The Origins of the Common Application A Brief Recap

The Origins of the Common Application A Brief Recap The Origins of The Common Application The Origins of The Common Application A long time ago (back when applicants had to â€" GASP! â€" hand-write their applications) in a land far, far away (upstate New York), some fine academic institutions decided to take pity on the cramping hands of college applicants by creating a standardized form to help students streamline the application process. This great work of organizational efficiency was called, wait for it, The Common Application. The Common App allowed students to plug their basic information, including family background, transcripts, and after-school activities, into an organized, easily photocopied format that could then be shipped off to schools across the country (we used to call that “technology”!). The Common App now serves as the application platform of choice for over 500 colleges, including, we would bet, many of the institutions at which you are hoping to spend the next four years of your academic career. Technically, each individual college can decide whether or not it wants to assign the Common App essay to its students, but in our experience, most of them do. You will also have the option to submit the Common App essay to a school, even if its not required. Of course, in our eyes, this renders the essay non-optional (sorry folks!). If you have an opportunity to express yourself to admissions, especially in your own voice, TAKE IT! We encourage you to dig into the Common App essay before any other part of your application because it is often the longest and most creatively demanding of all of the admissions-related assignments. Since more colleges see the Common App’s personal statement than any other individual essay, this is where you want to unleash your very best ideas. Additionally, many colleges that don’t use the Common App (We’re looking at you, Georgetown, you rebel), often require essays that are quite similar in scope and subject to the Common App’s essay. In a nutshell, the Common Application is going to be a useful tool in the admissions process. About CEA HQView all posts by CEA HQ » Need help writing your Common App essay? We're here to help. GIVE US A RING »

Introduction to Financial Accounting - 4559 Words

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING 1.1 USE, PREPARATION AND CONCEPTS * Use: The information derived from financial accounting is used by managers, investors, bankers, financial analysts and accountants, helping them to learn how to use information effectively and to do their jobs better. This information is essential to accountants for the services they provide. * Preparation: to be effective users of accounting information, people need to know something about how and why the information is prepared. Accountants’ expertise is about the how and why. * Concepts: Users, accountants and accounting form a connected system. The demand for useful information shapes how financial accounting information is prepared.†¦show more content†¦* Credible means that the information in the financial statements appears to be sufficiently trustworthy and competent. Credibility is a relative condition as there is a cost-benefit issue here: attempting to perfect the report is costly and may affect an enterprise’s performance and position if they strived to achieve this perfection. * Periodic means the users can expect report on some regular basis. Usually, the longer the wait, the more solid the information. But imprecision is accepted in return for reports with timely, decision-relevant information. MAIN GROUPS OF USERS * Owners: individual business owners, individual investors (shareholders), people with quasi-ownership interests. Investors purchase shares in hopes of gaining in two ways: receiving a portion of the company’s profit in dividends, and selling the shares at a later time for a higher price than they paid. * Potential owners: the same sort of people as owners, but do not have funds invested in the enterprise at the moment, but are considering to do so. * Creditors and potential creditors: suppliers, banks, bondholders, employees and others who have lent money to the enterprise, who are owed funds in return for supplying something of value, or who are considering taking on such a role. Creditors do not have the legal control of the enterprise that owners have, but may have a large sayShow MoreRelatedIntroduction to Financial Accounting2084 Words   |  9 PagesIntroduction to Financial Accounting ACCT6331 –Prior Year Suggested Time: 90 minutes 1. 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I can still remember the first lecture I had learned was the definition of the â€Å"Accounting Equation†Read MoreIntroduction. Financial Accounting Standards Board Has1013 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Financial Accounting Standards Board has defined the conceptual framework as – ‘A coherent system of interrelated objectives and fundamentals that is expected to lead to consistent standards and that prescribes the nature, function and limits of financial accounting and reporting.’ The conceptual framework describes the objective of, and the concepts for, general purpose financial reporting. It is a tool that – 1. Assists the FASB to develop and create new International Financial ReportingRead MoreIntroduction, Review of Accounting Process and Financial Statements2050 Words   |  9 PagesIntroduction, Review of Accounting Process and Financial Statements Abstract This paper explains different types of accounting phrases and how they directly affect the accounting field. 