English 214

I really enjoyed English 214, especially how the concept of food was the primary subject. I would have never thought food could connect to so many other subjects. For example, food connected with traditions and how others might view it as a more sexual way. What shocked me the most when learning about food, was learning about food porn and how some people view Notorious B.I.G.’s lyrics as an inspiration towards food. I really enjoyed reading Like Water For Chocolate by Laurel Esquirel. It has been one of my favorite movies and reading the book made me love the story plot even more. I enjoyed reading about tradition and how some things have evolved from that culture and some haven’t. I had a great time writing my final essay. It opened my eyes once again to the tragedy that is occurring in Tucson, Arizona.

Writing the blogs made me revise my writing more than usual, because I knew other people would be viewing it. I progressed as a reader and writer and use strategies I learned from this, in my other classes. My vocabulary has increased and I annotated everything I read. When annotating I also make notes about my thoughts and how I felt when I read something. I feel as if I explored more subjects this semester than I thought. I read books and articles I never thought I would ever read. This class has opened my eyes to new extents about the food world and what it has to offer. Overall I enjoyed this class and will take all the note strategies, reading strategies, and revising strategies to classes I will take in the future. Thank you Ms. Stock for not only expanding my knowledge, but making me aware about certain food subjects.

Arizona's SB 1070 and HB 2281

Nancy Ruiz 

English 214 

Professor Stock 

10 May 2012 

                                                             

    Arizona’s SB 1070 and HB 2281

      

 Teachers and faculty members from Tucson, Arizona have lost their jobs due to the cut in the ethnic studies program. The majority of the school district members, teachers, and students attending these schools are Mexican-Americans. Ever since politicians have banned the ethnic studies program they have also prohibited various books. Politician want to stay away from anything in literature that has to do with “race, ethnicity and oppression” (Murray). Some schools face multimillion dollar fines if they don’t retract from banning these books. One of many books that was banned was Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquirel. The profound message of tradition and cultural did not seem right to certain politician and district members. They want their students and the future of tomorrow a bit more Americanized. Politicians are scared of minorities getting smarter and taking over. By which I mean taking their jobs and advancing in remarkable ways towards their educational goals. With the MAS program (Mexican Americans Studies) in 2004 to 2009 students were able to pass their standardized testing with great scores. 

 Economically speaking the U.S. was in distress and people with blue collar occupations were the main victims. The best way to describe Arizona’s economic condition would be dragging “along the bottom” (Orozco 45). There was poverty and concern for unemployment since the construction industry decreased by about 13%. During this time when certain factors were occurring many Anglos and Mexican Americans were being detained without any warrant, because they were thought to be immigrants. SB 1070, simply stated:

“Where reasonable suspicion exists that the person is an alien who is unlawfully present in the United States, a reasonable attempt shall be made . . . to determine the immigrations status of the person . . . A law enforcement officer, without a warrant, may arrest a person if the officer has probable cause to believe that the person has committed any public offense that makes the person removable from the United States” (Orozco 45). 

I would have to disagree with this law, because of the fact that it is racial profiling and everyone has the right to their freedom. To go as far as banning a certain program and books from a school district seems careless and as if they are trying to create more obstacles than what students already have. As a result of the SB 1070 many civil rights groups and Mexican ethnic programs filed for lawsuits. In the summer of 2010, a civil protest occurred where people against the SB held picket sign in spanish as well as held up both the Mexican and U.S. flag. It became evident there were two groups in Arizona. One group supported the SB 1070 law, while the other made up of “most Latinos in Arizona opposed SB 1070” (Orozco 46). Over time it was noticed:

  “The population that is the target of SB 1070 is largely Mexican. . . .Some are American citizens . . . Others are children who were brought to Arizona at a young age, the so called 1.5 generation. This population of mixed legal status is visible and visibly disliked by some white Arizonans” (Orozco 99). 

Not only was this turning into racial profiling, but it was converting to a racist acts. Which after lead politicians to focus on the school curriculums. Tom Horne one of many politicians was focused on getting rid of the ethnics studies program mainly the raza studies. He  presented the HB 2281 which is :

“THE LEGISLATURE FINDS AND DECLARES THAT PUBLIC SCHOOL PUPILS SHOULD BE TAUGHT TO TREAT AND VALUE EACH OTHER AS INDIVIDUALS AND NOT BE TAUGHT TO RESENT OR HATE OTHER RACES OR CLASSES OF PEOPLE” (House of Rep.).

