Critique of an Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Critique of an - Article Example Moreover, the authors assert that customers may have a central role to play in the employee turnover in a firm, since satisfied clients may increase the likelihood of employee retention for a firm due to heightened job satisfaction. Slatten, Svensson and Sv?ri (2010: 213) found out that all other factors contributing to the rate of employee turnover are dependent on the employees’ perception of the quality of service that one is capable of providing. The study shows that employee perception acts as the link between antecedents of employee turnover (empowerment, coaching and clarity of one’s role at the workplace), and the consequence that is the likelihood of employees to leave a workplace for another one. The 1076 subjects of the study completed a self-interview questionnaire, all of whom were frontline employees for service firms in Norway (Slatten, Svensson and Sv?ri 2010: 211). The sample was selected by judgment sampling, as 52 percent of the sample was male; avera ge age was 32 years; 61.3 percent were permanently employed and working on a fulltime basis; 74.6 had lasted for approximately 6 years with their employer; and about half had achieved higher education. This sample is only appropriate for demonstration purposes as it is not representative of Norway’s service industry workforce; in addition, the sample size is small and not appropriate for generalization to the whole population (Grant and Cavanagh, 2004: 18). The authors should have adopted a random sample, mainly by a combination of a cluster sample and a systematic sample that is inclusive of all components of the service sector employee population, and is random enough to give each member of the population a chance to be picked in the sample. However, testing the questionnaires on 53 respondents before the study was a proper approach since the pilot study enabled them to identify limitations of the study before incurring financial and time expenses, and make modifications. M oreover, the use of a combination of questions from previous studies gave the authors an increased chance of making corrections on errors made in previous studies and improving on previous study techniques. The variables in this study are qualitative, including satisfaction, perceptions, needs and preferences; however, Slatten, Svensson and Sv?ri (2010: 211) used a seven point Likert-scale to give the qualitative information a quantitative aspect. This involves making numerous assumptions, including the obvious one of assuming that employees had the ability to assign numerical values to their feelings and perceptions (Karatepe and Uludag, 2008: 116). Consequently, the objectivity of the study is reduced as a result of the process of changing quality into quantity, as employees are not homogenous in their perceptions. In addition, there is little difference between the seven levels of Likert-scale, and employees are more likely to be biased in their analysis due to real or perceived differences between them as seen in Chiu et al. (2005: 486). This makes it impossible to generalize the results of the study to include different backgrounds, mainly due to the varied results that are likely since employee perceptions are dependent on a myriad of market factors (Richards, 2009). Slatten, Svensson

The Human Rights Act 1998 and Parliamentary Sovereignty Essay

The Human Rights Act 1998 and Parliamentary Sovereignty - Essay Example Although Section 3(1) of the Human Rights Act 1998 provides for a limitation on the court’s power, in practice it appears as though it is the courts rather than Parliament that ultimately determines the extent to which human rights can be enforced and protected. 1 Section 3(1) of the Human Rights Act 1998 provides that courts are required to interpret national legislation in such a way as to ensure that they are consistent with human rights under the European Convention on Human Rights.2 However, in practice Parliament seemingly ceded parliamentary sovereignty relative to Convention rights to the judiciary. As Young notes, Section 3(1) of the Human Rights Act 1998 â€Å"could have the same effect as if it impliedly repealed the provisions of all statutes† that are inconsistent with Convention rights.3 Some members of the judiciary have expressed concerns over how the judiciary’s enhanced role under the Human Rights Act 1998 can be applied in a manner that corresp onds with Parliamentary sovereignty.4 Goldsworthy however, argues that concerns about the Human Rights Act 1998 usurping Parliamentary sovereignty and introducing judicial sovereignty are unfounded. The Human Rights Act 1998 does confer unprecedented authority upon the judiciary in terms of interpreting statutes so as to render them consistent with Convention rights. At the same time, the Human Rights Act 1998 does not provide the judiciary with the authority to â€Å"disapply† or â€Å"invalidate† those statutes.... Lord Hope observed that: The rule of law enforced by the courts is the ultimate controlling factor on which our constitution is based.10 Therefore from Lord Hope’s perspective, Parliamentary sovereignty has evolved with the implementation of the Human Rights Act 1998 and has not altered the UK’s constitutional principles and values. Lord Steyn, however alludes to a dual sovereignty shared by the judiciary and Parliament as a result of the Human Rights Act 1998.11 Keene argues that the Judiciary under the deference principles implicit in the Human Rights Act 1998, attempts to strike a fair balance between individual rights and â€Å"the need to respect Parliament’s proper function†.12 This balancing