Childhood Obesity Causes/Solutions

Thesis Statement Childhood obesity is one of the biggest developing health problems associated with the things such as types of foods that children consume, genetic factors, addiction to highly pleasurable foods, and diminished physical activities.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Childhood Obesity: Causes/Solutions specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Therefore, failure of the government to take precautionary measures such as controlling the foods served to children, introduction of BMI checking to schoolchildren, and planning of anti-obesity campaigns amongst others will automatically threaten the health of children and that of the population of the nation at large. Introduction Obesity is the development of more weight than the body of an individual is supposed to carry. Ideally, the body of a person should carry weight within a certain range according to the height of the given individual. Much weight for a specific height is deemed overweight and consequently underweight for a much less weight for a specific height. Therefore, childhood obesity is the development of more weight, which is mostly fats, more than the height can accommodate. It is usually 20% more body fat weight in a child. Childhood obesity is a serious health problem to society due to the frequency of obesity cases that are being reported of late. The greatest concern brought about by childhood obesity is that it has been identified as a precursor to certain adulthood ailments if not controlled. Thus, controlling it is a way of eliminating some adulthood ailments. As Riley reveals, childhood obesity leads to such ailments as; â€Å"hypertension, respiratory ailments, orthopedic problems, depression, type two diabetes, and high cholesterol among others† (395). Statistics about the problem According to Green and Riley, childhood obesity has increased threefold since the year 1981. Sixteen per cent percentage of the population of children between the ages of 6 and 19 years suffer from obesity (917). In the United States, 23% of children coming from poor families are likely to suffer from obesity compared to 14% of those who come from families that are doing well socially and economically (Riley 395). Obesity has led to a rise in the cost of healthcare for the national government with obesity cases consuming up to 71million dollars in terms of treatment between the years 2008-2009.Advertising Looking for research paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to statistics, there has been a 50% increase in obese cases among children of 7-12 years during the years 1991-1998. Eyler finds that the United States of America government has had to come up with policies and legislation that would reverse the trend by the year 2015 (2294). This effort is an indicator to the seriousness of the problem and the concern that the government has towards it. What causes childhood obesity? Causes of Childhood Obesity The Foods in the Market One of the biggest causes of childhood obesity is the type of food a child eats. Following the increase in populations and the decrease in the land for agricultural production, scientists have come up with ways of producing high yields of crops on remarkably small pieces of land for feeding the populations. Most of these foods are produced using biotechnology and bioengineering, which lead to high crop yields. Most crops produced using the methods have been cited as sources of obesity upon producing food from them. High yield crop production involves altering of the genetic makeup of the crops. When consumed by children and or other people, the effects are directly transferred to them. Animals that used as food to human beings are usually fed on foods with high hormones to spur quick growth of the animals. When children feed on products from these animals, the hormones a re directly transferred to them thus triggering a faster development of their cells and body tissues hence leading to obesity. Genetic Factors Genetic factors can also be attributed to be a cause of childhood obesity that happens when a child grows bigger than the actual size, and then it is cited as a family trend. Some people are naturally grown. This condition sometimes inherited and passes from one generation to the other. The study further revealed that there is a 75% chance of children being obese if their parents were obese and a 75% chance of children being thin or slim if their parents were thin. This fact is a sure indicator that obesity is a genetic factor that is passed on from parents to their children. The situation can be controlled if the children engage in activities that can enable them burn the extra calories and fats. Addiction to highly pleasurable foods According to Pretlow, addiction to highly pleasurable foods can be one of the biggest causes of obesity in ch ildren between the age of 5years to 19years (297). Most of these highly pleasurable foods are extraordinarily high in calories thus leading to extremely fast weight gain in children and young adults. The advent of fast food outlets has exacerbated the problem because most of the foods sold in fast food outlets are highly pleasurable besides containing excess calories. Addiction to these kinds of foods can be equated to some extent to the addiction found in substances like drugs. Addiction to highly pleasurable foods thus leads the child eating more and more of the food. Because they are not in a position to burn the loads of calories gained by their bodies, they tend to begin piling more and more fats in their bodies.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Childhood Obesity: Causes/Solutions specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Diminished physical activities Childhood obesity can be attributed to diminished physic al activities among children. Most children nowadays do not engage in physical activities as compared to the past. In the past, most parents would engage their children in physical activities like doing household chores while going out to play at the same time as a way of engaging in fun. That trend has changed dramatically in the recent past with most children engaging in activities that are not energy sapping. The trend has changed with the introduction of computer games in society. Most children have ended up becoming couch potatoes because they spend almost all of their playing time playing computer games, which are addictive in nature. The increase in television programs has also led to children getting addicted to watching television. Reilly finds that television companies have come up with tailor-made programs for children thus leading to television addiction (395). Steps the government should take to eliminate the problem Controlling the food served in schools The government should come up