Tom Horne believes students were becoming more prejudice against other races, because each student chose an ethnic studies class that taught primarily on their race.  Although this could be true; many believe that their are more students in the raza ethnic studies classes, but in reality Mexican American students enroll in other ethnic study classes. There is just a high population in Mexican Americans, because the border is instantly close by. Any students from any race, culture, or religion is allowed to take any of the ethnic studies classes.  It is also put to the student to be enrolled in the program. Tom Horne rationalized getting rid of the ethnic studies program as “long sought to eliminate runs afoul of the law's requirement that classes cannot be designed primarily for pupils of a particular ethnic group" (Murray). 

Politicians and others who do not support the ethnic study courses have no idea what a great have an impact on students. When Tom Horne decided to ban books and the program he didn’t take in consideration the attachment faculty had on the curriculum. He expected all students and teacher to follow the same curriculum, which was more Americanized to his standard and didn’t focus on “one race.” 

      The MAS program has continuously been a part of the Tucson School District for fourteen years. They might have gotten rid of it due to budget cuts, but in reality it only helped students progress with their education. The program was created as an outcome “of a grassroots movement for greater levels of academic achievement for Chicana/o children in the district” (Romero 8). In early years student activist as well as others like Raul Grijaval, Guadalupe Castillo, Salomon Baldenegro, and Edward Olivias fought to start the Chicana/os studies. It was a popular demand in the community. These activist would initiate walkout among student, but even back then the school system was unequal. Finally the Chicana/o program began on July 1969. Although minorities have always had hardships especially coming from the school districts. Most of the time “district’s resources flowed to a vastly predominate white eastside schools, and very few resources went to the predominately African American and Chicano westside schools” (Romero 8). Although no major changes were instated in the school system and desegregation was occurring slower than imagined groups came together and began MAS. MAS is not only a Chicana/o program it is a legacy in which a quest where people had to struggle through for education justice. As the program progressed it was known “for increased academic achievement referred to as critically compassionate intellectualism” (Orozco 46). Students in this program progressed overtime, because of their drive towards certain goals. Within the program not only do the students learn from each other, but the teacher also part take in the class. When carefully looking at statistics “students enrolled in the program showed academic achievement levels and graduation rates superior to their peers who were not enrolled in the program” ( Orozco 47). Due to the passion towards the program it may seems much easier to relate to certain subjects that may be discussed or books that might be read. Students in this program can also connect to their parents and their background. 

        Even though this dilemma is not occurring in California; people are still concerned for these students, because they have tried to put themselves in the student’s place. At San Francisco State University various teachers and faculty member from TUSD (Tucson Union School District) came to have a panel and inform not only the students, but the professors as well. They had created a documentary to explain how their transition being involved in an ethnic program to going into regular classes and being like everyone else. In my opinion discarding certain literatures seemed disrespectful to the author, because their hard work and effort went into that piece. Students should have the option to even be placed in the MAS program and decide what books they want to read or teachers should provide numerous books to read so they have options. Since I was a part of the walkout after the panel and was also involved in SQE (Student Quality Education) I felt there was a sense of urgency, because this could easily become our campus in this predicament. Students from far and near had the same feelings towards the problem and due to that people were more unified.

Work Citied 

De La Torre, Miguel. Arizona Schools Forced to Ban Ethnic-Studies Books. Ethics Daily, Febr. Web. 20 Apr 2012. <http://www.ethicsdaily.com/arizona-schools-forced-to-ban-ethnic-studies-books-cms-19217>.

Esquivel, Laura. Like Water For Chocolate. 1st ed. First Anchor Books Edition, 1992.

Murray, R.. "Daily News." Ny daily news. NYDailyNews.com, 16 0. Web. 19 Apr 2012. <http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-01-16/news/30633590_1_book-ban-mexican-american-studies-ethnic-studies>.

