment. According to Dr. Keith Ayoob, a pediatric nutritionist, eating a meal at least 5 times a week with your family will decrease the chances of a child being overweight or having an eating disorder. It provides structure and a type of connection that allows the child to focus more on healthy eating. A recent study showed that when asked about ideas of health promotions, adolescents preferred face time with their parents over any meal at the kitchen table; whether it be breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Children engaging in these types of activities feel better about themselves as a person and are more likely to stay away from drugs, alcohol, or hanging out with the wrong group of people.