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Definitions and examples of these terms are included as well as explanations of how they areRead MoreArgumentative Essay1538 Words   |  7 PagesAccounting Regulation: Word Count: 1195 Table of Contents: Page 1.0 Argument in favour of tight accounting regulation: 1.1 Introduction 3 1.2 The agency problem 3 1.3 Comparability of financial statements 3 1.4 Auditing 4 1.5 Auditor’s independence concerns 4 1.6 Credibility of financial reporting 4 1.7 Conclusion 5 2.0 Argument in favour of â€Å"Free market† regulation: Read MoreThe Effects of Technology on the Accounting Profession1065 Words   |  5 PagesThe Effects of Technology on the Accounting Profession ACC/340 The Effects of Technology on the Accounting Profession Advancements in technology have allowed companies, small and large, to keep accurate financial records and eliminate paper entries. Technology has also allowed individuals in the accounting field the ability to interpret the financial information efficiently and effectively. With the introduction of the internet, a company now has the option to expand their business beyond aRead MoreWhat Is a Conceptual Framework and Why Is It Needed1135 Words   |  5 PagesWhat is a conceptual framework for financial accounting and why is it needed? The purpose of this essay is to address the definition of a conceptual framework (CF) for financial accounting and why it is needed. The CF can be described as a â€Å"coherent system of inter-related objectives and fundamentals that should lead to consistent standards that prescribe the nature, function and limits of financial accounting and financial statements† (FASB, 1976). This suggests that the CF has a very importantRead MoreImpact of Ict on Accounting Practice in Nigeria1663 Words   |  7 PagesThe impact of ICT on accounting practice in Nigeria CHAPTER ONE Introduction 1.1  Ã‚  Ã‚   Background of the study   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the recent past centuries, before the inception of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), the accountants of an organization were using a socially acceptable behavioural method of reporting accounting and economic reports, carried out during accounting year ends, the preparation of accounting records, book such as the profit and loss account, the balance sheetRead MoreHistory Of Accounting And Private Sector1534 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Since the early 1980s public sector accounting and private sector accounting have experienced significant transformation such as decentralization, deregulation and the differences between thee two sectors are highly topical and political in many countries (Blondal 2003). The key transformation is the adoption of ‘accrual basis’ of accounting rather than ‘cash basis’ accounting by increasing number of countries (Guthrie and Ryan 1998). Meanwhile, public sectors refer specifically to organizationsRead MoreIntroduction To Australian Accounting Standards Board1043 Words   |  5 Pages Accounting Abstract Accounting has been playing a very important role in many places such as Australian accounting standards. Australian accounting standards is also developed by the Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB). This essay will firstly discuss what AASB is, the role and the functions of AASB. And then, following this, the other projects’ role such as Financial Reporting Council (FRC) and International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the relationship between AASB, FRC and

Contemporary artist, designer or filmmaker - Austen Pinkerton Free Essay Example, 1250 words

The online gallery of his paintings, can be accessed for the complete range of his works from pre-1970s to his new work: post-20054. His earlier work had several examples of modernistic, simplistic and abstract art, and several portraits and still-life. The three art works selected from Austen Pinkerton’s works are shown below: (Absolutearts Online Art Gallery). Painting Acrylic, 2003 Title: ‘SUNSET CITY’ Width: 350 mm. Depth: 25 mm. Height: 450 mm. Frame: Wood. Theme: Architectural/ Cityscape. DESCRIPTION: In this beautiful and carefully executed painting, the splendour and colour of a magnificent city sunset is presented in all its glory. Austen’s art- approach and compelling style is suitable for land, water and city scapes. Strong contrasts provide drama and excitement in the sky’s colours. The cool evening environment at sunset- time is clearly portrayed. The blazing colours of the sunset are seen reflected from the windows and front faà §ade of the building in the fore-ground. We will write a custom essay sample on Contemporary artist, designer or filmmaker - Austen Pinkerton or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now The fiery colours of the sunset off-set the cool atmosphere of the evening. The detailed work, showing the other high-rise buildings in the area, with their structural features clearly etched, is awe-inspiring. This dynamic and challenging work is breath-taking in its beauty. The painstaking piece of art has been executed with an eye to great detail and reproduction of the scene as naturally as possible. The view is from the street, from where it is seen that high above the city sky-line, the banded clouds glow with the blazing hues of sunset. The play of light and shadow has been done very realistically. Some of the buildings in the background are partially in the shade. Since the essence of the spectacular cityscape has been caught faithfully on the canvas, we feel the same awe at the splendour, as the artist who had witnessed it. Title: ‘THE RIVER’ ACRYLIC PAINTING 2005 Width: 1960 mm. Frame: Wood Depth: 30 mm. Height: 735 mm. Theme: Landscape/ River DESCRIPTION: A panoramic view of a river as it emerges in rapids between bluffs, over a waterfall with rainbow, and then flows onward towards the sea. Everywhere there are details of interest: people, buildings, ancient monuments, castles, shipping, etc, shown in minute form. In this beautiful painting, the hand of the imaginative artist manifests in the natural and glowing colours. The painting is evocative, as it makes the viewer imagine himself directly viewing this scenery at the real location.