with a policy guideline on what types of food can be served in school kitchens. Nutritionists should recommend the foods because they have the right calorie contents for children at specific ages. This campaign will see the government prepare a school feeding diet program that is based on healthy eating habits, which are aimed at reducing obesity and hence eliminating it in the end. An observation by Wojcicki and Heyman contends that an awareness program starting from schools is a sure way of controlling obesity (1630). Introduction of BMI check in schools The government should introduce a regular body mass index check to all children in schools as a way of checking and regulating the problem. A regular body mass index check will make the children aware of their weight status and the need to keep healthy bodies and lifestyles. Such checks can also be used for recommending specific physical activity programs to the children as a way of enabling them burn the excess fa ts that have accumulated in their bodies. Children growing up with the awareness of the right body mass index will be able to control overweight problems when they occur in the future thus ensuring a healthy nation. Develop a nationwide anti obesity campaign The government should develop a nationwide campaign that will see the awareness levels of the population increased to such an extent that everyone in society is aware of the problem. Huang observes that a nationwide campaign to eliminate obesity will enable parents bring up their children with awareness of the obesity problem (148).Advertising Looking for research paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Most parents are usually unaware of the obesity problem in their children thus ending up not taking the right steps to stop it. The society today is made up of parents who spend a lot of their time chasing their careers than taking care of their children and hence the need to remind them of their responsibility. Conclusion Childhood obesity is a complex problem that cannot be easily wished away due to the many different elements that cause to it. It needs a multipronged approach that will control it. The problem with obesity is that it cannot be eliminated. Thus, there is a need for the government to put measures as discussed above to minimize it as much as possible. Works Cited Eyler, Army et al. â€Å"Patterns and predictions of state childhood obesity legislation in United States: 2006-2009.† American Journal of Public health 102.12 (2012): 2294- 2302. Print. Green, Gregory, and Riley Clarence. â€Å"Physical activity and childhood obesity: Strategies and solutions for sc hools and parents.† Education 132.4 (2012): 915-920. Print. Huang, Terry. â€Å"Prevention and treatment: Solutions beyond the individual.† Journal of Law, Medicine Ethics 35 (2007): 148-149. Print. Pretlow, Robert. Addiction to highly pleasurable food as a cause of the childhood  obesity epidemic: A qualitative internet study. Washington D.C: Routledge, 2008. Print. Riley, John. â€Å"Childhood obesity: An overview.† Children Society 21.5 (2007): 390-396. Print. Wojcicki, Janet, and Melvin Heyman. â€Å"Reducing childhood obesity by eliminating 100% fruit juice.† American Journal of Public Health 102.9 (2012): 1630-1633. Print. Note Card I Summary Note Card: Following the rising impacts that obesity has had on the US citizens, leave alone the children, there has been a call to the government to pass bills that emphasize the need to reduce the danger caused by this fatal disease. Patterns and Predictors of Enactment of State Childhood Obesity Legislati on in the United States: 2006-2009 points out the efforts that the US is making to curb the rising trend by 2015. The article reveals how the US has made it a priority to pass bills that address needs of the obese people as a way of ensuring that they are not left to die of the disease when measures can actually be implemented to rescue them and the US at large. Eyler, Army et al. â€Å"Patterns and predictions of state childhood obesity legislation in United States: 2006-2009.† American Journal of Public health 102.12 (2012): 2294- 2302. Print. Quotation Note Card: Eyler et al state, â€Å"†¦the number of bills introduced from 2006 to 2009 with obesity prevention content is encouraging, as is the enactment rate of these bills.† Eyler, Army et al. â€Å"Patterns and predictions of state childhood obesity legislation in United States: 2006-2009.† American Journal of Public health 102.12 (2012): 2298. Print. Paraphrase Note Card: According to Eyler et al, the period 2006-2008 has been characterized by tremendous efforts by the US government to publish many bills that specifically touch on the issue of obesity. The findings indicate that the earlier on observed obesity trend in the US will be changing with time with fewer reports of obesity cases. Eyler, Army et al. â€Å"Patterns and predictions of state childhood obesity legislation in United States: 2006-2009.† American Journal of Public health 102.12 (2012): 2298. Print. Note Card II Summary Note Card: Despite the many efforts put in place to fight obesity, it is alarming to find out how obesity prevalence is rising in the UK and the US specifically among children and adolescents. This revelation indicates that the current strategies used to fight the disease do not have a well-crafted message to persuade the children and adolescents to change their eating habits and or engage in strenuous activities to help rid themselves of the many useless calories whose accumulation has le d to their obese nature. Hence, there is room for more studies on the best strategies to use to reach the affected children and adolescent if at all eliminating obesity is the goal of both the UK and the US. Riley, John. â€Å"Childhood obesity: An overview.† Children Society 21.5 (2007): 390-396. Print. Quotation Note Card: â€Å"Successful prevention of obesity in future will require good examples or models of interventions which have achieved objectively measured and sustained behavior change† Riley, John. â€Å"Childhood obesity: An overview.† Children Society 21.5 (2007): 395. Print. Paraphrase Note Card: Due to the observed failure of the current strategies to help the obese children and adolescents, there has been a call for future research to incorporate interventions that will have the capacity to alter the observed high rates of obesity among the US and the UK children and adolescents. Riley, John. â€Å"Childhood obesity: An overview.† Childr en Society 21.5 (2007): 395. Print. This research paper on Childhood Obesity: Causes/Solutions was written and submitted by user Destinee Sweeney to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The determination of the stoichiometry of a metal complex by UV-visible spectrophotometry The WritePass Journal

