Paper to write on theputer: November 2019

Friday, November 29, 2019

Biology Molecule Essays - Intermolecular Forces, Properties Of Water

Biology Molecule Unit 1 -man is high 50's to 60% water -distribution in body divided into 3 compartments: 1) intracellular - 28 litres 2) intercellular/interstitial fluid - 11 litres - 80% 3) blood plasma - 3 litres - 20% -women contain less water than men -organisms can contain 60-80% water -bacteria have lots of water -fat cells have little -water's properties result from its structure and molecular interactions -water is polar -polar covalent bonds and asymmetrical shape give it opposite charges on opposite sides -electrons spend more time around O giving H a slight positive charge -hydrogen bonds form between the oxygen of one molecule and the hydrogen of another -cohesion: substance being held together by hydrogen bonds -hydrogen bonds are transient yet enough is always held together to give water more structure than almost any other liquid -beads and meniscus formed by cohesion (also helps upward transport of water in plants) -adhesion counteracts downward pull of gravity -water has greater surface tension than most liquids -surface molecules are hydrogen bonded to molecules below and around them -surface tension can hinder life (i.e. beading in the alveoli of lungs) -makes water "unwettable" -surfactants used to counteract this -water has a high specific heat which allows it to resist extreme temperature changes -has a high heat of vaporization that causes it to require alot of energy to change states -when sweating, heat energy is utilized to change states from liquid to gas, causing a drop in temperature -as a solid water is less dense than as a liquid and will float -charged regions of molecules have an electrical attraction to charged ions -water surrounds ions separating and shielding them from one another -polar compounds are generally soluble -charged regions of water are attracted to oppositely charged regions of other polar molecules -polar molecules are miscible in other polar liquids -most water molecules don't dissociate (~ 1/554 million do) -hydrogen atom in hydrogen bond between the two water molecules may shift from the oxygen atom it is covalently bonded to the unshared orbitals of the oxygen that it is hydrogen bonded to -hydrogen ion is transferred creating a hydronium ion and leaving a hydroxide ion -the solvent is water itself -at equilibrium water is not dissociated -at equilibrium in pure water at 25oC [H+] = [OH-] -pH of this solution is 7 (neutral) -high pH = low acidity -acids are substances that increase the relative [H+] and remove OH- because it tends to combine with H+ to form water - if [H+] * [OH-] , it is acidic and has a pH between 0 and 7 -bases are substances that reduce the relative [H+] in a solution -it may increase the [OH] -if [H+] * [OH-] , it is basic and has a pH greater than 7 -buffers are important in the body to keep the pH range between 6 and 8 -pH of blood is between 7.34 and 7.44 -mustn't shift below 7.2 or acidosis will occur -some body zones may have a pH as low as 0.5 or as high as 10 -buffers minimize sudden changes and are a combo of hydrogen donors and hydrogen acceptors -ions are accepted when in excess and donated when in short supply -in biological systems an example is the bicarbonate buffer -in response to a rise in pH, the carbonic acid dissociates to form a carbonate ion and a hydrogen proton -if there is a drop, it is reversed (pH up = to right, pH down = to left) -equilibrium is established but it is always moving to the left or the right -a balance is the optimum pH -other body buffers include protein molecules which donate and accept amino acids to stabilize pH -most of the rest of organisms is made up of carbon based compounds like carbs, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids -carbon compounds are known as organic -vitalism is the belief in a life force outside the control of chemical laws -this has been disproved as water, ammonia, hydrogen and methane have been combined in a lab to form organic substances -C+O+H = carbohydrates -C+H+N = amino acids, urea, proteins, lipids -carbon atoms are the most versatile building blocks -each has 4 valences where bonds can form -carbon chains form the skeleton of most organic molecules -may be straight or branched, long or short, or in closed rings -hydrocarbons contain only hydrogen and carbon -they form when organic matter decomposes and functional groups break off leaving a skeleton -hydrocarbon chains, branches, and rings can be modified by other elements which