Sociology of Sport Baseball Free Essays

According to Ashley Crossman, â€Å"Sociology of sports, also referred to as sports sociology, is the study of the relationship between sports and society. It examines how culture and values influence sports, how sports influences culture and values, and the relationship between sports and media, politics, economics, religion, race, gender, youth, etc. It also looks at the relationship between sports and social inequality and social mobility† (Crossman 2012). We will write a custom essay sample on Sociology of Sport: Baseball or any similar topic only for you Order Now Sports are a microcosm of real life; therefore anyone can embrace a sport, as we embrace real life. For example, in this summer Olympic Games, Olympic sports are supported by all races and genders. In the past history, women usually gravitated to gymnastics, swimming or track field and women’s tennis. However, in 2012, the gender and race involvement and viewership disparity has closed (Statista 2012). According to Statista, a Dow Jones Company, woman and non-white Olympic Games viewership has increased by 28%. In my opinion, these stats are attributed to minorities being more involved in the games, as well as the mainstream media have realized the marketing value of minority athletes. Baseball was the first organized sport I was introduced to as a child. Although I played professional football, my first love of competition and athletics was baseball. My love for the sport of baseball was passed on to me by my step-father. The history of the sport was intriguing, even at a young age. I was into numbers and statistics and having a mentor to explain the simple parts of the game made it even more interesting, especially being American’s Pastime. However, this can be debated, as stated by baseball historians Frank Ceresi and Carol McMains, â€Å"America’s Pastime’ has been traditionally thought to have been founded by Abner Doubleday in Cooperstown, NY in 1839. In truth, the game evolved over many decades, if not centuries, and its roots are, in reality, a tangled web of bat and ball games brought to this country by immigrants† (Ceresi 2012). Most players and fans of baseball have an undeniably appreciation for sports. Seeing that baseball is played on the amateur level, as well as the professional level, this sport can be enjoyed by most demographics. Baseball at times transcends both social and economic boundaries. However, being at the ballpark there seems to be social classes, as in real life, such as the wealthy fans sit in certain areas, while those with limited finances sits in less costly sections. It also imitates real life society in other ways, like those in the so-called ‘cheap’ seats seem to have more fun than those fans in the expensive seats. Even though most appreciate the sport, it seems to more of pleasure for those in the inexpensive seats, while those in the exclusive box seats treat as though it is an entitlement, instead of a privilege. On Thursday, July 26, 2012 I attended a professional minor league baseball game in San Bernardino, CA. This game pitted the San Bernardino 66er’s, a Los Angeles Angels minor league team, versus the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, a Los Angeles Dodgers minor league team. This is a small cozy stadium; however it has the same field dimensions as a major league stadium. I chose this venue because I believed it would show a more diverse sociological viewpoint, in a close and friendly setting. Being an intimate setting, fans are able to interact with other fans, as well as coaches and players. This setting allows for a fun, family friendly atmosphere and doesn’t have the pressures of major league parks. Although winning is the primary goal, this is a developmental league and victory is not paramount for success. Therefore, the ball club management makes the environment conducive for a positive, enjoyable experience. The fan base was made up of all ages, from infants to senior citizens. The gender make-up was probably 60% male and 40% female. The social economic status of the fan base ranged from lower income to middle class. Minor league baseball prides itself on being economical, with many price and food specials, such as $1. 00 hot dog night, $2. 00 admission night, Friday fireworks shows, etc. These prices are a major selling point to attract individuals that normally couldn’t afford to attend a major league baseball game; therefore minor league baseball is marketed to lower income fans. The ethnicity of this fan base was mostly white and Hispanic, with a few African Americans sprinkled in. The fans seem to be moderately educated, with few exceptions. Also, because baseball is a worldwide sport, there were many immigrants attending the game, primarily Mexican and Spanish Americans. Since most players are sent to particular minor league teams for development, many don’t meet the same demographics of the fan base. However, this team’s demographics were the same as the fan base, including White, Hispanic and African American players. The coaching staff was primarily white, with one African American. Since this is a single ‘A’ minor league club, many of these players haven’t signed major league contracts, therefore most of them are in the low income bracket, as with this particular fan base. Being a friendly and personable person, I was able to interact with various fans, however I noticed many fans sat