Orozco, Richard A. "Racism And Power: Arizona Politicians’ Use Of The Discourse Of Anti-Americanism Against Mexican American Studies." Hispanic Journal Of Behavioral Sciences 34.1 (2012): 43-60. Academic Search Complete. Web. 16 Apr. 2012.

Toribio, elyse, and louis casiano. "Tucson School Board Eliminates Mexican american Studies Program ." The New York Times Student Journalism Institute Tucson 2012. N.p., 12 J. Web. 19 Apr 2012. <http://tucson12.nytimes-institute.com/12/tucson-school-board-eliminates-mexican-american-studies-program/>.

"House Bill HB 2281." Az legislation. N.p., 2010. Web. 10 May 2012. <http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/2r/bills/hb2281s.pdf>.

The Compulsive Eater

Nancy Ruiz 

English 214

Stock 

10 May 2012

The Compulsive Eater

Young females are influenced by societies expectations and go through various dilemmas everyday, which is the main cause for stress. One easy solution that may come to their mind is compulsive eating. Compulsive eating “is seen primarily in women and is defined by the periodic episode of uncontrolled eating in excessive amounts of food, often to the point of illness” (Ondercin 1). A large portion of the problem is not only society, but can also be the modern fast food industries. Although some solutions aren’t always found by these victims, there are numerous types of treatments that can help with their sickness and this can encourage people to gain knowledge on products provided by these industries.

        As a female growing up in a self-absorbed society, I felt pressured into looking a certain way and this added daily stress. Unlike most females my principles came first and I decided to eat regularly or what I thought was best for my body. As girls started becoming young women they also started changing and were becoming those typical women, who were always on diets and never really comfortable with their body. When these females would eat they either served themselves  enormous portions or wouldn’t eat for an entire day. The food they would eat was not the healthiest, but it gave them great satisfaction that they were coping with their stress.

        Some women are unable to handle the pressures of becoming the perfect women society wants them to be. Compulsive eating can be an easy way to escape certain pressures or stresses. This problem can be considered an eating disorder, which about 10% of female college students suffer from (Onderine 1). Compulsive eaters are becoming food junkies and soon enough they become obese with severe health problems. For example, some of these women may have a muffin top or belly fat, this is a trigger to start eating compulsively every time they get a chance. After these compulsive eaters have addressed their problem, they want to lose weight. Although this is admirable, it will be harder and could lead to severe consequences, such as: helplessness, guilt, disgrace, and failure. Many of these women relapse to bad habits, which leads them further into the eating disorder.

       Entering puberty could be frightening, emotional, stressful, and confusing for young women. As I said before women have a certain image of the “Ideal” body and even though some try to look that way they can’t biologically. Some bodies take slower to metabolize than others and this can cause a weight gain; especially when eating large amounts of food. Being thin according to friends is being happy, successful, and accepted into society. According to Dr. Kevin Shannon, about 4.2% of females believe they don’t meet these requirements of being thin or having idealistic body types and this is when they enter a deep depression. 

Compulsive eaters at times get addicted to a certain type of food and that is most commonly fast food. People often enjoy fast food, because they get their food quickly and at a low cost. Also they don’t have to cook at home and get a large amount at times. Fast food industries are just concern with the sales they are making. They don’t care if their costumers are going through health, economic, or any other issues. The product they serve is of poor quality. Fast food industries do anything to appeal to their costumers. For example, McDonald's just added a light calorie meal for people who are trying to be healthier. The fast food industries add more chemical to the meat and other products to get consumers addicted to their product. The most common and popular fast food restaurant that adds these ingredients is McDonald’s, which “announced last week that, as of last August, is has stopped using ammonium hydroxide in the production of its hamburgers” (Pfeiffer). Many PETA members are against these fast food industries, because the farms which produce these meats are involved with animal cruelty. In the 1990s drive thrus were increasingly promoted and this caused purchases to increase. This seemed easier to costumers instead of going to grocery stores and cooking the food themselves. They could also get as much food as they pleased. 