The determination of the stoichiometry of a metal complex by UV-visible spectrophotometry Introduction The determination of the stoichiometry of a metal complex by UV-visible spectrophotometry IntroductionPRINCIPLE:PRECAUTIONS:REQUREMENTS: REFERENCES:Related Introduction AIM: to determine the stoichiometry of the complex formed between iron(III) abd 2-hydroxybenzoic acid(salicylic acid) in aqueous solution by visible using job’s method of continuous variation. PRINCIPLE: The principle involved in UV/Visible spectrophotometry is that when a molecule is bombarded with electromagnetic radiations the electrons in the last energy shells get excited by absorbing that radiation and there is a transition between different energy levels. As the amount of light absorbed by the solution is directly proportional to the amount of the solute present and the concentration of the solution can be determined. UV/visible spectrophotometry depend on the ability of the substance to absorb light. In these spectrophotometry methods the solution of unknown concentration is compared with a set of solutions of known concentrations and this gives the concentration of the unknown solution. This method usually involves the use of metal complexing agents such as di-sodium EDTA, iron (III) for various purposes (such as masking agents). 2-hydroxybenzoic acid combines with iron (III) forming a coloured complex. This complex is then using a UV/visible spectroscopy. The method employed in this experiment is the Job’s method where different proportions of metal and reagent are mixed with a fixed molarity. The absorbance readings are taken for the series of solutions prepared and a graph is plotted between the absorbance and the mole fractions of the metal and reagents. This UV/Visible method can only be used if the complex formed is coloured. In this experiment Fe(III) and salicylic acid combine to form a blue complex which can be detected spectroscopically at 525nm with distilled or de-ionised water as an indicator. PRECAUTIONS: All the glassware was thoroughly cleaned using distilled water in order to avoid contamination. Avoid the contamination of salicylic acid solution by fe(III). REQUREMENTS: CHEMICALS: Iron nitrate,2-hydroxy benzoic acid(salicylic acid),Distilled water APPARATUS: Two 5cm3 pipettes, ten 10cm3 volumetric flasks INSTRUMENT: Dual-beam visible spectrometer 1-cm path length glass cells (cuvettes) PROCEDURE: Prepare solutions of iron (III) ammoniun nitrate   and 2-hydroxy benzoic acid with distilled water and each having a concentration of 2103 mol dm-3(slightly heat salicylic acid) using appropriate amount of each in 75cm3 of water in a beaker. Transfer each solution to a 100cm3 flask and dilute to the mark with distilled water. Nine solutions of the iron (III) complex of 2-hydroxy benzoic acid were prepared by mixing the acid solution and iron (III) complex in 10cm3 volumetric flask using different burettes as per the following scheme. Volume of acid/cm3 Colume of fe(iii) cm3 Mole fraction of acid,x 1 9 0.1 2 8 0.2 3 7 0.3 4 6 0.4 5 5 0.5 6 4 0.6 7 3 0.7 8 2 0.8 9 1 0.9 Absorbance of each of the above solutions and the original Fe(III) solution was measured at 525nm. CALCULATIONS: Calculation of   the amount of Iron (III) nitrate required: Concentration of solution prepared = 2103 Molecular weight of Iron (III) nitrate   = 404 gm/ mol Amount of Iron (III) nitrate required for 100 ml = No. of moles Ãâ€" Mol.wt Ãâ€" 100 1000 = 2 Ãâ€" 10-3 Ãâ€" 404 Ãâ€" 100 1000 = 0.0808 gm Similarly, To calculate the amount of 2-Hydroxy benzoic acid (Salicylic acid ) required to prepare s soluton of conc of 2103: Molecular weight of Salicylic acid = 138.12 gm /mol Amount of Salicylic acid required for 100ml = No. of moles Ãâ€" Mol.wt Ãâ€" 100 1000 = 2 Ãâ€" 10-3 Ãâ€" 138.12 Ãâ€" 100 1000 =0.02762 gm Absorbances of prepared solutions when measured at 525nm under a UV spectrophotometer: Volume of acid /cm3 Volume of Fe (III) / cm-3 Mole Fraction of acid , X Absorbance at 525 nm Corrected absorbance Ac 1 9 0.1 0.3441 0.304 2 8 0.2 0.5726 0.5325 3 7 0.3 0.9220 0.8819 4 6 0.4 1.1955 1.1554 5 5 0.5 1.4464 1.4063 6 4 0.6 1.3720 1.3319 7 3 0.7 1.0028 0.9627 8 2 0.8 0.7129 0.6728 9 2 0.9 0.3861 0.346 Original Fe(III) 0.0401 RESULT: Calculation of molar absorbtivity of Fe(III) using beer-lambert’s law: Where, A = absorbance, â‚ ¬Fe. = molar absorbitivity of Fe(III) b = path length, C = concentration of the solution. à ¨Ã‚   â‚ ¬Fe = 0.0401/10.002 =  Ã‚   20.05 CORRECTED ABSORBANCE FOR EACH OF THE 9 SOLUTIONS: We have, Ac = A – [Є Fe (1-x).b.c] Where, A is uncorrected absorbance for each of the solutions. Є Fe = 20.05 X= Mole fraction b = Path length (1 cm) c = Molar concentration (2 Ãâ€" 10-3 mol dm-3) PLOT OBTAINED FOR CORRECTED ABSORBANCE (Ac) AND MOLE FRACTION(x): From the above graph the value of x from the intersected portion of the graph was found to be Stoichiometry of the Fe(III) / 2-hydroxy benzoic acid complex, Fe(HB)n by evaluation of n by following expression: X= n/1+n à °Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   0.5 = n/(1+n) = 0.5(1+n) = n,  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   à ¨   0.5= 0.5*n  Ã‚  Ã‚   à ¨ n=1 DISCUSSION: Structural formula of Fe(III)/ 2-hydroxybenzoic acid. Fe+3 In the above structure the Fe+3 molecule reacts with the lone pair of electrons present on the oxygen molecule. It is necessary to correct the absorbance readings as the absorbance’s obtained also include the radiation absorbed by the Fe+3 molecule and the concentration obtained from uncorrected absorbance would be inaccurate. Also these corrections bring about significant difference in the final value as we can see the difference between both the values is 0.05(approx).   The point of intersection gives us the volume of reactant mixture required to obtain the maximum absorbance. While the graph plotted against mole fraction and absorbance initially gives a straight line it reaches it shows a curvature at the end as it reaches saturation point and after this point there is a decline in the absorbance by the solution. Hence the graph of mole fraction against absorbance gives a curvature between linear portions. Alternative procedures for establishing the stoichiometry of a metal complex are as follows: Fluorescence spectroscopy Gas-Liquid chromatography Slope ratio method. REFERENCES: -. (2010). Manufacturer Opens up about Japanese Honeysuckle Extract . Available: google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://chemicaloftheday.squarespace.com/storage/salicylic%2520acid.jpg%3F__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION%3D1276889856661imgrefurl=http://chemicaloftheday.squarespace.. Last accessed 25/03/2011. Bauer Christian OReilly (2008). instumental analysis. -: Allyn and Bacon,Inc.. 154. skoog west holler (1996). analytical chemistry. 7th ed. kentucky,USA: Saunders College Publishing. 557.