with and interacted only with their own party or nationality. It is also evident that the season ticket holders and regular fans interact with each other by first name basis, regardless of their ethnicity. Most fans seem to be generally cheerful and interested in the game. Being a minor league park, the other marketing tactic is to have interaction with the fans, such as using mascots, cheerleaders, on-field games for the kids, etc. My final observations include that baseball has its own language and most regular fans are extremely knowledgeable of the lingo. Baseball, being historically a slow sport, allows the casual fan and regular fan to learn about the idiosyncrasies of the game by listening to coaches and other fans. Some little league coaches brought their players to educate them on the game. In most cases, most of the fans showed similar behavior, such as family and fan interacting, knowledge of the game and overall enjoyment of the entertainment offered. One thing that stood out was the older fans seem to be more into the actual game and not in the special attractions. However, my children, as well as most other children seem to be more interested in the sideshows and the food. Observing sports sociology at a baseball game, with methodology research in mind, was quite interesting. It allowed me to view the game from a different perspective, such as focusing on human behavior, in lieu of just watching the game. I thought watching a baseball game from a sociology aspect would be difficult, however I realized most people view things the same way, but don’t have a clinical definition supporting it. ‘People-watching’ is a basic human instinct, though watching a game with a clinical perspective makes it very interesting. â€Å"It is only since 1970 that sports sociology has gained significant attention as a serious area of study† (Brown 2012). It is presumed that professors did not consider how sports influenced the social order nor was it very significant or fundamental to sociology. According to Brown, â€Å"Sociology of sports poses critical and controversial issues. Because sports are considered a microcosm of society, the same social issues that exist in larger society also exist in sports†. Many of the same government policies and social persecutions demonstrated on minorities and women were also implemented in the society of sports. For example, women were not permitted to participate in many sports believed to be a manly sport, like baseball or car racing. Many minorities or certain religious groups were not allowed to compete in many professional sports and in many cases were not even permitted to observe the sport, except from an isolated viewing area. Once more, the concerns and arguments that sports sociology uncovers are the same concerns that are reflected in real life society. The sociology of sport has many similarities to real life, as evident in how sports affect one’s everyday life. As a result, it is imperative for a person to critically think about how we deal with life, as inspired by our sports influence. By doing that we can see how sports can enhance our real life social skills. Many people participate or watch sports to relieve stress, get exercise or just to have fun. Businesses at times develop sport teams to build camaraderie amongst their employees, allowing them to interact outside of the workplace. Sports can satisfy the human need for competition and human interaction. Sports are a microcosm of real life, having a hierarchy, such as players, coaches, referees and spectators. In real life we have employees, bosses, human relations and customers, for example. Consequently, people gravitate to sports for different reasons; however they get the same passionate effect. Sport fans and actual sport participants have similar ambitions, whether it is winning games, winning as a team or rooting for your team to victory. Sport sociology encompasses a true spectrum of goals and inspiration, just as real life. Keeping true to one’s sociological views and embracing other’s views can definitely allow a person to see life through a basic viewpoint, as well as a broad sociological viewpoint. Sports have a place in everyone’s ife, whether it’s physical sport or mental sport, such as board games, playing cards or playing mental games with one’s significant other. Competition builds character; Competition is â€Å"the act of competing, as for profit or a prize. † (D’Angelo 2006) It is a test of skill or ability between players with the prize of some kind being victory, where one can only be achieved by out-c ompeting your competition. These sports concepts transcend to business, family, friendship, etc. Again, sports is a microcosm of real life, therefore it intertwines society’s real life sociology and sport’s sociology. In conclusion, sports have played an important part of my life, as both a participant and just having fan. Having a love for sports has allowed me to interact with people of all races and genders. Networking with individuals, while playing sports, even at the amateur level, offers venues for business opportunities, meeting new friends and cultivating existing personal relationships. Given the opportunity everyone should engage in some type of competition, as it stimulates the mind and body. How to cite Sociology of Sport: Baseball, Papers

Arthurian Romance Essay Research Paper Arthurian RomanceArthurian free essay sample

