Eating Disorder Among American Teenage Girls

Eating Disorder Among American Teenage Girls Research question: To what extent has the modern media had an impact on the development of eating disorders among teenage American girls. Every society has a way of torturing its women, whether by binding their feet or by sticking them into whalebone corsets. What contemporary American culture has come up with is designer jeans. -Joel Yager, M.D. ABSTRACT The problem with eating disorders is that it is impossible to find the root cause of them; this essay focuses on the modern medias influence and the extent of it in regards to the spread of these disorders among teenage girls, in American society. I begin this investigation by defining eating disorders as a psychological disorder, after which I analyze the difficulties associated with discovering the causes. I focus on the two commonly known eating disorders, anorexia nervosa and bulimia. This essay analyses the most significant aspects of the modern media, and examines in detail the different types of it, including magazines, television and the Internet, as well as books. To be able to support the data located in this investigation I conducted a survey, where I interviewed 170 teenage girls, to deduce what causes them to diet in the first place. I conclude this essay by showing that despite the influence the modern media has on eating disorders, it is not the source of the information, but is simply used as a process to spread information. Because of this it is hard to solely blame the media for eating disorders, which also means that people may overestimate the effect that media alone has on these disorders. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT 3 INTRODUCTION 5 ROLE OF MODERN MEDIA IN SOCIETY THROUGHOUT HISTORY 6 TYPES OF MODERN MEDIA AND WAYS THAT THEY HAVE INFLUENCED 7 THE SPREAD OF EATING DISORDERS OTHER FACTORS THAT AFFECT EATING DISORDERS 10 ANALYSIS OF DATA FROM SURVEY 13 CONCLUSION 14 APPENDIX 16 BIBLOGRAPHY 18 INTRODUCTION The definition of an eating disorder according to an encyclopedia states that it is a group of psychological ailments characterized by intense fear of becoming obese, distorted body image, and prolonged food refusal and/or binge eating followed by purging through induced vomiting, heavy exercise, or use of laxatives.  [1]  From that definition an eating disorder can be categorized as a psychological disorder, which is strictly speaking common knowledge. The truth is that these disorders have become epidemic among teenagers, especially teenage girls. This has led me to focus on this particular segment, as well as to discover the medias position in this increasing problem, as the media is often accused of being the main cause of these disorders, and some would go so far as to say, the source of this disease. It is no surprise that the promotion of excessive thinness as an ideal body image, as a healthy lifestyle and as one of only ways to be happy, is bombarded at todays youth. But even though we are constantly attacked with vicious advertising campaigns to lose weight Americans health has reached a point of crisis. According to the American Obesity Association, 65% of adults and 30% of children are overweight, and 30% of adults and 15% of children meet the criteria for obesity.  [2]  Whether society likes it or not, the problem of eating disorders has get out of control over the last few decades, a sufficient amount is now consider as a social problem. This is very bad news, especially when you think that these diseases are already starting to affect girls who are still attending elementary schools, this is because they start dieting, purging or starving themselves in order to look thinner, the truly horrifying part is that these girls are not even teenagers yet. There are clear connections between eating disorders and the medias influence on it, but this is no surprise as the media already influences almost every aspect of our lives. Regardless of its i nfluences, in this essay I shall focus on another aspect of the matter, in other words to what extent is the modern media actually responsible for creating this disorder; and what else could be responsible, even if only partially, for its spread. ROLE OF MODERN MEDIA IN SOCIETY THROUGHOUT HISTORY It is not a secret that the modern media has an enormous influence on our lives and how we perceive things in our everyday life. Due to the colossal expansion of technology, information has the ability to travel from one part of the world to another in a split second. Television shows, radio stations, and the entire Internet surrounds us, everywhere we go. And this process does not seem to be slowing down or even attempt to decelerate. Now almost every teenager in America is in possession of a mobile phone, which has to have access to radio stations and Internet sites. They are immediately informed of what is new, what is or is not fashionable, what they should perceive as right or wrong, and what kind of opinions are vital to have. Even though some people still feel that they are in control over their own opinions, they are sadly mistaken, as it is virtually impossible to live in a modern world and not be affected by the media. The process is exactly the same in relation to what has happened to the perception of the body image; the modern media have created an idea of how the perfect body should look like. Perfection is the constant point the media use when showing the public a skeleton covered with a thin layer of skin. They bombard them with these images, and the group of people in American society, who are affected the most and extremely suffer because of this, are girls that are already self conscious and are at a particularly gullible age. They are led to believe that in order to be accepted by society, whether it is at school or in any other social group, girls need to meet the requirements of certain image. The media is an important and day to day aspect of the American culture; it could even be classed as an ever growing subculture that has been increasing drastically in size over past couple of decades.  [3]   TYPES OF MODERN MEDIA AND WAYS THAT THEY HAVE INFLUENCED THE SPREAD OF EATING DISORDERS I have decided to discuss the ways modern media accesses the minds of American teenage girls to influence them. After taking all of the various types of media into account, I decided to limit myself to a few ways in terms of importance, my choices include fanzines, fashion magazines, advertisements, movies, and, probably the most important and influential of all, the internet, which is fastest and the most effective in the global transfer of information.  [4]   I began by mentioning magazines; I was referring specifically to magazines that target women and girls. In these magazines it is more than likely that in every issue it is possible for one to find at least one if not many more articles about how to stay fit, how to loose few more pounds, advice regarding dieting, or even starving oneself. Most of these so called tips will not only get in the way of you loosing weight and achieving your goal, but in some cases these tips may actually be a danger to a persons health, as this advice is not recommended by doctors, but by journalists. Young girls do not realize how dangerous this advice may be, or even that it simply does not work. Because of this they become extremely unforgiving towards themselves and diet even more, and when that does not work they begin throwing up or give up eating altogether, hoping it will make the process work a little faster. This is how most of these disorders start. But this is not the only thing that forces th ese girls to consider that their beauty is not good enough for them and immediately should be changed.  [5]  These girls reevaluate their definition of beauty, because they are bombarded with images of the perfect being, starting from the beautiful and supper skinny princesses from fairytales to the photos of modern day princesses, in other words celebrities and models. These celebrities and models are shown to look wonderful in their clothes and look much better then a regular everyday person would, but naturally the magazines fail to mention that the clothes are sown especially to fit the models perfectly, and that all photo sessions are edited so that even the smallest flaws are removed. Unfortunately their prey, the young gullible teenage girls, would not even consider any of this. As the process of photo editing (Photoshop) is an inseparable part of media I consider it an important tool of manipulation. Another way to spread the image of a very unhealthy body to a wider audience is through the use of commercials. These commercials subconsciously tell us we are too fat, as almost all models in them are a size 6 or less, even when advertising something as average as toothpaste or as obviously unhealthy as McDonalds. Commercials may not be the direct cause of the insecurities faced by todays youth, and they most likely do not even realize the extent of the damage they cause as a constant reminder of the body image.  [6]  Other ways that television can cause teenagers to become more self-conscious include TV shows, or movies that show girls played by actresses, who have even been known to faint, whilst filming, due to malnutrition. For instance popular TV shows focused at teenagers, which in theory should illustrate the lives of teenagers, like 90210 or Gossip Girl, have the main cast acted by adults; therefore girls from 14 to 18 are played by 24 to 28 years old actresses, which gi ves a completely unacceptable image of a young and still developing girls body. Moreover as these actresses are terribly skinny, this causes complexes among teenagers that are trying to imitate their role models, and, among other things, look exactly like they do.  [7]   As I mentioned, the most important and the most dangerous, of all the types of modern media, is the Internet. One may ask the question: what is so horrifying about Internet? The answer is more complicated than most would actually think. The main problem with the Internet is that the flow of information is entirely unmonitored and too vast for anyone to control it even if they wanted to. This means that shocking websites can be created, that contain information on exactly how to be an anorexic, for example. Despite the information being widely available, it would be highly unlikely for one to find such advice in a magazine, as they may be sued for endangering readers lives. It is very hard to sue a website, most often because it is impossible to find its publisher. Web logs (also known as blogs) belonging to American teenage girls have in recent times been created in order to support either anorexia (known as pro-ana) or bulimia (pro-mia). This is something that I found worrying, as w ell as distasteful, not to mention the extremely questionable ethically. These websites contain information such as how to stay thin, what toothpaste covers the smell of vomit best, or that if you swallow cotton wool soaked in orange juice, you will not be hungry for hours and as an added bonus it does not contain any calories, which helps the young girls with these disorders in achieving their sick goals. Such pages also include an entire collection of photos, of literally starved girls, with comments underneath them with high regards, and by reading that you can feel jealousy and evident desire to look like them. These girls show, through these actions, that they are willing to lay down their life for this perfect figure, because as the saying goes no pain, no gain. Some of the advice on these websites is nonsense or a cruel practical joke, but the majority of it can lead to frightful consequences, including stomach ulcers, loss of hair and teeth, and as you might expect death. T here are a variety of ways and means by which these girls undertake the challenge to have a perfect body image. Of course not all of these girls have in fact anorexia or bulimia, but despite that, more often these damages they have caused on their own bodies are irreversible. This means that they have damaged their bodies for ever and will probably always have trouble with maintaining a constant weight. And what is a worst, constant improvement and breakthroughs in technology have meant that now everything can be located in the Internet, including the types of media mentioned. And from what it seems no one is able to prohibit this constant death promotion.  [8]   OTHER FACTORS THAT AFFECT EATING DISORDERS Even though the modern media seem to be responsible for the unrelenting spread of eating disorders, mainly due to the materials released for young girls to find everywhere, they are not the only explanation for the increasing sprawl of these disorders. The American society is exposing its youth through a very many different factors that may possibly exasperate the situation further. As times have changed, children have become more interested in spending all their free time in front of computers or televisions, instead of playing outdoors with their friends. Apart from the changes in their interests, children, now, see only one practical way form of nutrition, which is empty, sugar filled food. Due to these changes in lifestyle it is more than likely that the problem of obesity will occur, which, through the process of a chain reaction, will cause a lack of acceptance among society. This will lead, after a certain amount of time, to certain individuals making irresponsible decisions about dieting, exercising or even undertaking more drastic steps, such as taking diet pills. But this is only a logical succession, due to the reaction of certain lifestyle that most of teenage girls are among. A problem with this logic is that people do not always act rationally, which is why this is only a theory. Another factor that is strongly connected with the spread of eating disorders in teenage girls, and that may be contrary to expectations, are toy manufacturers. Despite their importance in the body image, they are not as closely connected with modern media as would be expected. Toy manufacturers set extremely high expectations on the way women should look by developing and marketing the Barbie doll, whose measurements are physiologically impossible  [9]  . Fortunately, the Barbie dolls figure was slightly altered by its designers in the late 1990s, into a body image that is somewhat more realistic, but still unlikely to occur naturally. Now with increased availability of plastic surgery, todays women are faced with similarly unrealistic expectations every time they open a fashion magazine1. Perhaps the most surprising of all is the next factor, which is a whole assortment of books that are meant to show girls that eating disorder is a problem. But these books ultimately end up giving girls hints on how to avoid eating, how to cover up their problems, including not being seen with food, vomiting. This is achieved by real life stories that explain in vivid detail the ordeal that sufferers have faced. Until now books have been considered to be the least likely to have a negative impact on girls and causing eating disorders, considering the lack of pictures. But nowadays even if a book is created to help and give hope to girls who were unfortunate enough to be touched by anorexia nervosa or bulimia, unconsciously the author of book gives advice on how to be anorectic, by describing the ways in which they can starve, or purge themselves so nobody will notice their problem. Despite being gullible, young girls have picked up on this and use these books for dietary advice.  [10]   One more factor that is present nowadays and is considered one of the most influential causes of eating disorders, and which is really hard to change is the fashion industry and sizes that they constantly promote. The most common problem with this as being a factor is it influences eating disorder by promoting the size zero clothing, which is widely spread among girls and is the only size they aim to achieve. All of this begs the question: how did we allow it to escalate to such an extent, to let it get to this point? It began with fashion designers who would only hire the skinniest girls around, so girls started to become thinner and thinner to reach their dreams, which led to certain image being created of what is fashionable. This situation is complicated because nobody in the industry is willing to admit fault, not the designers and not the modeling agencies, which it ultimately is. Size zero clothing is actually too small for most of the girls who work in modeling, therefore these women promote a figure that is not only unattainable for most women, but is also unattainable for them. Despite the fact that the fashion industry is impervious to almost everything, once editors began protesting, the fashion industry finally needed to respond, by employing bigger women, who are still extremely skinny.  [11]   The root causes of these diseases are quite complicated and almost impossible to deduce, mainly due to the many existing theories on the subject, each one based on another aspect of these disorders. A major role is played here by human psyche. As I have mentioned in introduction anorexia and bulimia are both psychological illnesses, which affects young girls in America. It is very difficult to draw a line that separates between a reasonable concern for a shapely figure, which is indeed affected by all factors above, and between weight loss associated with an eating disorder. It has been suggested that dieting takes the form of a disease from the moment from which the person loses control over their behaviors associated with the intake of food and the discharge of unnecessary food. People with anorexia nervosa and bulimia are characterized by a large discrepancy between what they feel and what they do. If these diseases, as stated, are in fact psychological and they start with the los s of control over ones own body the problem must be pre-existing, before all the influences of the modern media or society begin to affect these girls with their unhealthy or too healthy lifestyle, fashionable and simply unreal body image. Anorexia and bulimia are classified as a serious mental illness and should in no case, should it occur, be underestimated. Not every thin person should be suspected of anorexia and not every girl with anorexia is terribly thin. For this reason one should not judge another persons state of mind solely on their body weight. Although in such cases, when a person insists on dieting, despite their skeletal appearance, their self-destructive behavior is closely related to the appearance of their bodies. Due to the dangerous effects of these disorders, many psychiatrists have started to compare anorexia to other dangerous psychological disorders, which have the same problems of perceiving reality. Suffers from anorexia nervosa are characterized by an extreme perfectionism, these people are very systematic and critical of themselves, despite their accomplishments, and also suffers try to do physical activities as often as is possible.  [12]  They often drop out of friendships, become neu rotic and often complain, their self-esteem is very low, and they sink deeper and deeper into depression. Some of the girls that were able to overcome their disorder are proud and relieved that they have finally gained control over their own bodies.  [13]   ANALYSIS OF DATA FROM SURVEY Throughout whole essay I have tried to discover whether the modern media are actually responsible for girls, in American society, who suffer from eating disorder; of course there will be as many opinions as there are people. Because of these differences in opinion I decided to survey a number of girls, in order to find out what is the real reason for their dieting. It turned out that most of the interviewed teenagers are convinced that they are simply too fat, which clearly shows a correlation between this problem and its connection to their self- esteem. The modern media are partly at fault, as a result of the incessant promotion of skinny figures, but are not necessarily solely responsible, as it could be also be due to trends that occur in each individual society, for example at school, where it is more likely that a girl will be perceived better only because she looks thinner than one of her peers. Unfortunately there is no concrete proof that any of these factors are in any way responsible, let alone fully responsible, but at the same time there is also no solid proof that states that the modern media has an impact at all on eating disorders, as anorexia and bulimia are psychological diseases. CONCLUSION As I have shown, the problem of eating disorders among teenage girls in America is very complicated and there is no one particular factor that has influenced the spread of it. It is impossible to conclude that the modern media is for certain the blame for this spread. There is a strong cultural influence on these girls that pushes them to the point of starvation. It is now believed that society may be able to prevent the spread of eating disorders, by simply changing their eating habits. These changes could include teaching youngsters about the importance of their eating habits and the importance of having a balanced diet. They should also be taught about the ethnic differences in diet, which should not be taken lightly. Yet another strong influence on girls, especially younger ones, but not necessarily connected to the modern media as mentioned above are toy manufactures, which create unrealistic role models for young girls. Despite this, due to advertising, which is a type of moder n media, almost everything ranging from books to movies that are advertised automatically become a media influenced problem. Therefore I believe that it is safe to say that all of these factors are interdependent. And even though culture sets a certain way of living, when it is promoted by the media, it qualifies as part of the modern media sector. Following this train of thoughts it is hard to define precisely whether the media influences the spread of eating disorders, or is it just used as a way to pass on information. If this is the case it would be significant to determine what can be classed as media, and what should not be. The modern media, even though it is widely promoted through the use of advertising, television series, films or, the most significant of all, the Internet, it does not necessarily mean that they are the source of the information. In most cases the modern media are used as just a way to promote information, but are not in fact the direct cause of it, thus t he interdependence. If the modern media does not have as a significant impact as is considered, then American society should focus more on teenage girls and their welfare, and especially take care of them in a way that involves parents, as well as society, paying more attention to their development. According to The American Academy of Pediatrics current advice is that children should watch less than two hours of television a day and that parents should be involved during this time by monitoring what they are watching and later discussing and explaining the content to them. If this advise would be followed, then maybe the spread of eating disorders may be limited.  [14]   APPENDIX Questionnaire for English B Extended Essay: 1. Are you a. Female b. Male 2. Have you ever diet? a. If so, why? 3. How many times? a. once b. twice c. more than twice d. I am always on diet 4. Did you succeeded? Yes Not really Im in progress 5. Are you planning to get on a diet again? Yes No Maybe Responses: 1. Total number of female responses 170 2. 159 have already diet (93%); 11 did not (7%) In order to make it easier to analyze I have grouped answers to open question into 2 most significant groups: Girls felt they need to change 148 (Mostly because they felt fat or needed to fit their clothes) Did not have a reason 11 3. a. 23 (14,5%) b. 27 (17%) c. 78 (49%) d. 31 (19,5%) 4. a. 12 (7%) b. 44 (28%) c. 103 (65%) 5. a. 111 (70%) b. 6 (4%) c. 42 (26%)