HRD program Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

HRD program - Assignment Example Out of several external consultants contacted, a senior consultant in the industry, Mr. Watson, proposed a training program on behaviour based safety. Mr. Watson supported his argument by pointing out that only 15 to 20% of industrial accidents are caused by unsafe conditions. The remaining accidents are all caused by unsafe behaviour. Among the accidents caused by unsafe behaviour, a greater number of accidents are caused by negligence (that includes cutting corners to save time or allowing comfort, convenience or complacency to affect job performance) than due to ignorance (lack of education, training or experience). Mr. Watson made a valid point. All of the employees in the organisation were trained on safety and security at work. However, they were not trained on behaviour based safety. Thus, Mr. Baker chose to train the operations team on behaviour based safety. When HR department checked the credibility of Mr. Watson, they found that he had conducted several training programs o n the topic and had a long list of credible clients. Since there was nobody in the organisation who could train on behaviour based safety, Mr. Watson was selected to provide the training. Need Assessment After determining which training was needed, HR wanted to know who needed the training (person analysis). This need assessment exercise was also necessary to define the objectives of the training program. For the purpose, Mr. Watson devised a need assessment exercise—a questionnaire that was administered to a random sample of 50 workers. To increase the credibility of the exercise, it was kept anonymous. The questionnaire contained the following questions: What is your role in the organisation? What do you like about the organisation? What does the organisation do well? What you think about the safety culture of the organisation? How would you rate the safety culture of the organisation on a scale of 1-10? What are some of the best things about the safety management system? W hat are the gaps in safety culture- process/ system/ behaviour? What makes you frustrated or unhappy at times? Do you understand the need for getting feedback on safety lapses? How frequently are you provided feedback related to safety? The answers to these questions alarmed Mr. Baker. Workers did not perceive the factory area as a completely safe place. They agreed that they take shortcuts due to deadline pressures even though they know that it is risky. They do not get feedback on behaviour based safety lapses. Achieving targets and goals are celebrated, while safe working habits are not considered by the frontline and middle level management. All this indicated that the gap between what is and what ought to be begins with the frontline and middle level management. Hence, there is need to train 5 operations managers and 20 supervisors on behaviour based safety. These trainees will further increase awareness amongst the other employees by sharing the training with them. Objectives of the Training Program The objectives of the program are as follows: 1. Understanding what behaviour based safety is and the need to change behaviour to make the workplace secure. 2. Analysing the factors that helped other organizations reduce workplace hazards. 3. Knowing how to make sustainable changes in behaviour that would lead towards workplace safety. 4. Preparing an action plan on introducing the behaviour based safety techniques in the organisatio

Why is freedom of expression so fundamental to democracy Assignment

Why is freedom of expression so fundamental to democracy - Assignment Example It should be realized that this resolution was made before any other in the history of the UN. Freedom of expression is very important in creating the right environment for democracy to work and thrive. Considering that democracy involves creating society where public participation is enhanced, freedom of expression is seen to play a major role in creating this important aspect in decision making. Democracy calls for the involvement of all citizens in the affairs of the country. In this case, the citizens cannot really participate in the democratic process if they do not have the right to access information. In the same way, the masses should have the freedom to express their views and opinions freely without any fear of reprimand (GHREN). In most cases freedom of expression is only viewed in relation to human dignity. However, it should be realized that it is also important to enhance such aspects like participation, democracy and accountability in the society. In this case any violations on the freedom of expression have direct impact on the ability of the people to participate and associate in the general democratic process. Across the world, several situations abound where civilizations have struggled to secure the right to express themselves. While this freedom is taken for granted in most developed countries, it is not actually the case in many developing societies across the world. There are still many violations on the freedom of expression realized in many countries. The suppression of the ability of the people to express their views is always seen to be a major impediment to the realization of democracy. Much progress has been made in the process of securing freedom of expression in many societies across the world. However, several challenges still persist and many efforts are being made to implement this fundamental right through series of functional

Comparing Regulation of bank provision for two countries Essay

Comparing Regulation of bank provision for two countries - Essay Example Part of the functions of the Central Bank of Iraq, as can be gleaned from the above, is the regulation of the banking system to make sure that players abide by the rules and the law. It also serves to shape the policy relating to the money supply, as well as occupies the role of the lender that banks and other entities can turn to when there are no other venues to source loans (Central Bank of Iraq; Munro 4). The way that the Iraqi Central Bank has vast power over the money supply is evidenced in recent news, for instance, relating to the bank imposing rules to regulate the way banks and other entities in Iraq are able to purchase US dollars (Albawaba Business). In similar fashion, the Central Bank of the UAE is likewise founded on the basis of a founding law, passed this time around in 1960, and its powers mirror the powers that are bestowed on the Iraqi Central Bank. The founding laws are said to be based on the principle that the UAE Central Bank ought to be autonomous and self-functioning, and on the principle of the importance of sound monetary policy crafted outside of the usual pressures associated with temporal politics. The independence of the Central Bank is an aspect of its independence to set monetary policy for the whole of the UAE. Moreover, as in the case of the Iraqi Central Bank, the intention of the law and of attempts to modify the founding laws of the UAE Central Bank, is to make sure that it operates along the lines of international law and international banking standards, as can be gleaned from the Basel Committee formulations. As with the Iraqi Central Bank too, the UAE Central Bank has vast powers to regulate the mem bers of the banking system, to impose the rules, and to make sure that players adhere to those rules. On the other hand, while the Iraqi Central Banks more recent moves involves the restricting in foreign currency trades, especially with the US dollar, the