Monday, November 25, 2019

Essay on Attack and Turro Prison Block

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Research Paper 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Research Paper 2 - Essay Example As a result, states and society at large watched helplessly by for some time as the institutions of marriage and family fall apart. Lately, when the social and economic costs sustained from scuttled marriages and broken families began to spread and reach alarming proportions, state authorities in many places have started to take a hand in the problem. This paper discussed the ill effects of the breakdown of marriage and family and the prevention-intervention measures that are increasingly adopted to address the problem. It highlighted the negative influences of marital distress, cohabitation and divorce on people's productivity, physical and mental health as well as on the quality and character of children produced from such a troubled family environment. Finally, the paper examined the effectiveness of measures designed to strengthen the institution of marriage as catalyst for social stability. When a man and woman exchange marriage vows, they enter into a legal agreement to start a new family unit and care for each other and for any children that they might have. Since marriage is a legal instrument, it is the duty of the state to ensure that the contracting parties in marriage adhere to these provisions. Until recently, however, intervention in marriage and family was not part of public policy (Benson, 2005). ... Since marriage is a legal instrument, it is the duty of the state to ensure that the contracting parties in marriage adhere to these provisions. Until recently, however, intervention in marriage and family was not part of public policy (Benson, 2005). This thinking started to change as research after research unmistakably showed that the mounting cases of physical and mental illnesses and the dwindling levels of productivity in the workplace (Stanley, 2001) are attributable to failed marriages. Illnesses that require medical care create a drain on public resources while low productivity hampers the march to economic growth. These are as much a concern of the state as the Christian churches, which represent the only entity that used to undertake efforts at instructing couples on the sanctity of marriage and the adverse effects of marital distress. Realization that the state presence is needed in the deterioration of marriage gave further impetus to activities designed to achieve bette r understanding of the dynamics of the modern-day marriage and family with an eye on preventing marital distress and divorce. 2. Literature Review 2.a. Marriage & Family Breakdown When the National Council on Family Relations in the US conducted its annual meeting in 2003, the theme was: "What is the Future of Marriage" This captured the essence of the problem on the changes that erode the value of marriage and family. Marriage as a social institution has vastly deteriorated because of such factors as the increased opportunities for sexual relationships outside marriage, greater tolerance of single parenthood, declining marital fertility, improved job opportunities for women and

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Midterm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Midterm - Essay Example Muslim piracy was also reduced, and economic activities revived along the western Mediterranean coast of the Christians (Crouzet 9-12). In addition, the western and central Europe was free from invasions by the nomads from central Asia that were dangerous to the survival of Europe's economy. Between the years 1236-1242, the Mongols raid of Europe brought destructions to economies in Poland, Hungary, Bohemia, Silesia and most parts of the Balkans. In 1242, the Mongols extended eastwards and conquered China (Crouzet 9-12). The other factor that affected the European economy was the rise of feudalism, which was subsequently followed by feudal anarchy. There were frequent wars among the rivalry feudal leaders in Europe, which caused the destruction of European economy. Between the years 950-970, many fortifications were constructed to enhance the security of kingdoms under feudal leaders. Within the same years, the church contributed a lot to the safety of Europe through their peace move ments (Crouzet 9-12). Another factor that was crucial to the development of European economy was the rapid growth of the population since the thirteen century. This was caused by improvements in technology and increased agricultural productivity. The population growth acted as a crucial factor in spurring the commercial and urban revolutions in the 18th centuries. The population increase had considerable influence in Northern Europe. The population growth caused changes in the prices of commodities, which lead to the development of institutions for innovations (Crouzet 9-102). #2 The population of Europe increased tremendously between the years 1000-2000 because the rate fertility was higher than that of mortality. This resulted net population growth, in Europe. Population increased constantly and would only reduce drastically incase of catastrophes such as disease epidemics. The invasions on Europe had also ceased, and security prevailed in most regions of Europe. Also, between the 8th and 14th centuries, European epidemics had decreased and a warm climate prevailed in Europe, particularly the Alps region. The favorable climate improved agriculture activities, which led to better nutrition and improved standards of living (Crouzet 9-12). In the Carolingian times, the western Christendom developed values and a model of its population. In the whole of Europe, polygamy, the use of contraceptives, abortion, desertion of children and infanticide were abolished. The church supported monogamous marriage and enforced strict rules on polygamous marriage. The nuclear family in most nations grew stronger and became dominant with the exception of the Slavic people. The system of monogamous family encouraged acceptance of children and procreation. This system also regulated procreation before marriage. The effects were increased fertility rates and reduced death rates. However, the rate of infanticides and Juvenile mortality remained high though out Europe (Crouzet 9-12). The historical records show that the population in Europe increased from 1.1-1.2 million between years 1066-1086, 3.4-4.5 million people in 1340. However, France, Europe had a population of 15 million people in 950. In 1300, the population in Europe doubled. The population continued to increased but never exploded like that in third world countries in the late 20th century. The population in E

