intellectual health :: essays research papers

Intellectual health comes from mental stimulation and what we get out of our work, school and other hobbies that we take part of. To begin an intellectually healthy life we must first have the desire to learn more and have an overall interest in what is going on around us. Every human being has the desire to know, but what’s more important is how we go about that. At a young age school teaches us that we must gain all the knowledge we can in order to be successful, therefore making school the first step in how to begin an intellectually healthy lifestyle. Higher education as in college is not always needed to be considered â€Å"intellectually healthy†, but getting the most out of the education level u do reach is key. As long as our minds are constantly being challenged and stimulated we are on the right track. Our work plays a key role in developing an intellectual healthy life as well. We do not want our work to be too stressful; we want it to be stimulating and enjoyable. Too much mental stimulation can lead to being stressed out and affect other parts of one’s life in a negative way. The way we go about work should be something challenging and yet enjoyable and leave us with an overall good feeling about what we are doing at the end of the day. Religion plays a large role in being intellectually healthy. Religion keeps our m inds thinking about GOD and trying to add him into our everyday lives, which is a challenge and goal for most if not all of us. GOD is more prevalent in some lives than in others but having some sort of belief in a higher power is good for the human desire to want to know more. We all want answers. Making an effort to find them is what makes us intellectually healthy. Hobbies such as playing a sport are very much part of being intellectually healthy. Athletics make us think things through in and out and really challenge not only our minds, but our bodies as well. For example: The football team is losing by 7 points with 5 seconds left in the game and they have one last shot to tie or win the game. The quarterback has a million things going through his mind all at once and can ultimately make only one decision that will win his team the game, or blow it for them.

Animal imagery is a prominent and extremely important device in the novel

Of Mice and Men is a great novel written by John Steinbeck, a Nobel Prize-winning author. Based on Steinbeck's own experiences at the time, it tells the sad story of George Milton and Lennie Small, two migrant workers who learn to look out for one another during the Great Depression in Salinas, California. For the duration of the tale, Steinbeck makes references to animals and their significance, both through symbolism and reflecting character's personalities. The mice, the rabbits and the dogs are three important recurring animal images in the novel. Mice have a crucial importance in the novel, as well as Lennie's relationship with the mice. Firstly, Lennie likes to feel soft things, and his obsession with with petting mice grants him with security and comfort. Even if the animal is lifeless, Lennie still pets it to comfort it as well as to comfort himself. The simple feeling of the mouse's smooth fur running between his fingers provide him with a sense of contentment. This symbolizes his soft and caring attitude along with his warm heart. Secondly, the dead mouse in Lennie's pocket is a strong symbol foreshadowing the end awaiting all weak and helpless creatures. This shows that not only is Lennie symbolically playing with death, but that, in his perspective, death isn't a fear of his. The reader learns that the dead mouse Lennie finds is not the first mouse he has had, but because of his strength, they always ended up dead if they were alive to begin with. Therefore, the mouse Lennie finds dies a fast untimely death. Thirdly, even with Lennie's physical strength and size, his childlike mental capabilities make him as helpless as a mouse. The fact that Lennie gets, and accidentally kills the mice he has, reveals his uncontrolled strength and his compassion for soft things. Rabbits are also another notable animal mentioned in the novel. Firstly, they are the only thing that Lennie does not seem to forget. Every time he asks George to tell him the story of their little house, he always mentions the rabbits, as if without the rabbits on their land, even if they would have a place they can call their own, it would not be the same. Secondly, the rabbits that Lennie hopes to have and care for give George control over him. Lennie's happiness is based on his hopes for this land, so he will be able to tend his rabbits. Knowing this, George constantly threatens him with not allowing him to tend the rabbits if he does not behave and follow his orders. George tells Lennie † if you do [get in trouble], I won't let you tend to the rabbits,† (p.17). This becomes Lennie's motivation to behave and to watch what he does. He imagines stroking an looking after his rabbits on the little house he and George plan on owning. For this reason, being he has something to hope for, he tries harder to be good and has no limits of what he would do for his dream to come true. And Finally, like mice, rabbits are soft creatures that Lennie does not only wish to tend but to pet as well. Dogs are principal animal figures stated in the novel. Firstly, Steinbeck starts by comparing Lennie's loyalty to that of a dog. † His huge companion dropped his blankets and flung himself down and drank from the surface of the green pool, † (p.4). Although he does not do so directly, this image compares Lennie, when he is drinking from the pool, to, as the phrase goes, †man's best friend†. Throughout the book, Lennie proves his complete loyalty and unconditional love and friendship. Like a dog, he does not understand certain concepts. He also does not think about the consequences of his actions. Steinbeck's comparisons between Lennie and animals, like dogs, bears, and horses, reinforce the impending sense of doom. Secondly, Candy's dog has a great importance in the novel as well. His death is linked to the death of Lennie because this dog represents the fate awaiting anyone that becomes no longer useful. In other words, anyone who outlives his or her purpose will be put out, one way or another. The dog's death brings out a major fear in Candy. He himself is nearing an age when he will no longer be useful on the ranch and therefore will no longer be welcomed there either. Finally, Lennie's puppy is one of several symbols that demonstrate the victory of the strong over the weak. Lennie kills the puppy unintentionally, as he has killed many mice before, for the plain reason that he does not recognize his own strength. Animals in the novel, from mice to rabbits to dogs, all die untimely deaths and have an intense significance. Steinbeck's references to animals portrays the characteristics of the characters as well. These comparisons are not only meaningful in the book but also in real life.