Business Proposal On Tailor Made Adventure Holidays Tourism Essay

Business Proposal On Tailor Made Adventure Holidays Tourism Essay This report puts forth a unique business proposal, based on tailor-made adventure holidays. This business plan encompasses unique holiday packages for adventure lovers residing in the United Kingdom, attractive deal of prices and promises of delivering a true value for money experience to our customers, a clear understanding of the market, the anchoring segmentation, marketing and pricing strategies that confirm a competitive edge over existing players in the market, along with the financial projections made in light of realistic terms and conditions. To deliver our customers an entire experience to value, rather than a mere service for a value. Our aim is to make it a very simple and pleasant experience for our customers at every step, i.e. right from the time they consult us to bookings made, to the time their trip comes to an end and even after that we intend to live up to the needs of a good and lasting customer relationship. To encourage eco-tourism. Our second aim is to actively encourage eco-tourism. Any kind of harm caused to the ecology, if witnessed, would certainly not be entertained. Our effort towards this aim would be, say, taking care of the camels during camel safari that is amongst one of our packages for trip to Rajasthan in India. Also, not causing any kind of disruptions to the space and milieu of various animals, during trips to forests, would be highly acknowledged. Especially, during trips to forests in Africa which form a paradise for several endangered species. Our objectives are: To be the first choice of our prospective customers. We wish to be the first choice of the adventure lovers in the UK, seeking to book adventure trips for themselves. To rule the niche market of exclusive tailor-made adventure holidays. Considering the fact that we belong to an extremely niche market, it is one of our prime objectives to dominate the market, where customers come to us by choice, and not just by chance. To cover as many as, all the adventurous destinations round the globe by 2020. We intend to take our customers to numerous destinations to adventure the real variety of adventure! Right from the soft adventures like balloon safaris through the royal palaces of the incredible Rajasthan in India to extreme adventures of confronting the ultimate wildlife in the bushes of Amazon. In years to come, not only cover, but we also intend to discover such adventurous destinations round the globe that are still waiting to be seen and experienced. Product PRODUCT The product we would be offering is the various packages to the destinations mentioned below. Destinations Europe Asia Africa Polland India Spain Thailand Amazon Turkey Tanzania Uganda Initially, we have chosen these eight destinations because, they exhibit variety in adventure. Our packages to these destinations would be promoted by the following names: Phenomenal India Wild Tanzania Thai venture Enticing Poland Frantic Amazon Sensational Spain Kingkong Uganda Thrill In Turkey CHARACTERISTICS OF OUR PRODUCT Exclusively for UK residents wanting to book an adventure tour. Our main focus as far as customers are concerned, are the people residing only in the United Kingdom and the ones who want to go for an adventure trip in particular. Tailor-made in true sense. We are different from other tailor-made tour companies as we provide for freedom of choice in every sense. For e.g. definitely, apart from our advice and suggestions; our customer is given a wide range of choices to make according to his requirement and convenience with respect to selection of hotel rooms (whether deluxe or economy), option of booking Air tickets with us, including or excluding the meal option and so on. Also, our customer is free to decide the combination of adventure activities within a destination, like, he may choose a combination of Tiger Safari and Paragliding in two different places within India that we offer. For all age groups. We are open to all age groups because we offer a mix of soft as well as extreme adventure. The customer decides the price is our key selling proposition. Other agencies offer packages inclusive of all its features for a set price. We would offer only what the customer is seeking for and he pays only for what he chooses. Thus, it is the customers choice of place, adventure and price too! All procedures are just at a click of a button. Our official website would provide for easy accessibility to complete information of our products, booking and payment procedures and all the required guidelines to our customers all over UK. Market analysis Market research is just like the foundation of any business research. Thus, it is one of the most crucial functionality that makes a piece of information more reliable and evident. Businesses, small or large, need this kind of research, not only to keep a track of the market, but also, to understand what and how certain strategies need to be introduced into the business to keep in pace with the uncertain market situations. For a start up business like ours, market research and analysis is of great onus, to determine the feasibility of a new business. Our market analysis comprises of reports from Keynote and other websites like CNBC, that discuss about the UK travel market. The following data largely talks about our market, the customer behaviour persisting in the market and the trends, that in turn suggest us how can our business reach the desired levels of profit. TRENDS IN OUTBOUND TOURISM According to Keynote, the UK tourism market, in total is divided into three categories namely, inbound, outbound and domestic. The combined market yielded  £74billion in the year 2008; out of which the contribution of domestic and outbound was as good as 77.9%. The outbound market increased by 20.6% during 2004-2008; being quite remarkable. (KEYNOTE: A Report on Overseas Tour Operators, 2009) Analysis The table above clarifies the total UK market for tourism. This table was used to identify and understand value and number of overseas holidays made. It implies that outbound travel or overseas trips are greater than others, by value. This says, in UK tourism market, role of outbound is significant. This also means UK population, appreciates trips abroad and hence would buy our packages as we offer mix and range of many countries. PATTERN OF HOLIDAY TRIPS ABROAD Statistics highlighted by Keynote show, that holiday trips both domestic and abroad, estimated up to 120 million; almost equating to two holidays per resident. Figures put forth a lucrative amount of 64.1%, being the share of the total amount of money that people in the UK spend on holidays abroad. In volume (Million Trips) By value ( £ Billion) (KEYNOTE: A Report on Top Markets: Transport Tourism, 2010) Analysis This report was used to identify holiday trips made abroad. Trip abroad can mean a visit to family or friends, or a business trip, or a holiday trip. These two graphs help us in narrowing down to holiday trips only. This shows customers spending on holidays abroad. According to the graphs above, although the outbound holiday trip is less in number as compared to domestic trip (by number of trips made); but, is definitely much superior with respect to value. It can be understood as; value of one overseas trip is equal to value of three