Although I have never suffered from compulsive eating, I have experienced it through a friend. She was chubby when first entering her teens and once she began high school she decided she wanted to be thin. She was trying out for the cheerleading team as a flyer, but they had mentioned that her weight was a problem. She began to eat numerous times a day in large amounts, but never gained weight. She was very thin, to the point that her jaw line and cheek bones would be noticeable and the girls at school would constantly tease her. Most of her close didn’t fit her properly and she was constantly getting sick during the school year. She first suffered from compulsive eating, but after it had lead to bulimia. Dr. Kevin Shannon describes bulimia as “an emotional disorder in which bouts of extreme overeating are followed by depression and self-induced vomiting, purging, or fasting” (Shannon). It was hard for her to tackle two disorders at once, but she was observing what was happening to her body and she felt as if she had made a mistake. She soon started a treatment and was surprised she wasn’t the only teen going through this problem. 

Different types of therapies are instructed for all types of patients. Compulsive eating is not only a biological issue, but it’s also psychological.

            The treatment: “ [addressed] more than just [her] symptoms and destructive eating habits. It
            [should’ve] also address the root causes of the problem—the emotional triggers that lead to
            binge eating and your difficulty coping with stress, anxiety, fear, sadness, and other
            uncomfortable emotions”(Smith).                                              

There are three types of therapies that can help these patients establish themselves back into normal eating habits: Cognitive-behavioral therapy, Interpersonal psychotherapy, and Dialectical behavior therapy. Smith describe all three therapies. Cognitive-behavioral therapy “focuses on the dysfunctional thoughts and behaviors involved in binge eating. One of the main goals is for you to become more self-aware of how you use food to deal with emotions” (Smith). This sort of therapy helps the person find his or herself instead of relying on food and media images. Interpersonal psychotherapy “focuses on the relationship problems and interpersonal issues that contribute to compulsive eating. Your therapist will help you improve your communication skills and develop healthier relationships with family members and friends” (Smith). At times patients don’t know how to express themselves to the people they are close to, so instead they eat whatever they can. Therapy helps these patients find their voice. Dialectical behavior therapy “combines cognitive-behavioral techniques with mindfulness meditation. The emphasis of therapy is on teaching binge eaters how to accept themselves, tolerate stress better, and regulate their emotions” (Smith).  Compulsive eaters put themselves down most of the time when they view themselves in the mirror. During this type of therapy they learn how to accept themselves for the person they are instead of the person, people want them to be. 

Compulsive eating is addicting, but with the proper help it can be stopped. This eating disorder needs to be brought to the attention of all people. Fast food industries need to understand the health hazards they are causing. It’s not all about being the most popular restaurant, but about making the customer happy and healthy. Compulsive eaters need to find help in order to accept the person they are inside. 

Work Cited 

Dunn, Patricia K., and Patricia Ondercin. "Personality Variables Related To Compulsive Eating In      
      College Women." Journal Of  Clinical Psychology 37.1 (1981): 43-49.

Laessle, Reinhold G., and Simone Schulz. "Stress-Induced Laboratory Eating Behavior In Obese  Women With Binge Eating Disorder."International Journal Of Eating Disorders 42.6 (2009): 505-     
      510.

 Latner, Janet D., Juliet K. Rosewall, and Amy M. Chisholm. "Food Volume Effects On Intake And    
      Appetite In Women With Binge- Eating Disorder And Weight-Matched Controls." International 
      Journal Of Eating Disorders 42.1 (2009): 68-75.

Smith, M., S. Barston, R. Segal, and J. Segal. "Binge Eating Disorder." Helpguide.org. Help guide, 2012. Web. 2 May 2012. <http://www.helpguide.org/mental/binge_eating_disorder.htm>.

Eric Pfeiffer, . "McDonald’s confirms that it’s no longer using ‘pink slime’ chemical in hamburgers." http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/mcdonald-confirms-no-longer-using-pink-slime-chemicals-171209662.html. N.p., 2012. Web. 6 May 2012. <http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/mcdonald-confirms-no-longer-using-pink-slime-chemicals-171209662.html>.