act can be observed in the judgment of Laws LJ in International Transport Roth GmbH v Secretary of State for the Home Department. In this case Laws LJ set fourth four guiding principles for judicial application and interpretation of Convention rights under the a uthority permitted by the Human Rights Act. To begin with, the courts must give deference to Acts of Parliament rather than to executive or other official decisions and measures. Secondly, there will be no deference in instances when the Convention calls for a fair balance or where the rights under the Convention are absolute. Thirdly, where parliament will be given deference in instances where the manner is within their constitutional prevue and less deference will be given when the matter is within the judiciary’s constitutional prevue. Finally: Greater or less deference will be due according to whether the subject matter lies more readily within the actual or potential expertise of the democratic powers or the

Risk Factors for Musculoskeletal Symptoms in Sewing Tasks

Risk Factors for Musculoskeletal Symptoms in Sewing Tasks Title: Work-related psychosocial, physical and sociodemographic risk factors for musculoskeletal symptoms of the neck, shoulders and low back among workers engaged in sewing tasks Abstract Background: Neck/shoulder and back pain are highly prevalent among workers engaged in sewing activities, but their risk factors are controversial or not well-established. Methods: Data on sociodemographic and work-related factors and musculoskeletal pain (MSP) were based on questionnaire surveys of Iranian sewing workers (n = 632) (i.e. carpet weavers, shoe workers and sewing machine operators). Results: The prevalence of neck, shoulder and low back pain was 57.9%, 40.5% and 51.6%, respectively. The prevalence of neck/shoulder pain was higher among females and with increasing age. Working posture and fast working were independently associated with neck, shoulder and low back pain. Number of years worked as a sewing worker was associated with neck and low back pain. Long duration of continuous sitting work without a break was only associated with neck pain. Conclusions: The findings emphasise the importance of individual, physical and psychosocial aspects of sewing tasks in association with MSP and highlight the role of prevention in the workplace in order to reduce MSP. Keywords: hand-sewn; shoemaking; carpet weaving; sewing machine; MSDs Introduction Musculoskeletal pain (MSP) in the low back and neck/shoulders is a common cause of reduced quality of life, sick leave, and work disability in both industrialized and industrially developing countries (van der Windt et al. 2000; Picavet and Schouten 2003; McBeth and Jones 2007; Dianat and Salimi 2014). The risk and protective factors of these pains among different occupational groups, particularly in those involved in sedentary and repetitive activities, can be divided into physical, psychosocial, organizational and sociodemographic factors (Arià «ns et al. 2000; van der Windt et al. 2000; Linton 2001; Cà ´tà © et al. 2008; Dianat and Salimi 2014). Evidence suggests that neck/shoulder and back pain are highly prevalent among workers engaged in sewing activities. Previous epidemiological studies have shown a high prevalence of neck/shoulder and back pain among sewing machine operators (Serratos-Perez and Mendiola-Anda 1993; Roquelaure et al., 2002; Ãâ€"ztà ¼rk and Esin 2011), hand-woven carpet weavers (Motamedzade and Moghimbeigi 2012; Nazari et al. 2012) and hand-sewn shoe workers (Dianat and Salimi 2014). Such tasks are typically highly repetitive, which are performed in a seated working posture for a long period of time. The operations usually require the operator to lean forward (with a forward inclined posture of both head and trunk) to see the point of operation and have better visual control of the task. Such a working condition can impose excessive physical load on the musculoskeletal system, and may eventually lead to the development of MSP in the neck/shoulder and back area. Several previous studies have assessed MSP among occupations involving sewing operations such as shoe sewing machine operators (Serratos-Perez and Mendiola-Anda 1993; Roquelaure et al. 2002), garment sewing machine operators (Westgaard and Jansen 1992; Kaergaard and Andersen 2000; Ãâ€"ztà ¼rk and Esin 2011; Wang et al. 2007; Dianat et al. 2015), hand-woven carpet weavers (Motamedzade and Moghimbeigi 2012; Nazari et al. 2012) and hand-sewn shoe workers (Dianat and Salimi 2014), although the effects of risk factors are not consistent and conclusive. There are, for example, very few studies which have examined the association between working postures and MSP among sewing machine operators with some studies showing positive association (Dianat et al. 2015), while others show no association (Ãâ€"ztà ¼rk and Esin 2011). This also seems to be the case for other relatively similar occupations (i.e. carpet weaving and shoemaking) and their contributing risk factors. Therefore, to reduce m usculoskeletal pain, there is a need to improve the understanding of the risk factors associated with such complaints among this working population. Further research in this area will help to better understand the nature of those jobs involving sewing operation and to develop corrective measures and intervention strategies for this population. It also contributes more evidence to the debate and has the potential to inform work practises in other developing societies with similar occupational groups. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the occurrence of neck, shoulder and low back pain and their contributing sociodemographic and work-related (psychosocial and physical) risk factors among workers involved in different sewing activities. The intention was to place the discussion in a wider occupational context and use the findings to highlight areas that need more attention and to assist in introducing preventative measures and developing guidelines regarding safe working practices for those jobs involving sewing operation. Methods Study design and sample This cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study was conducted in three provinces (East Azerbaijan, Kermanshah and Kordestan) in the western part of Iran. The study population consisted of those workers engaged in different sewing activities including hand-woven carpet weavers, hand-sewn shoe workers and sewing machine operators. Data on the number of workers and workshops in the study area was obtained from the Iranian Ministry of Industries and Mines. There were about 14,000 hand-woven carpet weavers, 7,000 hand-sewn shoe workers and 5,000 sewing machine operators in the study area who worked at approximately 1800, 1700 and 500 different workshops, respectively. Sampling was done using a multi-stage random selection process. In the first stage, the required numbers of workshops, which included 60 workshops from each of the three different occupational groups, were selected randomly (using probability proportion to size sampling method). Using the same procedure, participants were then selected from these workshops. The participants were familiarised with the study procedure and their questions were answered by the investigators. They each signed a written informed consent form before participation in the study. The study protocol was approved by the ethical review committee of the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. Measures and data collection The data were collected using both questionnaire and direct observation of the participants during their work. Arrangements were made and then investigators visited the selected workshops for data collection. The questionnaire, administered by interviewing the participants, was composed of items on sociodemographic characteristics, work-related psychosocial and physical risk factors and musculoskeletal pain in the last month. Working postures were assessed through direct observation of participants’ postures at their workstations using the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) method (McAtamney and Corlett 1993). Musculoskeletal pain The questions on MSP were adapted from the standardised Nordic Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire (Kuorinka et al. 1987). This questionnaire has been translated and revised into Persian language and has an established validity and reliability (Dianat et al. 2014; Dianat and Karimi, 2014). The participants were asked whether they had experienced pain in the neck, shoulders or low back lasting for more than 1 day during the previous month. The location of these anatomic areas was also demonstrated by a drawing in the questionnaire. The response alternatives were: No/Yes. Those participants who reported MSP in any of these body areas were asked to rate its severity using a scale of 1 – very low pain to 5 – very high pain. Disruption of normal activities due to MSP (No/Yes) was also included. Sociodemographic and work-related factors The sociodemographic details included age, gender, height, weight, body mass index (BMI as weight/height2), educational level (Illiterate, Primary school, Secondary school, and Diploma), marital status (Single, Married), being involved in regular sport and physical activities each week (for at least 30 min) (No/Yes) and smoking habits (No/Yes). The questions regarding the work-related psychosocial and physical factors were based on prior knowledge and a literature review (Westgaard and Jansen 1992; Kaergaard and Andersen 2000; Wang et al. 2007; Ãâ€"ztà ¼rk and Esin 2011; Dianat and Salimi 2014) and included daily working hours, number of years worked as a sewing worker, having a second job (No/Yes), perceived speed of work (asking ‘Does your work require you to work very fast? No/Yes), duration of continuous work without a break (> 10 min) (asking ‘How many hours do you usually work without breaks (breaks > 10 min)?’), perceived pressure due to work (asking ‘Do you feel pressure due to work? No/Yes’) and job satisfaction based on the question: ‘How much are you satisfied with your job? Low, Moderate, High’. The questionnaire was tested in a pilot study on a sample of 65 participants in order to obtain feedback on the content, clarity and wording of the items of the questionnair e. The test-retest reliability (stability) of the items of the questionnaire was also good (Kappa coefficients ranged from 0.80 to 0.98). Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) (McAtamney and Corlett 1993) was used to assess the working postures of operators at their workstations. The RULA is a reliable and validated observational method for assessing biomechanical and postural loading on the musculoskeletal system of operators which is known to contribute to MSP. This method gives a score for each body part, where combinations of individual scores for upper arm, lower arm and wrist are called score â€Å"A†, those for neck, trunk and leg give score â€Å"B†, and the final score is called â€Å"grand score† which indicates the musculoskeletal loading associated with the operator’s posture. The original version of RULA checklist has been translated and revised into the Persian language and has shown to be valid and reliable (Dianat and Salimi 2014). The observations and recordings of working postures were performed by two trained observers. The