Arthurian Romance Essay, Research Paper Arthurian Love affair Arthurian love affair has been changed over and over once more throughout the old ages in order to maintain up with the audience of the minute. Throughout history Arthurian love affair was and still is being used in many different signifiers. The Gaelic s Arthurian love affair was much different from that of the Gallic. You can see the difference in many of the pieces of literature written such as Le Morte D Arthur, and First Knight. Throughout this essay I will seek and depict the alteration in Arthurian love affair. Arthurian love affair is systematically being changed to suit the audience of the clip period. For illustration the First Knight has been made into a film to suit today s society. The ground for the alteration is so that we can understand and maintain are attending on the piece of literature. Without the modern Arthurian love affair we would non understand or accept the old Celtic and Gallic versions. We will write a custom essay sample on Arthurian Romance Essay Research Paper Arthurian RomanceArthurian or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The alterations made normally correlative with the clip period it is being viewed by but with a touch of the original format. Some of the alterations that are most normally seen are linguistic communication, description, and involvement of the audience of the minute. The difference between the Celtic, French, and English signifier of Arthurian love affair is easy seen through the literature. The Gaelic signifier of Arthurian love affair is known to be more bloody and gory as seen in Excalibur. The Gallic used a batch more love affair in there plants for illustration First Knight has an tremendous sum of love affair in it. English fell someplace mediate they had both the romantic touches and bloodstained scenes but they were much more descriptive than the Celtics and French were. Le Morte D Arthur is a great illustration of the description that was used with the love affair and blood. The narrative line tends to alter every bit good as the linguistic communication and description. In the Gallic version of the First Knight Lancelot is the chief character versus the Celtic version. The ground for these types of alterations is to maintain up the reader s involvement. For each clip period there is a different narrative line so that the every audience can associate to the narrative in some manner. Throughout this essay I tried to depict the difference and alteration of Arthurian love affair. The difference of clip periods and the different civilizations brought about the alteration that we see in the Arthurian love affair we read and watch today. Arthurian love affair will ever being changed to run into the outlooks, gustatory sensation, and involvement of its audience of the minute.

Allegory Of Cave (Not Essay-Lots Of Info) Essays - Platonism

Allegory Of Cave (Not Essay-Lots Of Info) An Analysis of The Allegory of the Cave The Allegory of the Cave is Plato's explanation of the education of the soul toward enlightenment. He sees it as what happens when someone is educated to the level of philosopher. He contends that they must go back into the cave or return to the everyday world of politics, greed and power struggles. The Allegory also attacks people who rely upon or are slaves to their senses. The chains that bind the prisoners are the senses. The fun of the allegory is to try to put all the details of the cave into your interpretation. In other words, what are the models the guards carry? the fire? the struggle out of the cave? the sunlight? the shadows on the cave wall? Socrates, in Book VII of The Republic, just after the allegory told us that the cave was our world and the fire was our sun. He said the path of the prisoner was our soul's ascent to knowledge or enlightenment. He equated our world of sight with the intellect's world of opinion. Both were at the bottom of the ladder of knowledge. Our world of sight allows us to see things that are not real, such as parallel lines and perfect circles. He calls this higher understanding the world abstract Reality or the Intelligeble world. He equates this abstract reality with the knowledge that comes from reasoning and finally understanding. On the physical side, our world of sight, the stages of growth are first recognition of images (the shadows on the cave wall) then the recognition of objects (the models the guards carry) To understand abstract reality requires the understanding of mathematics and finally the forms or the Ideals of all things (the world outside the cave). But our understanding of the physical world is mirrored in our minds by our ways of thinking. First comes imagination (Socrates thought little of creativity), then our unfounded but real beliefs. Opinion gives way to knowledge through reasoning (learned though mathematics). Finally, the realization of the forms is mirrored by the level of Understanding in the Ways of Thinking. The key to the struggle for knowledge is the reasoning skills acquired through mathematics as they are applied to understanding ourselves. The shadows on the cave wall change continually and are of little worth, but the reality out side the cave never changes and that makes it important. The ideals are mainly our concepts of courage, love, friendship, justice, and other unchanging qualities. I know this is a bit tricky, but it is how I see the allegory, and most of