Ethnic Studies Program Banned

When viewing the Arizona School District majority is made up of Mexican-Americans. The ethnic studies program has been cut as well as any books containing "race, ethnicity, and oppression" as their main themes. Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquirel is one of the many books banned from the curriculum. There are politicians who have even went to the extent of banning textbooks or certain materials from textbooks, which have been taught throughout the years. For example, "Rethinking Columbus: The Next 500 Years" has been used for about 20 years and has recently been banned even though it contain a famous speech from Tucson author Leslie Silko. Politicians and district faculty are most scared of change. By that I mean minorities are trying to get educated through their roots and are trying to succeed. The ethnic studies program is helping them with many of these goals and they are ending up in college. 

SB 1070 and HB 2281 Bibliography

Orozco, Richard A. "Racism And Power: Arizona Politicians’ Use Of The Discourse Of Anti-Americanism Against

Mexican American Studies." Hispanic Journal Of Behavioral Sciences 34.1 (2012): 43-60. Academic Search Complete. Web. 17 Apr. 2012

    Richard A. Orozco’s journal addresses the issues that have caused controversy throughout Arizona and the ethnic studies program. He blames politicians for not only banning the ethnic studies program, but for cutting varies books from the curriculum. Orozco has exact dates when the SB 1070 went into motion and who recommended it. This source seems reliable if you’re looking for a journalist with only one concept. The journal seems to be objective, because it tries to prove the error politician made and why. The author is qualified to write about this topic due to the fact that he supports the ethnic studies program and all the people who are involved. The journal is scholarly because it has many references to other professors and a bibliography at the end. Reading the text very carefully I agree with the journalist and his ideas about going being against SB 1070 and the banning of books. When writing my essay I will use this text to support my argument. I will try to pull facts, because that’s mostly what the author gives from victims and other professors. 

Toribio, elyse, and louis casiano. "Tucson School Board Eliminates Mexican american Studies Program ."

    The New York Times Student Journalism Institute Tucson 2012. N.p., 12 J. Web. 19 Apr 2012.

    <http://tucson12.nytimes-institute.com/12/tucson-school-board-eliminates-mexican-american-studies-program/>.

    This article adresses the Ethnic's program in Tucson, Arizona and goes further into depth about the problem that is arising. Faculty, students, and parents speak out about the dilemma and how they feel toward the politicians. Politician also give their opinion about the problem and solutions to adjust studen't into "regular classes". This article is a popluar source due to its lack of citing professors and politician. Also, the article comes from a newspaper article that many have edited and tries to grab the attention of the audience in any way. When writing my essay I will use this article to quote parents and students on the emotions they felt when first leaning that the program would be banned.

Orozco, Richard A. "Racism And Power: Arizona Politicians’ Use Of The Discourse Of AntiAmericanism

    Against Mexican American Studies." Hispanic Journal Of Behavioral Sciences 34.1 (2012): 43-60.  

     Academic Search Complete. Web. 16 Apr. 2012.

    Racism And Power: Arizona Politicians’ Use Of The Discourse Of Anti-Americanism Against Mexican American Studies by Richard A. Orozco tells the audience the history behind SB 1070 and HB 2281. The article tells both sides of the problem, but ultimately comes to the conclusions that the politicians agreeing to these bills are racists as well as the Bills themselves. This article is scholarle, because various professors collaborated with this journal entry so it would become more appealing. I will use article in my essay to quote many professors on their knowledges about these two bills and what solutions these students have.

"Getting Launched"

     1st: When I first get or think of a topic to write about I try to research as much as I can on that topic or go back to a certain chapter in the book. After I start writing an outline to get an idea of what my flow is going to be for the paper. My third step would be creating topic senctes for each of my body paragraphs. I usually write my introduction until the end of my paper, because my thesis might change. For my fourth step I try to look for quotes or facts for about every paragrah. And finally I start writing my paper.

    One of the steps I would like to "try on" from John R. Trimble would be step two, because I think my subject is to broad and I would like to make it narrow and specific for my audience. Step four can help me create new paragraphs with simple questions that not only will I have, but perhaps my reader has as well. One step that can benefit my writing would be seven, because I would free write whatever I have to say and at the end get key points from there or opinions. The most important step would be five, because it has to do with the thesis and I learned that my thesis needs to be arguable.  

