The Problem of Anaxagoras

Anaxagoras held that the objects of sense perception, both entities and qualities, were existents, and not relative to the percipient, and that they formed a continuum which observed the criteria of Parmenides\u27 being. Birth, dissolution, growth and change of quality were explained in terms of combination and separation. the opposites were inseparable and infinite in degree, and the parts of the spectrum were one. the opposites were used to account for sense perception as well as for pleasure and pain. Since animals and plants are all product of the same natural process, they are essentially alike. Man lives in a world which has no purpose and no god, but, by means of observation, experience and analogy he is able to draw some conclusions about the kind of world in which he lives and about his own nature. Although Anaxagoras\u27 thesis left many problems, it was perhaps one of the most brilliant solutions in Presocratic philosophy

Anaxagoras and Epicurus

It is, I believe, clear that Epicurus adopted an interpretation of the impression which was alien to Democritus’ atomic theory and closer to that of Anaxagoras. Anaxagoras may have believed that the qualities of the impression accurately reproduced the attributes of the objects; and he certainly regarded the objects of sense perception as true. He held that that from which an entity emerges had predominant parts which were the same as the predominant parts of the entity. Anaxagoras\u27 experiments suggest that he was aware in some degree of the principle of confirmatory evidence and evidence to the contrary. His form of argumentation was similar to that of Epicurus. What is more, Anaxagoras used the term doxa to denote an opinion for which there is no confirmatory evidence or evidence to the contrary. Anaxagoras made extensive use of material causes hut attached particular significance to the regularity of the movement of the heavenly bodies. When Epicurus read the writings of Anaxagoras, he must have found himself in agreement with many of his basic assumptions

The chronicles of the National Gallery of Canada at the Venice Biennale

How the National Gallery of Canada has been selecting art for presentation at the Venice Biennale, 1952-1986. Discusses the directors, the bureaucrats, and the controversial Canadian pavilion

Adult Food Insecurity is Associated with Heavier Weight Preferences among Black Women

Food insecurity is related to overweight/obesity among women. However, it is unknown whether food insecurity impacts individuals’ desired body composition, and whether this relationship differs by race/ethnicity similar to perceived ideal weight status. This study aims to evaluate whether food insecurity is related to elevated preferred weight status (e.g., overweight/obese versus normal weight) among black, white, and Hispanic women classified as overweight/obese. Four waves of NHANES data (2007–2014) were merged and yielded a total of 907 black, 1,271 white, and 1,005 Hispanic non-pregnant adult (age 20 to 59) women classified as overweight/obese. Participants self-reported their preferred weight status, adult-level food security, and demographic covariates. Covariate-adjusted logistic regression models stratified by race/ethnicity evaluated the role of food insecurity related to preferred weight status. Among black women, those who were food insecure were at 51% increased odds of preferring an overweight/obese weight status (OR: 1.51; 95% CI: 1.08 – 2.13; p = .02) relative to their food secure counterparts. Among white and Hispanic women, those who were food insecure had similar odds of preferring an overweight/obese weight status (White: OR: 1.07; 95% CI: 0.68 – 1.71; p = .76; Hispanic: OR: 0.95; 95% CI: 0.66 – 1.37; p = .77) relative to their food secure counterparts. Food insecurity results in the desire to be heavier among black women classified as overweight/obese. However, it does not impact white and Hispanic women classified as overweight/obese. Practitioners must consider weight preferences prior to providing obesity prevention information, particularly among food insecure black women

Household food insecurity status and Hispanic immigrant children’s body mass index and adiposity

Objectives: Despite the high prevalence rates of food insecurity and obesity among children of Hispanic immigrants, there has been a dearth of research on the direct relationship between food insecurity and obesity among this population. Further, prior research examining the association between food insecurity and body composition among children of Hispanic immigrants have not considered adiposity, specifically percent body fat (%BF) and waist circumference (WC), as outcome measurements. The following study contributes to the literature by examining the association between food insecurity and two adiposity measurements, %BF and WC, along with body mass index (BMI) among a sample of young Hispanic immigrant children. Methods: Cross-sectional survey and direct body composition assessments were collected among 49 low-income Hispanic immigrant children (mean age = 5.5. years) and their 44 mothers (mean age = 35.5 years) from two Houston-area community centers. Data were collected on household food security status using the 18-item USDA scale, demographic characteristics, and measured height, weight, body fat percentage, and waist circumference from children and mothers. Results: Sixty-five percent of children resided in a food insecure household, 31% of the children were obese in terms of %BF, and 24% were obese in terms of BMI. A greater percentage of food secure children were classified as obese in terms of %BF, BMI, and had an elevated waist circumference. A direct relationship was not observed between food insecurity and elevated waist circumference (OR = .08, p = .10); however, children living in food insecure households had 89% lower odds of having an elevated %BF (OR = 0.11, p \u3c .01), 93% lower odds of being obese (OR = 0.07, p \u3c .05), and 87% lower odds of being overweight/obese (OR = 0.13, p \u3c .05). Conclusions: In young children of Hispanic immigrants, food insecurity was related to healthier levels of %BF and BMI. Studies that track adiposity and weight status of children of Hispanic immigrants in relation to food insecurity over time are needed to further understand why food insecurity and obesity co-exist for some groups but not others