Ethical Consumerism: The Local Food Company

Executive Summary The report aims to understand the concept of ethical consumerism, with the help of an organisation that operates ethically. The selected organisation is The Local Food Company in the UK. The Local food company is engaged in sourcing and delivery of fresh, local and organic food including fruits and vegetables (organic and non-organic), dairy, grocery baked products and household items. Firstly, the report will provide an introduction to ethical consumerism and ethical products. Secondly, the report will conduct a detailed analysis of The Local Food company ethical activities and its socially responsible business. Thirdly, findings from a short opinion survey based on consumer behaviour are presented, Lastly, the report will conclude with the key findings. 1. Introduction: Ethical consumerism Consumers are getting more informed with the help of Internet and this is influencing their buying decisions. According to many scholars, the idea of ethical consumerism rose from the end of the 20th century due to increased media and ability to access information, and better availability of products (Newholm and Shaw, 2007). Ethical consumers have political, spiritual, religious, environmental and social motives for purchasing one product over other options (Harrison et al., 2005). There are two types of purchase behaviour as stated by economists: traditional purchase behaviour and ethical purchase behaviour. People will normally buy the cheapest product but only if they are confident that the product is as good as slightly more costly options available (Beardshaw, 1992 cited in Harrison et al., 2005). This is known as traditional purchase behaviour. Sometimes, customers boycott a certain product or brand and opt for a fair labelled or environmental friendly product as they consider ethical means more important (Harrison et al., 2005). This type of behaviour is termed ethical purchase behaviour. An ethical consumer is not someone who is ignoring price and quality but is applying additional criteria when buying a certain product. Ethical consumerism can be defined as the degree to which the customers prioritise their own ethical concerns when making product choices (Shaw and Clarke, 1998). Ethical consumerism is linked with morality. According to Crane and Matte n (2005), morality is related to the norms, beliefs and values embedded in the social processes that aims to define right or wrong for an individual or society. Ethical consumers can boycott a product if they read something unethical about a brand or they can simply purchase products, which are ethically sourced or have ‘fair trade’ tag. Ethical consumers consider the impact of their act of personal consumption on the society and environment. They don’t purchase product that are harmful to environment and respect animal and human rights. For example: purchasing free-range eggs; boycotting products manufactured by child, forced labour or labours who are offered low wages. There are various products that fall into the ethical category are banking, cleaning, cosmetics & toiletries, dairy, energy finance, fashion, food, insurance, soft drinks, tea industry and travel. According to ethicalconsumer.org (2014), there are over 200 ethical products in different categories. for example, a washing machine to save water and energy, a cooker with the least environmental impact, baby bottle sterilizer and impact of plastic on environment; living wage of worker who manufacture clothes; materials use in shoes-pvc, leather, wool; purchasing a greener desktop computer; milk and animal welfare; low wages in banana industry; lead in lipstick; fair trade flowers; bio detergent for cleaner environment; green or eco insurance companies; mobile phone helping activists; human rights issues in constructing hotels, etc. 2. Review of an ethical organisation: The Local Food Company The Local food company is engaged in sourcing and delivery of fresh, local and organic food including fruits and vegetables (organic and non-organic), dairy, grocery baked products and household items (The Local Food Company, 2014a). The company aims to source majority of products from Devonshire and West Country. It is a family business operating for over 200 years in Devon. The company is based at farm shop, Countrymen’s Choice at Ivybridge. The company has provided an alternative to supermarket online services. Being a small producer, it is successful as an online retailer. The company has been awarded for its green practices and ethical means of working. It includes Internet retailer of the year in 2006 for the South West, Green business of the year in 2007 and greening Devon finalist in 2007 EDBI awards. The company has proved how to run a sustainable food business. The company states, â€Å"At The Local Food Company we believe in a fair deal for our customers, our suppl iers, the environment, animals and indeed for ourselves†. The Local Food Company claims to operate ethically. â€Å"The Local Food Company are a very green and ethical business; we believe right now we are the greenest place you will be able to