Traditional Tita

        Laura Esquirel's novel "Like Water for Chocolate" has many twist and turns, but overall one main theme would be love. Love revolves around the main character Tita and her brother-n-law Pedro. Their love story begins when Pedro proclaims his love to Tita at a party. That's not the only time Tita felt love toward someone; she loved the cook, which happened to be her nanny Nacha as if she were her own mother. Not only does that theme surround her, but also fear towards her mother. Tita was terrible scared of her mother, because Mama Elena was the authority figure in the household since Tita's father passed away. Everything had to be her mother's way and that's where the theme of tradition plays in. Tradition affected Tita the most, because she was torn from Pedro. Since Tita was the youngest child from her sister; her obligation was to tend to her mother's every need. Including in the kitchen where she got her first occupation as the house chef. Pedro and Tita were tied together once again since he always gave her compliments and even brought her roses to congratulate her on successful meals. During the middle of the story Tita felt mixed emotions coming from Pedro and at times she just wanted to give up all her feelings she had towards him. Especially when her nephew Roberto was born, but she had hope. Tita is a simple character at first, but as her story keeps on unfolding she becomes more interesting and the audience gets to know why she's that way. Her mother and sister try to stop her from getting close to Pedro, but as time goes on Tita becomes a stronger human being.

Critical Analysis: Like Water For Chocolate

                  "Like Water for Chocolate" by Laura Esquirel is an emotional novel filled with dilemmas. Tita the main character whom is affected by her mothers decisions expresses herself through cooking. Although Tita is the main character, I found it interesting that her great-niece is the narrating the novel. The novel contains tradition among family, food, and how both woman and men were raised. 

                   Food is an important significance in this novel. Food can signify events throughout the book. For example, all twelve chapters have a recipe that represent something meaningful. Food can also symbolize emotions. For instance, when Tita is making Rosaura's wedding cake she starts crying and this causes "a strange intoxication-an acute attack of pain and frustration-that seized the guest" (Esquirel 39). Food can also stand for tradition. Since Tita was the youngest daughter she couldn't marry Pedro Muzquiz, but her older sister Rosaura could and did. The meaning of food or what it represents can be numerous things. 

Sorry Fugu Review

           The word for word of Sorry Fugu was an enjoyable production that had people laughing almost every minute. There was seduction, persuasion and above all food that was critiqued. At first I didn’t make a connection between the play and “Food Porn”, but once it got to the final scene I knew something was different. The actress of the playing the food critic was enjoying her food a little too much and making inappropriate noises. This reminded me of the woman on youtube; “The Food Porn Queen” and the comments she used to make about her own food. Not only was that a similarity, but the way they dressed was seductive and intimidating.

                    Overall the play was amazing and not one moment was boring. The actors knew how to play everything out and when they made a mistake they just went along with it as if were part of the production. The play is for I would say couples or a young adult audience, but it can also be for families. In my opinion the objective of the story wasn’t really known until the end of the story or you have to pay attention to small details. I would recommend this play in the future to anyone who wants to laugh for a bit.

Eating Animals Review

        Books involving vegetarianism and factory farming seem to inform the reader right away of the issue, instead of entering the topic one step at a time. Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer not only gives information about certain topics, but it’s also a mixture of personal stories. There is a great experience to learn from someone like this author who has switched from being a meat eater to being a vegetarian. The author did do his research and did go to farms, but he was mostly a city boy who wouldn’t understand the hard labor put into that kind of work. His lack of experience makes me doubt what he was able accomplish when going to these farms. Many have critiqued his work, like Jay Rayner and Jennifer Resse by naming numerous flaws Foer makes throughout the book. Resse questions Foer's knowledge about meat as well as farming. She takes it as an insult that Foer is "[telling] the rest of us what meat is," she believes he is "less qualified" ( Reese 2).

        Admires of Foer such as Natalie Portman were greatly influenced by the novel. Portman turned into a vegan activist after reading Eating Animals. She believes in the well being of not only the animal of humans as Foer brings to our attention various times. There are countless examples of pathos within this book that make a reader feel either guilty or cherish the personal stories the author had with his family. One main example, was when Foer goes to a chick farm and he realizes all their beaks are cut off. I believe his main purpose is not to pursue the reader into vegetarianism, but inform them of factory farming. As he was entering this topic and starting his research he wanted to know, “ for [himself] and [his] family-what meat is” (Foer). He wanted the public to be aware of what they were consuming and how this meat would affect their health.