it is in the preceding and following books of the Republic. I think you should read those chapters, think about what I have said and zero in on what the allegory means to you. CAVE Plato, the most creative and influential of Socrates' disciples, wrote dialogues, in which he frequently used the figure of Socrates to espouse his own (Plato's) full-fledged philosophy. In The Republic, Plato sums up his views in an image of ignorant humanity, trapped in the depths and not even aware of its own limited perspective. The rare individual escapes the limitations of that cave and, through a long, tortuous intellectual journey, discovers a higher realm, a true reality, with a final, almost mystical awareness of Goodness as the origin of everything that exists. Such a person is then the best equipped to govern in society, having a knowledge of what is ultimately most worthwhile in life and not just a knowledge of techniques; but that person will frequently be misunderstood by those ordinary folks back in the cave who haven't shared in the intellectual insight. If he were living today, Plato might replace his rather awkward cave metaphor with a movie theater, with the proje ctor replacing the fire, the film replacing the objects which cast shadows, the shadows on the cave wall with the projected movie on the screen, and the echo with the loudspeakers behind the screen. The essential point is that the prisoners in the cave are not seeing reality, but only a shadowy representation of it. The importance of the allegory lies in Plato's belief that there are invisible truths lying

The Healthy Way to Live

The Healthy Way to Live Free Online Research Papers In America today, more people are becoming worried about how they look compared to what society portrays as â€Å"in shape† and healthy. On television and in the magazines, there are always headlines like, â€Å"lose twenty pounds in two weeks† or there is a picture of a person that is 132 pounds that is being called fat. Many people feel the pressure to be thin and in shape. It is widely known with many women that they feel that they need to be skinnier, have a flatter stomach, and be able to wear clothing that a flag pole cannot even fit in. Though, men feel the pressure as well. They feel the need to be as muscular as possible to compare to the societal view on good-looking men. This continuous feeling of not having the â€Å"perfect† body makes people feel uncomfortable in their own skin and those feelings plant a seed that makes those people try to get into shape. Though there are plenty of ways to make the weight come off and the muscles to start growing, most people do not want to take the time to do it in a healthy matter. Those people that feel they need to lose the weight right away turn to yo-yo dieting instead of just learning the correct way to eat and exercise. The healthy way to lose weight, keep it off, and build muscle is by maintaining a balanced diet and exercising regularly, not following dangerous diet habits. There are many ways that people feel pressured to make sure that they are a certain weight and pant size. Many magazines and television shows have brought to our attention that most of America is obese. This has a lot of people stressing about how much they weigh compared to the celebrities seen on most magazines and in the television screen. That is how a lot of magazines sell their issues; they put something about how to lose weight quickly. Even though these magazines, like Prevention, Weight Loss, Glamour, ect, say that it is perfectly healthy to lose a certain amount of weight in a certain time, if it is done incorrectly it is not healthy. Those get skinny quick articles have people losing mostly water weight and that weight can be gained back just as quickly as it was lost. There is a huge amount of celebrities that are critiqued about how much they weigh and whatever flaws they have that makes many of the normal, average people feel self conscience. This makes those people loo k for a way out of being obese and many of those people find comfort in bad dieting and diet pills. The first thing many people do when they decide to lose weight is try to find something, a magazine, a book, or go online, to help with the get skinny quick schemes. Many people for many years have made a lot of money through selling to people wanting to lose weight quickly. Suzanne Sommers, Anna Nicole Smith, Atkins Diet, South Beach Diet, Jorge Cruise, along with many magazines and online sites that have articles about losing weight are just a few of the many people and organizations that make money off of people wanting to lose weight. The problem that quite a few people run into is that they do not know how to diet appropriately and keep a balanced diet. To understand how to diet in a healthy way and keep away from the fad diets, one needs to understand what a diet is and how the diet works. According to â€Å"The World Book Encyclopedia†, the word diet means â€Å"the food and drink that a person takes regularly day after day† (Picciano 5: 199). It also explains that the word diet is referred to as â€Å"the amounts or kinds of food needed under special circumstances, such as losing or gaining weight† (Picciano 5: 200). There are many reasons that people believe that dieting means to stop eating or to really limit what is eaten. Also, many people associate the word diet with losing weight. As â€Å"The World Book Encyclopedia† has