Monday, November 18, 2019

Chapter4 summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Chapter4 summary - Essay Example Similarly, philosophy has its own set of principles that differentiate conflicting ideas (Stewart, & Blocker, 2001). The rise of western philosophy brought about a significant shift in philosophy and reasoning. In particular, the shift induced the appeal of reason from mythological criteria. An appeal to reason is the idea of making logical analysis before making a decision. Emotions do not comprise logical reason, in the sense that they compel one to make hasty decisions. Thus, the appeal to reason is the universal sense of correctness. However, different people have different measures for correctness as well as reasoning. The nature of a problem explains the existence of varied reasons. For instance, most people will disagree on a particular political agenda but agree on 5+7 = 12. This introduces the issue of reasonable decision or specifically what reason is. Reason is the basis of decisions making and, it reflects on the fairness of ideas or conclusions. Therefore, a reasonable person is one who judges his reasons and determines the most appropriate ones. Application of reasoning in decision-making is an appeal to concentrate on an issue. The study of logic and the connection between logic and reasoning is the foundation of philosophy. Science is also established on the appeal to reason; however, unlike philosophy, science utilizes empirical facts. For instance, a scientist must verify a claim through experiments before he or she can declare them the absolute truth. On the other hand, philosophers attempt to articulate our beliefs and assumption on nature. Thus, philosophers are preoccupied with theories that prove certain facts, instead of creating new theories. PhilosophyÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s chief tool is reason and, therefore it is not an empirical subject (Stewart, & Blocker, 2001). Since ancient times, people have been compelled to live according to reason. Socrates once said that life without reason is not worth living. Therefore,