       If I were to choose to recommend this book to someone, I would. I enjoyed reading Foer’s personal stories and liked his writing style. It didn’t seem like he was forcing information or pursuing me to choose one side of the topic. His only purpose was letting people know about factory farming and what most of us eat is not what we think it is.

      

Factory Farming: Stay Or Go ?

  People have evolved rapidly overtime due to many advances in society. Every certain time period people want more from industries, technology or in this case food. Factory farming produces large quantity of meat products that often expire, as suggested by Jonathan Safran Foer in Eating Animals. Although factory farming is considered a negative option when it comes to meat products, they do produce jobs and stimulate the economy at a steady pace. 

        My feelings on the issue is mixed. I partly support factory farming, but I find hurting animals and giving them antibiotics that will hurt them repulsive. The economy and job opportunities in this country are doing very poorly right now, but if we get sick due to the food we are eating then we are going to be in greater debt. Some people were and still are happy with basic farming like “fifty cows”, but “farmers [have] produce more and more” to keep up with the competition ( Foer 94). Since there is more than one corporate company, like “Tyson” they want to compete and give there consumers more of that product, so they could be loyal customers. They are not only getting the animal sick, but the consumer receives the nutrients and protein the animal was fed.  

               While factory farming is wrong it does create new opportunities for people who are struggling, but consumers should be aware of what they are eating. Consumers should investigate what factory farms are doing, because it could cause an illness and they wouldn’t even know where it came from.  Even though animal cruelty is occurring everyday, meat has to be produced one way or another. Everyone is an individual, but they need to be cautious about the decisions they making. Some people can't afford organic food so it's better for everyone to decide for him or herself. 

victims vs. predators

With all the disease plaguing us are we “victims” to them or the “predators”? As in if we create the conditions that breed the diseases, ultimately are we “digging our own graves” at this rate? 

      While eating most people don’t look at the back of the food label or get to know the place where their food was processed. When eating or drinking a certain substance they don’t think about what the cow or pork on their plate was fed. Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer informs the public of two scenes the chick farm and pig slaughterhouse. Each of these places contain certain knowledge the public was unaware of. Foer wants to inform the public about what kind of harms factory farming has distributed. 

     Many diseases are becoming more common within the world. About 99 percent of all meat products in America are distributed by factory farms. A factory farm is a farm where animals are caged to closely together or there is a large amount of animals in one small area. When trying to find these factory farms, it’s much harder, because some of these so called farmers don’t want the public to know what is going on behind closed doors. When a calf is born, it’s allowed to stay by their mother side and eat grass for about six months. After it is transferred to eat grain and corn to help it grow much faster, even though they have not fully evolved yet. Factory Farmers don’t understand that when they introduce corn to the eating habits of cows they are causing the animal to get sick. Once a cow reaches fourteen months it is killed and the disease are transferred over to the human who is consuming it. 

     I do believe at times people are being ignorant when they don’t know what sickness the animal had or where their meat came from. Many hormones and antibiotics are distributed with each piece of meat that is consumed. I know their aren’t warning labels about the meat or mentioning what the product was fed, but if diseases keep on increasing around the world maybe their should be. Foer mentions in an article how “girls enter puberty earlier than they used to” due to the hormones used in some dairy products. The food they give cows progresses them much faster and as for the meat products or dairy products in which consumers receive they also progress much quicker. Family farms are always another meat option or diary option, because that family is also consuming from their and it's rare that they will be harmed with their own products. At the end I do believe some people are "digging their own grave" by not being informed about what they're eating or where their meat came from came from. 

http://fairfield.patch.com/articles/foer-provokes-thought-over-eating-animals

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/meat/interviews/pollan.html

Compulsive Eaters

          As a female growing up in a self-absorbed society, I felt pressured into looking a certain way and this added daily stress. Unlike most females I stuck onto my principles and decided to eat regularly or whatever I felt was regular. As girls started becoming young women they also started changing and were becoming those women I said I would never become. When these females would eat they either served themselves enormous portions or not eat at all. The food they would eat was not the healthiest, but it gave them great satisfaction that they were coping with their stress. Some women couldn't handle the pressures of becoming the perfect women society wants them to be. 