explained, diet is not a restriction specifically for losing weight. Dieting is a way of living. Being able to watch what is eaten and how much is eaten is a better way to live than to try and diet by means of being unhealthy. With many people trying to lose weight fast, they do not stop to think about the fact that being on a diet is about changing a lifestyle, and not just for a week or two. Many people do not realize that dieting is not just a weekly or bi weekly activity. There are a lot of crash, or yo-yo, diets out in books, magazines, and television, just to name a few. Those â€Å"diets† are not healthy and can cause many more problems than if a person was to just change the lifestyle in which they live by. According to the WomenFitness.net article, â€Å"The Outcomes of Yo-Yo Dieting†, yo-yo dieting is â€Å"strict dieting followed by a rebound in weight† (2; Para. 5). Throughout the article, it explains the outcomes of bad dieting and then explains how to better the dieting experience by changing the lifestyle of food and exercise. There are many credible sources that have examples and suggestions, as well as important facts, about dieting and fitness. Yo-yo dieting is just as dangerous as being obese and is not a healthy life style. According to the article on Womensfitness.net, yo-yo dieting causes many healthy problems that can worsen body weight every time a person’s weight goes up and down. When a person loses weight, the weight is lost in a mixture of fat and muscle. When that person stops the diet after a short amount of time and gains the previous weight back, the weight comes back as more fat than muscle previously lost. When this fat comes back, it tends to grow around the stomach area, which is one of the hardest places to lose the weight once it is there (1; Para 1). When someone has many repeat attempts at yo-yo dieting, it has a psychological toll. The person that â€Å"fails† a â€Å"diet†, may feel as though they are a failure at losing weight and many of those people begin to lose their good self-esteem and some even slip into depression (1; Para 3). There are quite a few people in America that are, or feel, like they are overweight. Those people tend to have a hard time feeling comfortable in public, or even in private, about how they look. This causes those people to not be comfortable in their own skin, which is a huge self-esteem breaker. Though self-esteem can normally be fixed with the appropriate action, whether it is counseling or losing the weight the healthy way for long term, yo-yo dieting can create more problems that cannot be as easily fixed. Having an up and down in weight also affects the immune system. According to the article, â€Å"Women who have tried losing weight more than five times will have about a third lower natural-killer-cell function. In contrast, women who maintain the same weight for five or more years have 40 percent greater natural-killer-cell activity as those who do not have a steady weight† (1; Para 4). This shows how bad it can be to have fluctuating weight compared to having a stable weight, even if it happens to be a little overweight. Of course, it is not recommended to not have a good diet. Even more than having a weaker immune system, yo-yo dieting can increase the chance for other health problems as well. This list includes, but is not limited to, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and gallbladder disease (1; Para 5). In order to stay healthy, the best bet is to not rely on quick fixes and instead diet the correct way first, or to fix the problem as soon as it is realized and deter mined to be a problem. When deciding that it is time to lose weight, the healthy way, and keep it off, the most important thing to know is that it will not be easy, but can be done. The American Heart Association came out with a book in 2005 called â€Å"No-Fad Diet†. Throughout this book, it explains how to live while dieting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. One of the first things that this book explains is that losing weight without a little help can be really hard, especially if losing weight does not work the first time or two. The opening paragraph states, â€Å"There’s no point in feeling bad about yourself, because the truth is, losing weight is not easy. No magic formula will trim away extra pounds and keeping them off† (Introduction xi). One of the best ways to start losing weight is to be in the right frame of mind. That is a key point to happily lose weight and keep ahead of the stress to come. Have you ever been out at dinner and eaten way more than you should have and then mentally beaten yourself up for it? This is the time to think smart and not mentally kill yourself over a handful of extra food that should not have been eaten. Smart thinking is about finding ways to deal with thoughts that lead you away from your goals. The American Heart Association makes it a point of explaining how to think smart. That dinner that you have over eaten may make you react a number of different ways. It could be thinking something like, â€Å"I give up! I am horrible at losing weight,† or something like, â€Å"I might as well eat two desserts! Then I’ll get back on track on Monday† (3). This is not the way to act when you let yourself get off track for a meal. The best thing to do would be to pick up right there at that moment and believe that you will succeed. Once you have it set in your mind that you can and