domestic trips, concerning the price of package. This also shows outbound holiday trips generate more money than domestic trips. ADVENTURE TRIPS MADE, IN PARTICULAR It is interesting to note that, average expenditure made on activity trips abroad is much higher than that of domestic ones; which is estimated up to a significant  £1,000 in comparison with a mere  £193 respectively. By Volume (Million trips) By Value ( £ Billion) (KEYNOTE: Report on Activity Holidays, 2009) Analysis This report from Keynote helps us to narrow down to adventure holidays in particular. This data is used to investigate, the interest and buying behaviour of UK population towards activity holidays. Total holiday trips abroad comes to 39 £bn, and the total of adventure holiday trips abroad is 7.7 £bn. These figures tell us that out of all holiday trips made abroad, 20% are only for adventure. This is a very positive figure for us, because, there are so many types of holidays like, Sightseeing, Beach holidays, Historic attractions, Honeymoon holidays, Spa holidays etc. Amongst this scattered range, adventure holidays has a good 20% share, which says all; that people in UK like adventure holidays and they spend too accordingly for it. RANKING OF DESIRED DESTINATIONS The following are the favourite destinations, where people prefer to go for holidays. Especially, 13.4 million visits have been made solely to Spain, which makes way for it to top the list of most preferred holiday destinations that people of UK tend to choose. (KEYNOTE: A Report on Travel agents and Operators, 2009) Analysis These are favourite places where people of UK like to visit. According to this report, largest number of tourists is for Spain. We have used this report, to decide onto the choice of countries to offer to the customer. Looking at the statistics, we chose Spain, Turkey, Poland and India, as these are the destinations consumers like to visit. Our other choice of country i.e. African countries is done for a reason that, several UK consumers are yet to explore these regions as tourist places. Our research and observation shows, African market for adventure holidays is still unexplored and untapped for UK customers and the beautiful aspect of this is, the variety and thrill in adventure that Africa has; is what UK consumer will love. So, what intend to offer places they typically go in accordance with what they like and also place that they would like to go, if given a chance. It is more like introducing African adventure holidays to UK consumers in a refined and tailor-made way. US, the second favourite, will be offered in years to come. ROLE OF INTERNET IN BOOKING TOURS (KEYNOTE: A Report on Holiday Purchasing Patterns, 2009) Analysis This table is been used to see the importance of internet for holidays. The chart above reflects the source of information for the last holiday taken in last 12 months (in % of adults) This table supports that, internet is the largest source used by people to book their holidays. This would be very fruitful to us because, as we are a virtually operating tour company, we would have the largest number of potential customers finding us and seeking information. The figure for information from tour operator is also pretty decent. So, in a way, we are likely to benefit in this situation, both, through internet users as well as our physical presence. CUSTOMER SOPHISTICATION According to a Keynote report based on Purchasing Patterns (2009), customer sophistication in terms of their awareness about technology usage has seen a steep rise. Moreover, their ideas about holidays have only and only grown clearer about how exactly they wish to design their trips; further adds to attract them towards our type of service. A survey by CNBC says, Holiday Are a Necessity for Britons Further it mentioned that, Despite the fragile economic recovery, 91% of Britons surveyed are still keen to take their annual holiday, according to the British Travel Awards. Lorraine Barnes Burton, CEO of British Travel Awards, told CNBC Thursday that people are more likely to cut back on other discretionary spend before they cut back on their holiday (CNBC SURVEY, February 2010) FORECAST With respect to a report on Keynote, activity holidays abroad are expected to grow from 5.6 million trips to 6.1 million trips during the year span from 2009 to 2013. Moreover, the expected increase by value, during the same span is  £5.3 billion to  £6.7 billion. (KEYNOTE: A Report on Activity Holiday, 2009) Analysis Considering factors like recession and consumer spending, tourism is definitely in a little unstable situation. But the best part is, things are moving towards positive and the forecast table supports this. Outbound activity holidays are expected to rise in the next three years. The growth is predicted to be comparatively higher in 2012 and 2013. Forecasts further show that outbound activity holidays will continue to generate more revenue compared to domestic activity holidays. There are few more implications regarding the forecast related to Political and Economical issues. Factors like, more specific regulatory issues relating to tour operator licensing and customer safety and restrictive entry visa requirements. There was decline in UK GDP in 2009. However, 2010 observed a 1.2% increase and the prediction for 2012 expects a rise by 2.5%. COMPETITORS As mentioned earlier in this report, we belong to an extremely niche market. Our research says, there are quite a few tailor-made tour operators and travel companies specialized in designing adventure trips; but very few direct competitors i.e. both tailor-made as well as specialized in adventure trips in particular. This gives us a stronger chance to make our presence felt in the market with the help of appropriate strategies. The following are our indirect competitors: Tailor-made holiday Tour operators Tailormade Travel Kirkir holidays Travelbag.co.uk Kuoni travels Audley travels Theres a long list, of about 40tailor made holiday operator companies in UK. These are the most known and popular. They are not direct competition, but there is obviously a threat because they have adventure holidays. There is another aspect to this too that, customers who like tailoring their holiday might look for tailor made adventure holiday as well. Adventure Holiday operators The Adventure Company Explore! World-wide Adventure Travel Adventure Sports Holidays Activities abroad Footloose Adventure Travel Addicted to Travel Active Adventure High Adventure and Wild Expedition These are the tour operators which have only adventure activities. They are even bigger threat, because customer looking for adventure holiday would not necessarily try for tailor made holidays unless he is looking for same. The following are our direct competitors: Tailor-made adventure tour operators Wild Frontier Adventure travel Adventure tours and Tailor made holidays Tailor-made Explore Adventure Holidays Responsibletravel.com Imaginative traveller These four are our main direct competitors, all UK based. Undoubtedly, these travel companies have a wide range of destinations to offer. But, they tailor only to the extent of preferred types of rooms in a hotel, flight bookings. A customer is definitely free to state specifications if any; but, anything more than this might or might not be arranged for. This is what is common in all these adventure tour operators. How are we different from our direct competitors Intensely Tailor-made: We welcome choices made by our customers