Saturday, November 16, 2019

An Overview Algorithms And Data Structures Computer Science Essay

An Overview Algorithms And Data Structures Computer Science Essay Algorithms consist of a set of rules to execute calculations by hand or machine. It can also be defined as an abstraction consisting a program executed on a machine (Drozdek 2004). This program will follow operations carried out in sequence on data organized in data structures. These data structures are generally categorized into: Linear data structures examples which are arrays, matrices, hashed array trees and linked list among others. The tree data structures which include binary tree, binary search tree, B- trees, heaps e.t.c. Hashes which consist of the commonly used hash table Graph Graph: This is an abstract data structure which implements the graph oriented concepts. The graph will consist of arcs or edges as (x, y) of nodes or vertices. The edges may assume some value or numeric attribute such as cost length or capacity. Some of the operations of the graph structure G would include: Adjacent (x, y) an operation testing whether for the existence of an edge between x and y. Set_ node, value (G x, a) an operation setting the value associated with node x to a Add (G x, y) an operation that adds to the graph an arc from x and y if it is not existent. Graph algorithms are implemented within computer science to find the paths between two nodes like the depth or breadth first search or the shortest path (Sedgewick 2001 p 253). This is implemented by the Dijkstras algorithm. The Floyd Warshall algorithm is used to derive the shortest path between nodes. Linked lists These are linear data structures consisting of a data sequence linked by a reference. Linked lists provide implementation for stacks, queues, skip lists and hash tables. Linked lists are preferred over arrays because the lists may be ordered differently from how they are stored in memory. These lists will therefore allow the removal or insertion of nodes at any point. Each component or record has a node containing an address to the next node called the pointer or next link. The remainder of the fields are known as the payload, cargo, data or information. The list has first node as the head and the last node as the tail. A linked list may be circularly linked where the last node references the first node in the same list or linear where the link field is open. B -Tree This is a tree data structure that stores sorted data and allows searches, deletions, insertions and sequential access. The operations in the B- Tree are normally optimized for bulky data systems. The B -Tree has variants of design. However the B -Tree stores keys in the internal nodes. However this does not normally reflect at the leaves. The general variations are B+ Tree and B* Tree (Comer 129). The searching process is similar for the B- Tree and the binary search tree. It commences at the root and a traversal is executed from top to bottom. The search points at the child pointer with values between the search values. The insertion starts at the leaf node which if containing fewer than legally acceptable elements qualify for an addition, otherwise the node is evenly split into two nodes. A median is chosen in determining the left or right hand placements with values greater than the median going to the right node. The median here acts as the separation value. The deletion process assumes two popular strategies. Either the element located is deleted followed by a restructuring of the tree. Alternatively a scan may be performed followed by a restructuring of the tree after the candidate node to be delete has been identified. Hashes This is a data structure employing the hash function mapping to identity keys. The function transforms the key as an index of an array. The function then maps every key possibility to a unique slot index. Using well dimensioned hash tables every look up is independent of the population in the array. The hash table efficiency is utilized in database indexing, implementation of sets and cache and associative arrays. A simple array is central to the hash table algorithm. This algorithm derives an index from the elements key. This index is then used to store the elements in the array. The hash function f represents the implementation of the calculation. Hash tables implement various types of memory tables. The keys are used in this case for persistent data structures and disk based database indices. Greedy Algorithms. These algorithms work by making most promising decisions at the onset whatever the outcome would be is not taken into consideration at that moment. These algorithms are considered straight forward, simple and short sighted (Chartrand 1984). The upside or advantage to these greedy algorithms is that they are easy to invent and implement and will prove efficient. Their disadvantage is that they are not able problems optimally because of their greedy approach. Greedy algorithms are applied when we try to solve optimization problems. A typical implementation of these algorithms is the making change problem whereby we are required to give change using minimum number of notes or coins. We commence by giving the largest denomination first. Informally the greedy algorithm for this problem would follow the steps below: Begin without anything At each stage and without passing a given amount Consider the largest addition to the set. A formal algorithm of the implementation of the making change problem can be written as here below: MkChange C Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ {100, 25, 10, 5, 1} // C is a constant set of different coinage denominations Sol Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ {X} // Represents the solution set SumÃƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 0 which is the sum of items in {X} WHILE Sum. Not = n L =Largest of C such that Sum +L IF no such item THEN RETURN No item SUM Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚ Sum+L RETURN S. An approach by the greedy algorithm to ensure optimization is the maintaining of two sets one for chosen items and the other for rejected items. Based on the two sets the algorithm will carry out four functions. Function one checks whether the chosen set of items can provide a solution. Function two checks for flexibility of the set. The selection function identifies the candidates. The objective function gives a solution. The greedy algorithm applies for the shortest path. The Dijkstras algorithm aims at determining the length of the shortest path. This path runs from S the source to other nodes. Typically Dijkstras algorithm maintains two sets of nodes S and C. S in this case consists of already selected nodes whereas C will consist of the rest of the nodes within the graph (Papadimitrious Steiglitz 1998). At the initialization of the algorithm our set X has only S. After execution {X} includes all the nodes of the graph. During every step in the algorithm a node in C that is closest to S is chosen. The remainder nodes that dont belong to S will result in a disconnected graph. The diagrams below illustrate the Dijkstra algorithm Considering the graph G = (V, E). Each node of the graph has an infinite cost apart from the source node with 0 costs (Design and Analysis of Computer Algorithms 2010) Source: Design and Analysis of Computer Algorithms 2010 Initialize d[S] to zero and choose the node closest to S. Add to S while relaxing all other nodes adjacent to S. Update every node. The diagram here below illustrates this process: Source: Design and Analysis of Computer Algorithms 2010 Choose the closest node X and relax adjacent nodes while updating u, v and y as indicated in the diagram below. Source: Next we consider y as closest and add to S and relax V as indicated in the diagram below Source: Design and Analysis of Computer Algorithms 2010 Consider u and adjust v as a neighbor as indicated in the diagram here below. Source: Design and Analysis of Computer Algorithms 2010 Finally add V and the predecessor list now defines the shortest path from S which was the source node. The diagram below illustrates the resulting shortest path Source: Design and Analysis of Computer Algorithms 2010 Spanning trees Typically graphs will have a number of paths between nodes. Spanning tree graphs consist of all the nodes with a path between any two nodes. A graph consists of different spanning trees. A disconnected graph will represent a spanning forest. A breadth first spanning tree results after a breadth first search on this graph. The depth first spanning tree results after a depth first search on the spanning tree. Spanning tree applications among others includes the travelling salesman problem here below: Problem: Considering an undirected graph G= (V, E) having a non negative integer cost associated with every edge and representing a certain distance. We can derive a tour of the graph G with the minimum cost. The salesman may start from city 1 and go on to the six cities (1 6) and return back to city 1. The first approach would run in the following manner from city: 1 to 4 to 2 to 5 to 6 to 3 to 1 resulting in a total of 62 kilometers. The diagram below shows this approach. Adding the edge weights we have 15+10+8+15+9+5 = 62 Source: Design and Analysis of Computer Algorithms 2010 The other alternative approach which is the most optimal would run in the following man from city: 1 to 2 to 5 to 4 to 6 to 3 to 1 resulting in a total of 48 kilometers. The diagram below shows this approach. Adding the edge weights we have 10+8+8+8+9+5= 48 Kilometers Source: Design and Analysis of Computer Algorithms 2010 Other applications using the panning tree approach are like the airlines route determination, designing of computer networks, the laying of oil pipelines to connect refineries and road link constructions between cities. (Goodrich Tamassia 2010; Sedgewick 2002). A typical minimum spanning tree application based on the spanning tree application MST(minimum spanning tree) cost can be used o determine the points of connection of some cable for example the fiber optic being laid along a certain path. The edges with a larger weight which corresponds to more cost would be those that require more attention and resources to lay the cable. An appropriate result would be derived from the graph with the minimum cost. Prims Algorithm. The approach for this algorithm is that it proceeds from an arbitrary root node at every stage. A new edge being added to the tree at every step. The addition process terminates when all the nodes in the graph have been achieved. This algorithm concentrates on the shortest edge. Therefore the time lapse for the algorithm will depend on how the edge is searched. The straight forward search method identifies the smallest edge by searching adjacently a list of all nodes in the graph. Every search as an iteration has a cost time O (m). Total cost time to run a complete search is O (mn). The Prim algorithm (basic) takes the following steps: Initialize the tree to consist of a start node WHILE not all nodes in the tree Loop Examine all nodes in the graph with one end point in the tree Find