Adolescent Obesity in Canada

Adolescent Obesity in Canada Free Online Research Papers When is it too much? Since when has a simple act of eating become one of the world’s biggest issues? Since when has adolescent obesity caused so much mental damage to adolescents? Recent studies have shown that approximately 16 percent of adolescents are obese in the United States when in the 1960’s it was only four percent(FDA). What is being obese? MedicineNet defines being obese as being over twenty percent over their ideal weight. This varies from gender, age and height and adolescents being defined as students from ages 13-17.(MedicineNet) Obesity became a problem for adolescents when fast food restaurants became the most viable nutritional option. Luckily for Quebec schools, however, the Premier Jean-Charest passed a bill banning schools from serving or selling fast food. â€Å"Kids who eat better, who are well-fed, with a balanced diet, have more chances of having a healthy lifestyle, of being able to concentrate and to function to the maximum of their capacity, said Jean-Charest, the Premier of Quebec (CBC). Most of these teenagers become obese because it is a genetic trait from their parents. It is known that adolescents have a bigger appetite during adolescence generating a real passion for food. Many schools have decide to sell out to fast food companies and let their students have easy access to unhealthy food; making obesity in adolescents a common problem. Taking fast food out of schools and replacing them with more nutritional foods would promote healthy eating to adolescents. Schools should take a bigger part in the health of adolescents by banning fast food in schools because of stress, physical health and the fast food industry influence. Adolescent obesity causes major amounts of mental stress that can affect their behaviour in school which is why schools should make sure their students keep a positive and healthy lifestyle. Studies have also shown that when adolescents become obese and rely on food as a comfort zone, they do not do as well as other students academically and physically. They become lazy and stressed which leads to more eating. This routine causes emotional stress and can even lead to mental illness. This depression makes it even harder for obese teenagers to work out. â€Å"Fast food is also inexpensive; most menu items offer a full meal for under ten dollars. It is easy to see why fast food is so popular these days- it is convenient and reduces our stress† (Hyde 1). Though fast food is convenient, it is addictive and its satisfaction is only temporary. The stress it relieves is also temporary because, just like cigarettes, it is easily accessible but in the long term it increases stress. Fast food may be inexpensive, but adolescents cannot afford to become lazy and inactive over the long-term. It is the school’s responsibility to ensure that health of its students is a top priority. Over the years fast food has been served throughout many schools causing very unhealthy lifestyles but it reached a new level on December 8th, 2007 when ABC news reported that McDonald’s coupons are being printed on student’s report cards. Certain schools in Florida and many other places have decided to let McDonald’s promote their fatty foods to students who get good grades. The deal between these schools and McDonald’s is that every student that gets A’s or B’s will have a McDonald’s coupon for a free Big Mac. The schools are rewarding good students by giving them fatty foods. The schools commented saying that McDonald’s is contributing to the school by adding to the school’s budget. This was helpful to schools that wanted to increase their budget. This situation is not only in the United States, in Fredericton, Canada, a crowd of students at a local high school were interviewed. CTV news interviewed certain studen ts asking them why they had left school to eat at the nearest McDonald’s. They said that the school food was not good. The B.C. government said that by 2009, all junk food would be banned in schools (CTV). The McDonald’s representatives say that they never approached the schools, the schools came to them. One example of these schools is a certain school in Florida that was paid $1,600 to put a free burger or fries coupon on every single report card containing