will succeed, the only place to go from there is upwards. One really good way to start getting into a habit for losing weight is making a schedule. According to the American Heart Association, it is â€Å"good planning, not sheer willpower, is the key to losing weight for good† (2). As previously explained, the first step to becoming a healthy person is to get your mind in the right spot. The second would be to set goals. The American Heart Association makes it a point to people to set goals that are â€Å"reasonable and realistic† so you do not set yourself up for failure (5). Create short-term milestones that will allow you to feel as though you are getting somewhere during the beginning of this new lifestyle. These milestones will make the first days or maybe even weeks feel worthwhile since it may be a week or two before any weight results are seen. Also, create long-term goals. These goals are the ones that will be the goals that you have to work at pretty hard and consistently, which means creating a schedule for workouts or physical activities and meals may be considered a good idea. â€Å"You won’t become proficient unless you put the words into action on a daily basis,† is how the American Heart Association believes that habits are built. Good habits allow for fewer lapses away from the right track and helps keep a good outlook on the progress made and the progress that is still wanted to be made. When a diet is considered healthy and consistent it is considered a balanced diet. â€Å"The World Book Encyclopedia† states that a balanced diet â€Å"contains all the food elements needed to keep healthy† (Picciano 5:199). A balanced diet is normally based off of the food pyramid. The food pyramid explains what group of food should have what amount of servings. The â€Å"American Dietetic Association Complete Food and Nutrition Guide† written by Roberta Duyft, has a food pyramid that breaks down the categories and serving sizes. This is the food pyramid from Duyft’s book. The base of the pyramid is bread, cereal, rice and pasta group. There is a serving size of six to eleven servings. The best thing to do with the base would be to â€Å"choose a variety of grains daily, especially whole grains† (11). According to Duyft, the reason that the grain products are at the base of the pyramid is because of â€Å"their complex carbohydrates should supply most of your food energy† (11). These are important because in order for a person to have physical activity, they need energy which comes a lot in part by eating carbohydrates. The next part of the pyramid includes the vegetable and fruit groups. The vegetable group should be three to five servings where as the fruit group should be two to four servings (11). The next two groups are milk, yogurt, and cheese group, as well as the meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts group. The serving size for the milk group is two to three servings. The meat group should have two to three servings as well (11). Most people grow up with at least seeing the pyramid even if they did not fully understand it. This is one of the best ways to make sure that you keep on track with a diet. The balanced diet is based off of the food pyramid. If the food pyramid is followed, along with some regular exercise, weight should be easier to lose and keep it lost as long as this new lifestyle stays around. Exercise, as well as eating right, is a key in the success to being at a healthy weight. Jorge Cruise has a book out, â€Å"The 3-Hour Diet†, and even though his book is about another â€Å"quick fix† and should not be taken seriously, his ideas on exercise is really smart. He brings up the point that exercising allows the calories that are in a person’s system to be used which stops those calories from turning into fat (213). He makes a point of saying that even something as simple as walking is a smart idea when other activities are not able to be done. Cruise also brings up the fact that a lot of physical activities that use to be done on a daily basis have been replaced by modern day technology. Walking, running, and bicycling have been replaced by driving or riding in a vehicle. Stairs have been replaced by elevators. Playing sports have been replaced by television and playing games (223). The main thing to remember is eat healthy and with some exercise, bec oming the size and being healthy is right around the corner. According to Crawford and Peeke, who wrote â€Å"Body For Life For Women†, the goal should be to â€Å"shoot for progress and not perfection† (189). Yo-yo dieting is not the answer to wanting to be in shape and healthy. Eating right and exercising is the best lifestyle to becoming healthy. Also, the key to success is not just in actually losing weight, but also in the building of self-esteem and self-confidence. That is truly the key to succeeding at being healthy. Crawford, Cindy, and Pam Peeke. Body For Life For Women. NY: Rodale Pr, 2005. Cruise, Jorge. The 3-Hour Diet. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers Inc, 2005. Duyft, Roberta Larson. American Dietetic Association Complete Food and Nutrition Guide. 2nd ed. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Son’s, Inc. 2002. No-Fad Diet. 1st ed. NY: Clarkson Potter/Publishers, 2005. Outcomes of Yo-Yo Dieting. June 2008. June 21, 2009. Picciano, Mary Frances. â€Å"Diet†. The World Book Encyclopedia. 2nd ed. 2009. 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