the shortest edge adding it to the tree End. After each step or iteration a partially completed spanning tree holding a maximum number of shortest edges is created as A and B will consist of the remaining nodes. The loop looks for the shortest edge between A and B. Kruskals Algorithm. This is an algorithm that computes the minimum spanning tree (MST). This is done by building a generic algorithm into a forest. Kruskals algorithm will consider every edge and is ordered based on the increasing weight. Consider an edge (u, v) that connecting two different trees. It follows that (u, v) will be added to the set of edges in the generic algorithm. The resultant is a single tree from two trees connected by (u, v). The algorithm can be outlined as follows: Commence with an empty set E selecting at each stage the shortest edge not yet chosen or discarded regardless of its location on the graph MST KRUSKAL (G, w) A Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚ { } // the set containing the edges of the MST for every node n in V[G] do make_set (n) sort edge of E by decreasing weights w for each edge (u, n) in E do if FIND_SET (u) not equal FIND_SET (n) then A=A U {(U, N)} UNION (u, n) Return A The algorithm above makes use of disjoint set data structures. Kruskals algorithm can also be implemented with the priority queue data structure. The resulting algorithm is shown below: MST KRUSKAL (G) for each node n in V[G] do define S(n) Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚ { n} initialize the queue Q consisting of all the edges of the graph G. Weights are not used as key here A Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚ { } // This set will contain the edges of the generic algorithm(MST) WHILE A has v-1 edges do n Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ S(n) and u Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ S(u) IF S (n)! = S (u) Then add edge (u, n) to A S(n) U S(u) Return A The Binary Search Tree. A binary tree is one where every internal node X will store an element. Generally the elements in the left sub tree of X are less than or equal to X whereas those on the right sub tree are equal or greater than X. This represents the binary search tree property. The binary search tree height amounts to the number of links between the root and the deepest node (Skeinna 2008). The implementation of the binary search tree is such as a linked data structure where each node is an object with a total of three pointer fields namely left, right and Parent. These points to nodes corresponding to the left, right children and the parent. A NIL in any of these fields indicates no parent or child. The root node contains NIL in the Parent field. Dynamic programming algorithms These typically explores ways of optimization sequence based decisions in determining solutions. The algorithms employed avoid full enumeration of partial decisions that having a sub optimal contribution to the final solution. They instead concentrate only on optimal contributors (Aho Hopcrost 1983). The optimal solution is derived from a polynomial number of decision steps. At other times it is necessary for the algorithm to be fully implemented, however in most cases only the optimal solution is considered. Dynamic programming algorithms use of duplication and every sub solution is stored for later referencing. These solutions to the sub problems are held in a table. The total sub problems are then worked out using the bottom up technique. The steps in this bottom up technique will include the following: Begin by addressing the smallest sub problem Combine and sum up their solution increasing the scope and size UNTIL arriving at the solution of the original problem Dynamic programming relies on the principle of optimality. This principle alludes to the fact that present in an optimal decision or choice sequences are sub sequences that must be optimal as well. Warshall Algorithm. The WFI algorithm as it is also known is a graph analysis algorithm used to determine the shortest path in a weighted graph (Chartrand 1984). A comparison carried out will cover all possible paths between nodes of the graph. Consider graph G with nodes V as 1 to N. Let sPath(i, j, k) be the function that will return the shortest path between I and j while using the nodes 1 to k, demonstrates a recursive formula that results as shown here below sPath(i, j, k) = min{shortestPath(I, j, k-1),shortestPath(i, j, k -1)+shortestPath(k, j, k-1)} shortestPath(i, j, 0) = edgeCost(i, j) This forms the heart of the WFI algorithm. The shortest path is first computed as shortestPath(i, j, k) for all (i, j) pairs of k where k = 1 to n. The Floyd Warshall algorithm iteratively determine paths lengths between nodes (i, j) over i=j. The initial path is considered as zero, the algorithm provides the path lengths between the nodes. Conclusion Data structures and their associated algorithms are fundamental even today in providing the means for data storage and manipulation (Sage 2006). Core and complex computer processing involving memory management functions for operating systems, the database management systems cache implementation rely on data structures and their associated algorithms to execute efficiently and effectively. It is therefore becomes necessary that an adequate study of these data structures and algorithms is carefully studied and understood by system programmers to ensure the design of efficient and effective software.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Media: A Strong Influence on Body Image and Disordered Eating Essay