all A’s or B’s. â€Å"Teaching healthy eating in the classroom and providing fast-food vouchers for fundraising efforts is not sending a consistent message (Neville). Putting fast food vouchers on report cards only leads to confusion. â€Å"To have significant use of fast-food vouchers very much flies in the face of all the efforts to remove these poor food choices† (Haikerwal). Schools should not confuse their students by teaching them to not eat fast food while giving them McDonald’s coupons; they should find other ways to avoid advertising fast food as it is the school’s responsibility. The physical health of adolescents is in danger when unhealthy food is easily accessible. Most schools have one to two physical education classes each week. A simple adjustment made by the school could give students proper exercise and would help them live a healthy lifestyle. In many schools there are laws about recess but in some schools children are not allowed to play tag or even run. This does not promote an active lifestyle. Some people debate that it is the parent’s responsibility to make sure that their children are healthy, physically and mentally. They say that parents should talk to their child about exercise and educate them about it. It is a dangerous to assume that parents are always capable to take care of their children. It is the school’s responsibility to educate. It is their responsibility because, unless homeschooled, children spend most of their day at school. If school prepares you for life, then shouldn’t it tell you how to eat right therefore simply showing students how to eat healthy in small easy steps might encourage them to try and live a healthy lifestyle. â€Å"From 25-40 percent of children inherit the tendency towards overweight† (HelpGuide). For the reason of parents not having enough time with their children, schools should teach their students how to maintain a healthy lifestyle to avoid adolescent obesity. Fast food is becoming easily accessible and it is the responsibility of the schools to make sure that students are not exposed or encouraged to eat it in schools. Fast food companies around the world used different tactics to advertise to adolescents and have put fast food in some schools. This made many schools ban fast food in vending machines. A recent survey was taken at 345 high schools all around the United States asking them what they sell, how much they make and how much each product takes in. The results showed that all schools said fast food makes up 70 percent of all food sales. The schools should not encourage eating fast food on a regular basis. They should be helping all students by not serving fast food and making sure no students bring fast food with them to school which might encourage other students to do the same. One might argue that the fast food companies benefit the schools by helping the funding. What many don’t realize is that staying healthy is as important if not more important than education. Making sure that children know how to eat right is extremely important and they must know what is healthy and what isn’t therefore schools can use advertising of fast food but not in any blatant form that would send the wrong message to students. Schools should focus more on the students’ health and exercise rather than advertising fast food because it will lead to obesity at an even younger age. Schools should take a bigger part in the health of adolescents by banning fast food in schools because of stress, physical health and the fast food industry influence. The schools should remove vending machines and fast food as an option for lunch as it is extremely unhealthy and can lead to an obese lifestyle. Schools should set their priorities straight because if schools will advertise fast food and not show students how to live a healthy lifestyle then there will be very few who will be able to eat right. By keeping all these fast foods from schools and out of the students’ reach, the students will not have easy access to it in schools and this will promote eating healthy. Children who have one obese parents have a 50 percent chance of being obese. To prevent obesity from being passed down through parents, we should teach adolescents about the healthy lifestyle and what it can do. 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