inter-rater reliability of the RULA scores was also found to be good (Kappa coefficients ranging from 0.82 to 0.99). Statistical analysis The analysis of the data was performed using SPSS software (version 17.0; SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA). Sociodemographic data and work-related characteristics of the study participants were tabulated. Logistic regression models with odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were developed to estimate the effects. The relationship between prevalence rates and study variables (sociodemographic and work-related characteristics) was initially assessed using univariate binary logistic regression analysis. The variables in the logistic regression analyses included sociodemographic (age, gender, BMI, educational level, marital status, smoking and being involved in regular sport/physical activities each week) and work-related characteristics (daily working hours, number of years worked as a sewing worker, having a second job, perceived speed of work, duration of continuous work without a break, perceived pressure due to work and job satisfaction) as well as three RULA scores including RULA score A (arm/wrist score), RULA score B (neck/trunk/leg score) and final RULA grand score. Multiple logistic regression analysis (using backward stepwise procedure) was also performed to estimate the association between independent variables and the reported neck, shoulder and low back pain in the multivariate context. The study variables were theoretically of equal importance, and therefore an equal role was assigned for all of them in the regression models without any adjustment. The assumptions of the models (including the presence of outliers and collinearity) were checked and the fit of the models was confirmed by the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test. P Discussion The aim of the present study was to evaluate the occurrence of MSP and their contributing risk factors among sewing workers in a wider occupational context. One of the main findings of the study was that the prevalence of MSP was considerably high among the study population with 76.2% of the sample reporting this, and of these 68% had more than one site of discomfort or pain. This finding provides further evidence that musculoskeletal pain and discomfort is a major problem in this group of workers. More than one-third of the respondents reported disruption of normal activities due to MSP. Individual factors including gender (being female), age (> 30 years old) and lower educational level were independently associated with the occurrence of MSP. Work-related variables such as the number of years worked as a sewing worker (> 20 years for the neck and > 10 years for the low back pain), duration of continuous sitting work (> 2 h) without a break, fast working and working postures were al so found to be independently associated with the occurrence of MSP among sewing workers. There were several notable findings regarding the relation of individual factors to MSP. The results of the present study indicated that gender was a significant factor for neck and shoulder complaints, so that females experienced such complaints more frequently than males. This is similar to the findings of Wang et al. (2007), who reported a higher prevalence of neck/shoulder pain in female sewing machine operators than in males. It was also shown that age was significantly positively associated with neck and shoulder pain. It has been acknowledged that better understanding of the task characteristics may provide an insight into the job (re)design to support the user needs of older working population in future (Stedmon et al. 2012). Moreover, the findings indicated that workers with a higher educational level were less likely to report shoulder and low back pain than other workers. This supports the finding of a study conducted among hand-sewn shoe workers (Dianat and Salimi 2014). As shown in this study, working posture was an important risk factor for the neck, shoulders and low back pain among sewing workers. This finding provide further evidence that the sewing operations involve frequent head and trunk bending movements over the duration of the task, and therefore imposes unacceptable postural loading on the upper body and limbs. Our findings indicated that the RULA scores for the workers’ upper and lower arm/wrist scores (score A), neck/trunk/legs scores (score B), and the grand scores were relatively high. The relatively high RULA scores in this study highlights that the working postures of the workers were constrained by both the visual and the manual aspects of the sewing tasks, and that the design of the sewing workstations had a significant influence on the postures adopted. This emphasises that in most cases the workers’ postures at their workstations need to be investigated and some changes are required immediately. These findings are in part consistent with several previous reports of poor working postures (assessed by the RULA method) among workers involved in sewing machine operating (Ãâ€"ztà ¼rk and Esin 2011; Teodoroski et al. 2012; Dianat et al. 2015) or hand-sewn shoemaking tasks (Dianat and Salimi 2014). The results also suggest that there is a need to consider other work-related physical and psychosocial aspects of sewing tasks. Interestingly, our findings indicated that perceived speed of work (i.e. fast working) was another independent factor that was positively associated with the occurrence of MSP in all studied body regions (i.e. neck, shoulder and low back areas) among sewing workers. This finding may be attributed to the fact that these workers were paid based on the number of items they