It would be incredibly naive to believe that our American society is not extremely preoccupied with the quest for thinness. Everywhere you go, (i.e. grocery stores, bookstores, fitness centers, theaters) images of both men and women who society has deemed "beautiful" are deliberately posted in order to sell a product, entice an audience, or merely to gain attention. Even in an age where the rates for obesity are increasing at a rapid pace, it seems as though our society still idolizes the chiseled, lean man and the ultra thin woman. Many would argue that Hollywood and media has a definite force on creating a standard of beauty for its viewers. Many adolescents and young adults are feeling it very difficult to achieve and maintain this specific body and weight "ideal". It should make one wonder whether or not this emphasis on the external appearance has a played a part in the increasing numbers of men and women who are unhappy with their bodies and who as a result, decide to make extr eme changes in their dieting and exercise routines. It has been suggested that mass media may be partly to blame to the drastic increase in the prevalence of eating disturbances in our nation (Anschutz, Van Strien, & Engels, 2008). Many believe that there is an ever-widening gap between what the media portrays as the ideal body size and weight and what women's actual body size is. As a result, after continually viewing images of people whose size is almost impossible to achieve, both men and women are increasingly feeling bad about their bodies and report dissatisfaction. Thornton and Moore assert, "according to the social comparison theory, people tend to evaluate their own appearance more negatively after viewing highly attractive individuals" (as... ...m" women who appear on most of today's television media are very rarely is the size of the average American women. Instead, television most often portrays women who have had a number of children and yet still are maintain a very slim, size two wearing, frame. Certain communication theories state that exposure to various media outlets can lead viewers to begin to accept the media portrayals of beauty as reality. Some researchers believe that this constant exposure creates in women the belief that looking like the seen images is expected and central to attractiveness. Lavine and Harrison (2004) assert, "media presentations of womenÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s bodies are so skewed, showcasing an ideal that is out of reach to most, adopting this reality may lead to decreased satisfaction with oneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s own and to behaviors aimed at meeting this ideal" (as cited in Grabe, Ward, & Hyde, 2008). Media: A Strong Influence on Body Image and Disordered Eating Essay It would be incredibly naive to believe that our American society is not extremely preoccupied with the quest for thinness. Everywhere you go, (i.e. grocery stores, bookstores, fitness centers, theaters) images of both men and women who society has deemed "beautiful" are deliberately posted in order to sell a product, entice an audience, or merely to gain attention. Even in an age where the rates for obesity are increasing at a rapid pace, it seems as though our society still idolizes the chiseled, lean man and the ultra thin woman. Many would argue that Hollywood and media has a definite force on creating a standard of beauty for its viewers. Many adolescents and young adults are feeling it very difficult to achieve and maintain this specific body and weight "ideal". It should make one wonder whether or not this emphasis on the external appearance has a played a part in the increasing numbers of men and women who are unhappy with their bodies and who as a result, decide to make extr eme changes in their dieting and exercise routines. It has been suggested that mass media may be partly to blame to the drastic increase in the prevalence of eating disturbances in our nation (Anschutz, Van Strien, & Engels, 2008). Many believe that there is an ever-widening gap between what the media portrays as the ideal body size and weight and what women's actual body size is. As a result, after continually viewing images of people whose size is almost impossible to achieve, both men and women are increasingly feeling bad about their bodies and report dissatisfaction. Thornton and Moore assert, "according to the social comparison theory, people tend to evaluate their own appearance more negatively after viewing highly attractive individuals" (as... ...m" women who appear on most of today's television media are very rarely is the size of the average American women. Instead, television most often portrays women who have had a number of children and yet still are maintain a very slim, size two wearing, frame. Certain communication theories state that exposure to various media outlets can lead viewers to begin to accept the media portrayals of beauty as reality. Some researchers believe that this constant exposure creates in women the belief that looking like the seen images is expected and central to attractiveness. Lavine and Harrison (2004) assert, "media presentations of womenÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s bodies are so skewed, showcasing an ideal that is out of reach to most, adopting this reality may lead to decreased satisfaction with oneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s own and to behaviors aimed at meeting this ideal" (as cited in Grabe, Ward, & Hyde, 2008).