The social construction of obesity in New Zealand prime time television media : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University

Obesity is an issue that has always been associated with morality, however in more recent times it has become defined as a health problem (or disease) of epidemic proportions. The construction of obesity as a problem is partly associated with the eternal quest for thinness. Media representations play a role in the construction of obesity and may be increasingly influential as media is becoming more and more prevalent in Western society. Furthermore, media have been shown to have considerable influence in affecting health behaviours and body image. Previous research has shown that media representations of obesity have been predominately negative and obese people are underrepresented in most types of television programming. The goal of this research was to discover how obesity is socially constructed in New Zealand prime time television. Data was collected over the period of a month, forming a synthetic week of recorded television programming that covered the prime viewing period between 6.00pm to 10.30pm. A discourse analytical approach was used to identify three main themes, morality medicalisation, and factual versus fictional. The moral theme involved discourses in which moral judgements were made about obese individuals, on both their character and actions, generally positioning the obese person as morally lacking. The medicalisation theme contained discourses around obesity as a health issue that constructed health issues as the fault of the individual which could be solved only one way- by losing weight. This functioned to position obese people as sick or unhealthy. The third theme, factual versus fiction presents the differences found between depictions of fictional obese characters and real people on television. Overall, obesity was found to be constructed negatively in television media. On television, the obese person is one which is either invisible, or is the object of moral judgements about the obese individuals worth as a person and their perceived poor health. Television representations of obesity, in some part, lead to the marginalisation of obese people. However the loathing for excess weight has been around for centuries and is so deeply ingrained in public discourse that to make a difference in how obese people are seen and treated, there would have to be a change in how society thinks about obesity, not just in how the media portrays obese people

Sisters Speak Out: The Lives and Needs of Prostituted Women in Chicago, A Research Study

In July 2000, the Center for Impact Research (CIR) began investigating prostitution in the Chicago metropolitan area. The first phase of the project established an estimate of the prevalence of prostitution activities, documenting that a minimum of 16,000 women and girls in the Chicago metropolitan area are engaged regularly in the prostitution industry. Due to violence, substance abuse, homelessness, and health problems, women often are unable to safely exit prostitution. The second phase of the project more closely examined the lives of women in prostitution, in order to better understand their needs for services and support.CIR trained 12 prostitution survivors to conduct in-depth interviews with women throughout the Chicago metropolitan area who were currently, or had recently been, involved in prostitution. In all, 222 women representing various segments of the prostitution industry were interviewed. While this was not a random sample, and is not representative of all women engaged in prostitution, we believe it is large enough to provide helpful information for understanding the lives of women in prostitution, and what can be done to assist them

Psychogenic Stuttering Following a Gastric Bypass Operation: Case Report

We evaluated a 44-year-old female with bipolar affective disorder who presented with a 4-month history of severe stuttering and vague neurologic complaints. She had lost 200 pounds after gastric bypass surgery two years before. A childhood sexual-abuse victim, she admits that she hid in her weight for most of her life. Neurological evaluation of this patient was negative, and speech-pathology evaluation revealed highly atypical stuttering. Gastric bypass patients with a history of psychiatric disorders and childhood sexual abuse may be particularly vulnerable to somatoform disorders

O Que É uma Exposição de Matemática?

Este artigo começa por discutir o que se espera de uma exposição sobre matemática e descreve o percurso da Matemateca, do Instituto de Matemática e Estatística da USP, na formação de um acervo de objetos matemáticos ao longo de aproximadamente dez anos, bem como a evolução da concepção de uma exposição voltada para o público em geral, mas com foco nos estudantes de todos os níveis. São dados vários exemplos de peças e mostradas possíveis abordagens para atrair o visitante, inclusive pensando no leitor deste artigo que não tenha familiaridade com esse tipo de exposição. Além disso, é dada uma visão do panorama internacional no que tange a exposições de matemática, de forma a permitir ao leitor inserir a Matemateca nesse contexto. Finalmente, são considerados alguns caminhos a serem seguidos na continuidade e aprimoramento desse trabalho.This article begins by discussing what is expected of a math exhibition and describes the work of Matemateca’s team over approximately ten years in forming a collection of mathematical objects in the Instituto de Matemática e Estatística da USP. It also describes the evolution of the underlying concept of this exhibition aimed at the general public, but focused on students of all levels. Several examples of exhibits are given as well as some possible approaches to attract the visitor. It is also given an overview of the international scene with respect to mathematical exhibitions to allow the reader to place the Matemateca in this context. Finally, some paths are considered for the continuity and improvement of this work