completed and this provided an incentive to work at high speed without adequate rest breaks. Moreover, the finding indicated that years of employment as a sewing worker was positively associated with the presence of symptoms in the neck and low back areas, which is in agreement with several previous observations (Kaergaard and Andersen 2000; Wang et al. 2007; Dianat and Salimi 2014). It is also interesting to note that the sewing workers in this study had frequent periods of long duration of sewing work without breaks (i.e. sitting in one place in a static or non-moving position for more than 2 hours), but this was only associated with the occurrence of neck complaints. The results from some previous studies suggest that the long duration of sitting work without a break may increase the risk for neck/shoulder pain among different occupational groups (Wang et al. 2007; Johnston et al. 2008; Dianat and Salimi 2014), and that regular rest breaks may reduce the risk for such complaints (McLean et al. 2001). Therefore, sewing workers should be advised to take regular rest breaks in order to minimise exposure and to help recovery from static and awkward postures. The present study has an advantage that the observer error was controlled by using two trained interviewers in comparison to studies in which there were separate observer for each case. However, the findings presented should be interpreted in the context of the cross-sectional study design. In addition, the findings highlight the importance of both individual and work-related aspects of sewing tasks in association with MSP. Thus, in addition to the work-related factors, it might be useful to consider individual factors (such as age, gender and education) as potential confounders in future analysis of MSP among this working group. Conclusions In conclusion, the main finding of the study was that neck, shoulder and low back pain are frequent in workers involved in different sewing activities. The findings highlight the importance of both individual and work-related (psychosocial and physical) aspects of sewing tasks in association with MSP and emphasis the need for ergonomic interventions for improving the working conditions of this working group. Working posture and fast working were found to be as important predictors of MSP in all studied body regions. Number of years worked as a sewing worker was also shown to increase the risk for neck and low back pain among sewing workers. However, long duration of continuous sitting work without a break was only associated with the occurrence of neck pain. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that working postures of sewing workers should be improved through workstation design for sewing tasks (i.e. based on workers’ anthropometry). Moreover, workers involv ed in these tasks should also be advised to take regular rest breaks in order to alleviate exposure and also to aid recovery from unhealthy working postures. These findings highlight the role of prevention in the workplace in order to reduce MSP.

Creation and Science Essay -- Religion Creationism Papers

Creation and Science We have all heard about the evolution vs. creation debate. Two sides opposing each other in fits of heated passion. One group believes that humans developed from monkeys, and the other group is a bunch of religious fanatics. Does this sound somewhat familiar? This is one of the most stereotypical views of the dispute, but is, unfortunately, how many people believe it to be. So what is it all about? What makes these groups (there are actually quite a few more than two) so determined to fight and try to win others over to their belief? In the answers to these questions lie the truth about why humans take this aspect of science so personally. There must be some fairly significant reasons that cause individuals to become so committed to arguing their point of view in the evolution/creation debate. Many creationists feel that without a supernatural creation by an intelligent being there is no purpose to the universe and no reason to live (Wager, 1997). Many Christian creationists hope that by convincing others of Godà ­s role in the origins of life, they can more effectively lead others to salvation. Still others believe that it is the duty of Christians to "defend against the godless dogma of evolutionary humanism" (Tyler, 1995). It is easy to see why this topic is so important to people. If one believes that evolution and Christianity are mutually exclusive, as many people do, then it is natural for Christians to want to disprove evolution and eliminate what they perceive as a threat (Wright, 1989). However, the debate is also meaningful to evolutionists. Many evolutionists feel that to try and discredit evolution is to ignore facts and scientific reasoning (Tyler, 1995). Some evolutionists who are dominant i... .../Biol410/Biol410SrSemPapers97/millerl.html Myers, Jesse. (1996). Biology Senior Seminar Student Papers: "A Look At Scientific Creationism." http://www.goshen.edu/bio/Biol410/Biol410SrSemPapers/myers.html Nelkin, Dorothy. (1982). The Creation Controversy. Boston, Massachusetts: Beacon Press. Scott, Eugenie C. (1996). "Dealing With Anti-evolutionism." (10/25/98) http://www.natcensied.org/deal174.htm Tyler, David J. (1995). Review of: "Creation Based Science By Phillip Johnson." (10/22/98) http://www.pages.org/bcs/Bcs057.html Wager, Michael. (1997) "Evolution: The Lie." (10/25/98) http://www.student.uwa.edu.au/~mlwager/evovscrt.htm Wright, Richard T. (1989). Biology: Through the Eyes of Faith. New York, New York. HarperSanFrancisco. Zook, Marc E. (1987). Biology Senior Seminar Student Papers: "Origins: A Collection Of Thoughts."