in light of not only hotel rooms, flight seat specification; but also, to the extent that our customer is free to choose his own adventurous activities at various destinations that we offer. The Kingpin pays only for what he chooses to: By this we mean that our customer has the liberty to make a choice of even the activities at the destination he decides to go. He can choose his own combination of adventure according to his preference and most importantly pays only to the extent of what he chose. Thus, our packages have flexible pricing benefit. Strategy formulation Target segment Our segmentation is divided in two parts: By Age We would be considering all the age groups. Especially, age group ranging from: 30 years-49 years. While, 18 years-29 years and 49+, if applicable. By Class Affluent class. Upper middle class. Basically, our customer can be anyone who can afford to spend an average of  £1,000 for holiday trips as we provide for a blend of adventure with desired levels of luxury. The following table represents the weekly disposable income categorized by age. Considering this information can help us know who can be our prospective customers and how can we generate sales. (KEYNOTE: A Report of Market Assessment on Extended Financial Families, 2005) Analysis Age groups ranging from 30 years-49 years have the highest weekly disposable income; which also form our prime focus for selling packages. Second highest is the age group that ranges from 50 years-64 years of age; which implies that these are people who have money but most probably might not be keen to go for extreme adventure trips. So, we can sell them our packages that ensure soft forms of adventure, say, a balloon safari Rajasthan, India or boat cruise in the forests of Amazon. It shows that we have a good amount of prospective customers. It reflects that the market indeed has the type of customers we looking for, who can potentially buy our services if we can reach them. Competitive position The following table is a glance of what our direct competitors are offering and how different are we, to this regard. These are the specimen forms that are provided in either of the cases under specialized tailor-made holidays. DIRECT COMPETITOR VENTURE FUN TOURS CUSTOMERS PERSONAL DETAILS CUSTOMERS PERSONAL DETAILS CUSTOMERS CONTACT DETAILS CUSTOMERS CONTACT DETAILS CUSTOMERS POSTAL DETAILS CUSTOMERS POSTAL DETAILS EXTRACT INFORMATION: like, how did they hear about us etc. EXTRACT INFORMATION: like, how did they hear about us and so on. DATE OF TRAVEL DATE OF TRAVEL CLASS OF TRAVEL: Business/Economy DURATION OF TRAVEL: Default or set by customer. OTHER SPECIFICATIONS INCLUDE: Flight only/ Self drive/Camper van/ Coach. OTHER SPECIFICATIONS INCLUDE: Flight details- Economy class/Business class (both for International Domestic flights) Preferred Local transport- Coach/ boat cruises/local trains. Meals: Yes/No ; if yes, then Vegetarian/Non-vegetarian; Meals on certainly specified days; Go for the default program. CHOICE OF DESTINATIONS CHOICE OF DESTINATIONS CHOICE OF HOTEL CHOICE OF ROOMS IN HOTEL: Deluxe/Economy/Suite. CHOICE OF DURATION AVAILABLE PACKAGES AVAILABLE PAKAGES AVAILABLE ADVENTURE ACTIVITIES: By Default or chosen by the customer. PRICES OF PACKAGES (fixed) PRICE OF PACKAGE: Set by Customer. SPECIFICATIONS, IF ANY FURTHER SPECIFICATIONS SWOT Analysis The following are the strengths of our business, which grants us certain opportunities: STRENGHT OPPORTUNITY 1. Intensively personalized/tailor-made. Customers needs completely meet our offer. 2. Price of customers choice. Customer is free to stick to his budget. 3. UK has large no. of holidays abroad. We have a large prospective market to attract. 4. 20% of total holidays abroad comprise of adventure holidays in particular. A Large number of people from UK like to go for adventure trips. The following are the weaknesses that might probe into a threat to us in respective ways: WEAKNESS THREAT 1. We are yet to enter the market. The existing companies are presently more recognized. 2. Acts of terrorism tend to badly affect tourism. Reduced sales are a loss to the company. 3. Reduction in the currency rate of Sterling Pound due to recession. Might affect the spending ability of people on holidays thus, may lead to stagnancy in sales. + Pricing Strategy: Our pricing strategy would be Skimming Pricing. Segment: This pricing strategy implies skimming a segment of customers in the market; as, in our case it is mainly the rich class and upper middle class people. Cost of Production: Our average cost of production per package is approximately  £1,000. This includes payments to all our non-labour resources right from hotels/resorts to flight booking to activity operators to local transport providers so on and so forth. Cost Differentiation: It is not possible for us to compete much on grounds of cost differentiation. Hence, our prices are not very different from what other service providers like us are offering, but our service is undoubtedly more personalized. At the most, we can probably give certain discounts in peak season to our customers. For example, discounts for couples or kids in a family, who are below 10 years of age or school/college trips. Negotiation with Suppliers: Negotiation with suppliers might enable us to procure concessions on costs, so that we can either yield a greater profit margin or give discounts to customers to expedite sales. Competitive Pricing: The prices of our packages range from a minimum  £800 to  £1,500 and higher, depending up on how much a customer is willing to spend. This price though is for 7 to 8 days, unless the customer wants to pay more and extend his holiday; other operators quote this price for approximately 15 days. But, we justify our prices because of the extent to which our packages are flexible and personalized. Marketing strategy Throughout our main marketing tag line would be; YOUR place, YOUR priceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ thrill too of YOUR choice!!! Web page: Our official website would be the prime place to promote our service. Hence, we would aim to build a very strong and impressive web page. Our web page would be clear and easy to understand. We would provide for online chat service. If the customer has a query or complaint, this service would facilitate personal contact. Online ads: As we are virtual travel operators, next best choice would be online ads. Online ads reach to large audience at a fast rate and are cost effective as well. For this, we would use Business Internet Directory and Axandra; which would cost us  £289/year and  £52/month respectively. We may also opt for such other online services that offer us still lower prices. Another advantage of this strategy is that we get to choose a keyword for which we want to come in first 10 choices in search engine; so that our customers can find us easily. Digital displays: We wish to have our digital display and banner at Heathrow International Airport. The digital display would have clips of destinations and would depict the tailor-made aspect clearly. The banner (1533/month) would show picture of a popular destination with the name of our company. Expenditure in both the cases would be  £1,533/month. Such ads would be displayed only six times in a year, i.e. those six months would be during and around the peak season. Billboards: Billboards would be put in four main city centres of UK; mostly in Finchley, London and the one in Cardiff. It would be for four months in a year