         Overeating/Compulsive eating can be an easy way to escape certain pressures or stresses. This problem can be an eating disorder, which about 10% of female college students suffer from. Compulsive eaters are becoming food junkies and soon enough the become obese with sever health problems. For example, some of these women may have a muffin top or belly fat, this is a trigger to start eating compulsively every time they get a chance. After these compulsive eater have addressed their problem, they want to lose weight. Although this is admirable, it will be harder and could lead to severe consequences, such as: helplessness, guilt, disgrace, and failure. Many of these women relapse to bad habits.




             Entering puberty could be frightening, emotional, stressful, and confusing for young women. As I said before they have an image of the “Ideal” body and although some try to have that kind of body others get so mortified that they begin to eat. Being thin according to friend is being happy, successful, and accepted into society. According to Dr. Kevin Shannon, about 4.2% of females believe they don’t meet these requirements of being thin or having “ideal” and this is when they enter a deep depression. Although I have never suffered from compulsive eating, I have experienced it through a friend. She was chubby when first entering her teens and once we got into high school she decided she wanted to be thin. She was trying out for the cheerleading team as a flyer, but they had mentioned that her weight was a problem. She began to eat numerous times a day in large amounts, but never gained weight. She was very thin, to the point that she looked like a stick and the girls at school would constantly tease her. She first suffered from compulsive eating, but after it had lead her to bulimia. It was hard for her to tackle two disorders at once, but she knew what was occurring to her body and she felt as if she had made a mistake.
            Compulsive eating is addicting, but with the proper help it can be stopped. There are medical centers that not only deal with overeating, but also with other eating disorders. Have any of you ever suffered from any kind of disorder? Please ask me questions or tell me our story. :)

Unhealthy College Students

      Hello everyone my name is Nancy Ruiz. I am a nursing major and this is my sophomore year at state. Saving lives and making people feel better has always been in my life plan. I decided to become a nursing major once I became a certified EMT/First Responder my senior year of high school. I knew their was more to learn about the medical field and I was also looking forward to experience the college life. I’m a very ambitious and adventures person who likes to enjoy life and all that comes with it. 

          There is a difference from eating junk food on a daily basis and eating it once in a while. Sometimes students change their eating habits by a certain timing of the semester/quarter. For example, during finals they drink a high percentage of caffeine and eat an enormous amount of snacks that are considered junk food. Many students who would regularly eat red meat have now exchanged it for more saturated fats. Each student has his/her own eating habits, but there is a common routine when varies student have classes in the afternoon. They usually get by with chip and a soda or any fast food that is on the way to their classes. Eating habits have increased both women and mens weight and have added to their medical problems. “Freshmen 15” has been a common phrase for freshmen, because of the high risk of weight gain. With new snacks coming out as well as other fattening foods the phrase will change to “Freshmen 30.”
           Although I criticize fattening foods and students who build their nutrition on them; I often do it as well. Considering that I am a college student and have experienced both living out of campus as well as living in the dorms there are many eating habits students have. When I was a freshmen I felt a great deal of responsibility to take care of myself and feed myself what I would regularly have back at home. As time started passing by I got lazier and decided to eat the usual junk food everyone was eating. During finals all I would eat would be chips, sandwiches and a bottle of coke cola, because that was the easiest form of food to obtain at a cheap price. The care packages your parents usually bought from the school during the time of finals or midterms would consist of tea, chips, cookies and candy. These packages were supposed to be nutritious and healthy. Once I moved out of the dorms, I started eating healthier and began to exercise on a daily basis. I have help from friends with the same methods. Food can be tasteful and healthy, but when consuming too much it can lead to clogged arteries or weight gain. Especially junk food that we as college students consume everyday.


                 When consuming a certain junk food why do we go back to it on a regular basis? How long can you stay on a healthy diet plan or resist temptation of fattening foods? I hope to answer all readers questions as well as discover new heathy meal plans for college students. Also I hope to help my readers maintain a certain budget while shopping for foods.