Compare and Contrast on Fibers Essay

As nutrition labeling becomes essential throughout the world, it is recognized that a single definition of fiber may be needed. New products are being developed or isolated that behave like fiber, yet do not meet the traditional requirements of fiber, either analytically or physiologically. Without an accurate definition of fiber, compounds can be designed or isolated and concentrated using available methods without necessarily providing beneficial health effects, which most people consider to be an important attribute of fiber. Most of us are familiar with the terms â€Å"soluble fiber† and â€Å"insoluble fiber† but what is the actual difference? Soluble fibers bind with fatty acids and slow digestion so blood sugars are released more slowly into the body. These fibers help lower LDL cholesterol and help regulate blood sugar levels for people with diabetes. Insoluble fibers help hydrate and move waste through the intestines and control the pH levels in the intestines. These fibers help prevent constipation and keep you regular. The three most commonly used fibers are dietary, functional, and total fibers. Dietary Fiber consists of non-digestible carbohydrates and lignin that are intrinsic and intact in plants. Functional Fiber consists of isolated, non-digestible carbohydrates that have beneficial physiological effects in humans. Total Fiber is the sum of Dietary Fiber and Functional Fiber. Dietary fiber comes from the portion of plants that is not digested by enzymes in the intestinal tract. Part of it, however, may be metabolized by bacteria in the lower gut. Different types of plants vary in their amount and kind of fiber. Dietary Fiber includes pectin, gum, mucilage, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Pectin and gum are water-soluble fibers found inside plant cells. They slow the passage of food through the intestines but do nothing to increase fecal bulk. In contrast, fibers in cell walls are water insoluble. These include cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Such fibers increase fecal bulk and speed up the passage of food through the digestive tract. Dietary fiber may help reduce the risk of some cancers, especially colon cancer. This idea is based on information that insoluble fiber increases the rate at which wastes are removed from the body. This means the body may have less exposure to toxic substances produced during digestion. Dietary fiber is found only in plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains. The form of foods may or may not affect its fiber content. Canned frozen fruits and vegetables contain just as much fiber as raw ones. Other types of processing may reduce fiber content. Drying and crushing, for example, destroy the water-holding qualities of fiber. The removal of seeds, or peels also reduces fiber content. Whole tomatoes have more fiber than peeled tomatoes, which have more than tomato juice. Likewise, whole wheat bread contains more fiber than white bread. Functional Fibers are isolated, non-digestible forms of carbohydrates that have been extracted from starchy foods or manufactured from starches or sugars. Unlike dietary fibers which are consumed in whole foods like vegetables, grains and legumes. These added substances are considered fiber because, like dietary fiber, they resist digestion and perform some of the same functions when eaten. Functional Fiber may have some of the benefits of naturally consuming dietary fiber, such as helping to prevent constipation or lowering blood glucose levels after meals, but in contrast lack nutrients and phytochemicals that come with fiber found in whole foods. Functional Fibers include gums, pectins, polydextrose and inulin. Inulin and polydextrose are water-soluble fibers as well as pectin and gums found in dietary fiber. Inulin is one functional fiber that is now being added into many food products enabling an excellent source of carbohydrates for probiotic organisms populating the lower portion of the gastrointestinal system. Such fibers may increase beneficial bacteria in the gut, enhance immune function, add bulk to stools, and help prevent constipation. Most nutritionists encourage getting fiber from whole foods that we eat because they contain many other healthful plant compounds. However, if you don’t get enough fiber in your diet (25-38grams daily) added functional fibers can help fill in the gap. On food labels, functional fibers are usually included in the grams of dietary fiber. Eating a wide variety of fibers is the ideal solution to gaining all the health benefits. Total fiber is the sum of dietary fiber and functional fiber. It’s not important to differentiate between which forms of each of these fibers you are getting in your diet but that the total amount is moderate. Eating too much fiber (more than 50-60 grams of fiber a day) may decrease the amount of vitamins and minerals your body absorbs. To add more fiber to the diet, an individual can increase the amount eaten gradually, this gives the stomach and intestines time to get used to the change. In addition, fiber supplements could easily lead to excess, which may cause intestinal discomfort thus, adding fiber to the diet with the addition of fiber rich foods is a safer route. Eating too much fiber too quickly may cause gas, diarrhea, and bloating. Excessive use of fiber supplements is associated with greater risk for intestinal problems. Some of the benefits from a high fiber diet may be from the food that provides the fiber, not from fiber alone. For this reason, it is best to obtain fiber from foods rather than from supplements.