in each of the cities. Billboards will have new features or aspects each time. This would cost us about  £500/month. Brochures: Brochure distribution in city malls would also be done. Around 200-250 brochures and pamphlets would be distributed, say, on any four days of a month. Tie ups: We would try to tie up with restaurant joints like Pizza hut or Burger King and convince them to have a contest or something. The trips awarded to winners then would be managed by us. Universities: Contacts would be made with Universities and our contact details would be furnished to them. We intend to help students by providing them information or internal interviews for their dissertations or research on any topic related to travel, tourism and hospitality. This would make us popular among students and universities. (All costs of advertising are included in Costing, under the heading Advertising.) Costing Costing here will cover costs that would be incurred initially, i.e. at the time of establishing the business; the monthly expenditures like, the rent, electricity charges, salary etc; costs incurred depending up on the type and the number of employees we would be hiring; also, costs anchored to our packages. The following are the costs represented in a tabular format along with their explanations. INITIAL AND MONTHLY COSTS: INITIAL COSTS (In Pounds) Security Deposit 1,000 Rent 500 Equipments 2,500 Advertising (6months) 10,000 Registration 350 TOTAL: 14,350 £ Explanation: Initially we would require paying a security deposit of  £1,000 i.e. double the rent, along with the rent of the first month being  £500. So, that makes it  £1,500 towards rent in the first month. Equipments would include computer systems, printer, scanner, fax machine, Xerox machine and so on. We would enter into a contract with an advertising agency for six months, which would cost us  £10,000. Cost of registration would come up to  £350. MONTHLY EXPENSES (In Pounds) Rent 500 Electricity 100 Water 40 Telephone 16 Stationary 1,000 TOTAL: 1,656 £ Explanation: Monthly rent would be  £500. We would get into a contract with SWALEC, according to which we would have a fixed post-paid amount to pay every month, which would be  £100 each month, which comes up to  £1200 per year. Water charges incurred would be approximately  £40. A special deal with Talk Talk service providers would grant unlimited international calling in a fixed rate of  £16 per month. Stationary would include pen, pencils and erasers, staplers, punching machines, papers, files folders and so on. STAFF WAGES: TYPE OF STAFF (In Pounds) Manager (Salaried Employee) 1,800 Customer service Executive (Full time) 1,200/Month Customer service Executive (Part time) 472/Month TOTAL: 3,472 £ Explanation: We would employee a Manager, who would be a salaried employee and would be paid  £1,800. We would require to employee a full time Customer Care Executive, who would be paid  £1,200 each month. We would also recruit a part time Customer Care Executive having a salary of  £472 per month. COSTS OF INDIVIDUAL PACKAGES: The cost of individual package means the cost incurred to make a particular package. This cost includes expenses to reach to different activity operators; which refers to contacting them or making contract with them, or giving them information or getting information. This cost is counted under the head of telephone cost. (Example: calling the operator dealing with winter sports in Poland and making the deal.) There is no cost involved for signing the deal, its a rapport built by communication modes like emails and telephone. This essentially lets the suppliers know that we too exist in the market, and that we can provide potential customers to them as well. This makes a win-win situation possible for both the parties. With time, we would get more and more familiar with suppliers in the market. Good supplier-relationship will lead to the scope for acquiring concessions also. Keeping aside the profit margin as  £150- £200, all the remaining price of the packages that range from  £1000- £1200- £1500, is the cost behind the packages that we would incur. In the third year, we expect a reduction in cost of sales, as we would be getting discounts from suppliers. Staffing resourcing STAFF Initially, we would be employing: One Manager. One full time Customer Care Executive. One part time Customer Care Executive. The following are the details of their job profiles, criteria of selection, likely remuneration and methods of recruitment. Type of staff : Manager Job profile : Managing and co-ordinating the team of customer care executives. Communicating courteously, in case required to deal with a client personally. Analysing market and financial statistics to mould strategies if necessary. Handling customer complains. Establishing contacts and networking with various hotels, resorts and activity operators, being one of the main demands of our service. Training the staff. Job specification : An MBA graduate or holder of a post graduation degree in Hospitality Tourism. Preferably should have a work experience of minimum one year. Excellent communication skills required. Must know to implement leadership qualities. Well versed with basic managerial skills. Remuneration :  £1,800 per month i.e.  £21,600 per year (8 hours/day, Mon-Fri, salaried employee) Type of staff : Customer care executive Job profile : Receiving calls of the customers. Handling customer queries. Suggesting and advising customers to design trips that best suits their choice and budget. Explaining the features of the various products if required. Co-ordinating with the resort and activity operators based on the instructions given by the manager. Managing the data base and information system. Job specification : Any graduate, preferably in the fields of Management or Hospitality Tourism. Preferably should have some work experience in any kind of hospitality service. Must possess excellent persuasive communication skills. Must hav

Over Population Essay -- essays research papers

The population of our planet will quickly reach a point where there will not be adequate amount of resources to support life on Earth. Population control must be enforced to avoid such a catastrophic occurrence. Many economic, social and environmental problems are either affiliated with or are increased due to overpopulation. With an exponentially increasing world population, the problems created by overpopulation grow correspondingly. In order to stabilize the massive population, the world must work together to maintain population stability. One of the main reasons is due to the fact that Man treats his surroundings, for example like his land, his environment, his atmosphere, his waters and other life forms as merely objects. Man utilizes, destroys and discards them when he’s finish. If Man does not respect his planet, there will be nothing left except for a dead, barren wasteland. We must act soon or better yet, now. The earth does not have enough resources to supply the cur rent enormous population growth. In many areas, there is simply not enough food to feed the growing populations. 150 million children in the world suffer from poor health due to food shortages. Alongside with food, there is another resource that cannot keep up with the increasing population, that is water. Our supply of fresh water is very essential to life and limited. Eventhough, our earth is covered with 2/3 of water and 1/3 land, converting salt water to fresh water can be expensive. In additi...