Collaboration on the Book Club Project: The Multiple Roles of Researchers,Teachers, and Students

Our article describes the potential benefits of university/public school collaborations for the teachers, researchers, and students involved. Even these common terms teachers, researchers, and students shifted meanings as each participant of our project assumed various roles. All of us were classroom teachers, though Taffy, Ginny, and Sue had returned to the university

Phytochemical and Antimicrobial Properties of Oil Extracts from the Seeds of Ricinodendron heudelotii

Objective: The aim of this project is to extract the chemical components of various parts of this tree and to characterize the constituents of these extracts and to test for their biological activity. Methodology: Agar-well diffusion assay was used to determine the antimicrobial activity of the oil extract on the test isolates: Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus and the yeast Candida albicans. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) for each test organism was determined by the broth dilution method using 0.5 McFarland’s standard. Results: Preliminary proximate and phytochemical analysis of the oil extracts from the seed showed the presence of the following minerals, Na, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe, Cu and Zn as well as the following family of compounds: Steroids, saponin and terpenoids. Antimicrobial and antibacterial studies also revealed that the oil extract was active against Gram’s negative and positive bacteria and fungi. The test organisms were Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus and the yeast Candida albicans. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was resistant to the oil extract at all the concentrations used. Conclusion: Amongst the bacteria used, highest MIC of 150 mg mLG1 was recorded for Staphylococcus aureus , while lowest MIC of 50 mg mLG1 was observed in E. coli . Highest activity was observed against the fungus, Candida albicans with MIC of 25 mg mLG

Coppice Forests in Europe

This book is the final output fronm the COST Action FP1301 EuroCoppice Innovative managementand multifunctional utilisation of traditional coppice forests - an answer to future ecological, economic and social challenges in the European forestry sector. This book was produced with input from partners form 35 countries and contains eight chapters (1) Overview (2) Silviculture (3) Utilisation (4) Conservation (5) Governance (6) reports from each of the 35 participating countries (7) Outlok and (8) Annex

Empowering HIV-infected women in lowresource settings: A pilot study evaluating a patient-centered HIV prevention strategy for reproduction in Kisumu, Kenya

Background: Female positive/male negative HIV-serodiscordant couples express a desire for children and may engage in condomless sex to become pregnant. Current guidelines recommend antiretroviral treatment in HIV-serodiscordant couples, yet HIV RNA viral suppression may not be routinely assessed or guaranteed and pre-exposure prophylaxis may not be readily available. Therefore, options for becoming pregnant while limiting HIV transmission should be offered and accessible to HIV-affected couples desiring children. Methods: A prospective pilot study of female positive/male negative HIV-serodiscordant couples desiring children was conducted to evaluate the acceptability, feasibility, and effectiveness of timed vaginal insemination. Eligible women were 18-34 years with regular menses. Prior to timed vaginal insemination, couples were observed for two months, and tested and treated for sexually transmitted infections. Timed vaginal insemination was performed for up to six menstrual cycles. A fertility evaluation and HIV RNA viral load assessment was offered to couples who did not become pregnant. Findings: Forty female positive/male negative HIV-serodiscordant couples were enrolled; 17 (42.5%) exited prior to timed vaginal insemination. Twenty-three couples (57.5%) were introduced to timed vaginal insemination; eight (34.8%) achieved pregnancy, and six live births resulted without a case of HIV transmission. Seven couples completed a fertility evaluation. Four women had no demonstrable tubal patency bilaterally; one male partner had decreased sperm motility. Five women had unilateral/bilateral tubal patency; and seven women had an HIV RNA viral load (≥ 400 copies/mL). Conclusion: Timed vaginal insemination is an acceptable, feasible, and effective method for attempting pregnancy. Given the desire for children and inadequate viral suppression, interventions to support safely becoming pregnant should be integrated into HIV prevention programs

Detection of pulse trains in the electrically stimulated cochlea: Effects of cochlear health

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/98659/1/JAS003954.pd