Physical and Behavioural Indicators of Possible Child Abuse Essay

Emotional abuse: Emotional abuse can severely damage a child’s mental health or social development, leaving a lasting impact on his life. Physical indicators: There are not really physical indicators of emotional abuse, but the child may have frequent psychosomatic complaints, headaches, nausea, abdominal pains. Behavioural indicators: The child may have mental or emotional development lags. Sometimes the child’s behaviour is inappropriate for the age. The child may be scared of consequences of actions, often leading to lying. The other indicators are aggressiveness poor peer relationships or overly compliant, too well-mannered. Neglect: Child neglect is a very common type of abuse – a parent’s inability to satisfy basic needs of the child, whether it is adequate food, clothing, hygiene, and adequate monitoring and care for him. Physical indicators: You can understand that that the child is being abuse by unattended medical and dental needs. When the child is inappropriate dress for weather conditions and has poor hygiene. Other indicator is when the child is not attending school or is not registered. Behavioural indicators: Emotional indicators are depression, poor impulse control or have lack of parental participation and interest. Also the child misuse of alcohol/drugs or regularly displays fatigue or listlessness, falls asleep in class. The child may start stealing food, or begs for food from classmates. Physical abuse: Physical abuse includes physical injury or trauma to the child. It may be the result of a deliberate attempt to injure the child, but not always. It can be the result of strict discipline, the use of belt or physical punishment, inappropriate for the child’s age or it’s condition. Many abusive parents and guardians insist that their actions are simply forms of discipline, a way to educate children. But there is much difference between the use of physical punishment to enforce discipline and physical abuse. The main effect of discipline is to teach children what is right and what is not, rather than live in fear. Physical Indicators: Physical indicators may be injuries as bruises, welts, cuts, burns, bite marks, fractures, that are not consistent with the explanation offered (e.g. extensive bruising to one area).Also repeated injuries over a period of time or injuries that form a shape or pattern that may look like the object used to make the injury for example buckle, hand, iron, teeth or cigarette burns. Other indicators are facial injuries in infants and preschool children for example cuts, bruises or sores. Also bald patches on child’s head where hair may have been torn out or repeated poisonings and/or accidents. Behavioural indicators: Behavioural indicators are runaway attempts, fear of going home or stilted conversation, vacant stares or frozen watchfulness, no attempt to seek comfort when hurt, also when the child describes themself as bad and deserving to be punished. You can understand that the child is being abuse when cannot recall how injuries occurred, or offers an inconsistent explanation and often absent from school/child care. Abused child may flinch if touched unexpectedly and may be extremely aggressive or withdrawn .The child may also use abusive behaviour and language in play. Sexual abuse: Sexual abuse is a very complex form of abuse beacause of feelings of guilt and shame. Important to note that sexual abuse does not always involve contact with the body. Physical indicators: Physical indicators may be sudden weight change, cuts or sores made by the child on the arm or recurring physical ailments. Also when the child has difficulty in walking or sitting and unusual or excessive itching in the genital or anal area due to infection. Other indicators are torn, stained or bloody underwear, also injuries to the mouth, genital or anal areas for example bruising, swelling, sores or infection. Behavioural indicators: You can understand that the child being abuse when it is sad and cries often, also if the child inserts objects into the vagina or rectum. The child may also change or loss of appetite and has sleep disturbances and nightmares .Also the child has fear of home or a specific place, excessive fear of men or women or lacks trust in others. The child may has age-inappropriate sexual play with toys, themselves or others for example replication of explicit sexual acts.