purchase food from in the UK† (The Local Food Company, 2014a). In addition to ethical sourcing of product, a business is also regarded as socially responsible when it fulfil the needs and wants of different stakeholders such as customers, employees, suppliers and investors. Any businesses that incur ethical artefacts attract as well as retain investors, customers and employees. To formulate this aspect, we take into account the Local food company ethical trading policies (The Local Food Company, 2014b). In exercising business ethics aspect, the Local Food Company have registered all employees to trade unions and provided them with fair wages and equal treatment. The company is against child labour, deductions from wages as a disciplinary measure, forcing employees to work excessive hours and discrimination. In addition to this, the company has no tolerance to bribery, blackmailing and bullying aspects among the staff and the consumers (The Local Food Company, 2014b). The Local Food Company has improved working conditions for employees making it safe and hygienic, hence boosting the morale of employees as well as strengthening the bond between the company and consumers preferences based on the products they produce. In some areas, it also operates above the minimum standards required by law in terms of safety of employees, rewards and values. This shows that the company’s main motive is not just to earn profit but also consider their employees’ needs and wants. At Local Food Company, any member of the staff is free to view his or her sentiment and the company usually accepts the sentiment equally without racial prejudice as well as discrimination based on gender. It can be seen that the company works as a socially responsible business in terms of employmen t practices; different ethical policies of The Local Food company are clearly stated on the website. The Local food company also promotes and encourages suppliers to follow ethical guidelines. All suppliers signed up have an e logo next to their goods. Also, there is no restriction placed on suppliers. Suppliers are free to sell from anywhere, via any number of outlets to buyers. However, the company monitors supply chain standards for unethical practices. Direct suppliers are asked to sign the acknowledgement of key trading ethical practices (The Local food Company, 2014b). Then after 1 year of work together with supplier, The Local Food Company introduces self-assessment questionnaire to promote ethical practices. Then, the company visits supplier farms on a regular basis to gain understanding of suppliers’ operation. Payment is made on time and done on the basis of market price (The Local food Company, 2014b). In order to attract customers, the company presents their ethical achievements so that customers can make informed purchasing decisions. The company engages in publishing policies, detailed supplier and product information on their website. In the first two years of trading, the company publishes comprehensive ethical and social charter giving consumers the freedom to access information about ethically sourced products (The Local Food Company, 2014b). It is good to know that any company within business platform needs to set out ethical guidelines that in turns lead to less risk hence increasing sales output. Based on this point, The Local Food Company in array of business produces various products including Bakery, Dairy, Meat and fish, Fruit and Vegetables, Prepared Ready Meals, Groceries and Drinks and Household items. These products however, are produced based on the standards bureau and local organic food regulations. The company has to ensure that buyers as well as suppliers are free with no restrictions to buy and sell the products anywhere and across the country on any outlets. In this way, the company ethically gives the buyer and suppliers all rights to their preferences without an essence of restrictions. The company has been able to drive business risks through these corporate forms of business to maintain maximal sales profit as far as financial outcomes of the business is concerned (Beauchamp, 2004). The Local Food Company has played a bigger role in encouraging small producers to implement ethical practices. To ascertain the aspect of ethics, the company exercises the aspect of ‘go green’. The company ensures that all products unveiled to the consumers are in better conditions; with highest order of hygiene and that all materials used are environmental friendly. The company sells food with a low footprint in collection and delivery. They claim to have lowest carbon footprints of all the businesses in the UK (The Local Food Company, 2014c). The company encourages customers to but locally and regionally, and cut food miles. Foods are based on high animal standards and sustainable farming practices. The company provides written guidelines on the waste disposal and insists on recycling programme for the benefit of the consumers. They reduce, reuse, and recycle everything possible. 3. Short opinion survey: what influences consumer buying behaviour A short opinion survey was carried out from a sample of students at GSM London. Students were asked about the main factors that influences buying behaviour. Most of the students considered the location of the store as an important aspect when purchasing a product. One of the student stated, â€Å"I don’t like to travel much for a product and always looking for options available near my location such as Starbucks coffee shop that can be found anywhere†. Some students also considered that they avoid stores that are crowded. Students also considered reading online reviews before making a buying decision. A student said, â€Å"If I am planning to buy something, I always search online reviews, if majority of reviews are positive, I make a purchase without thinking of the brand†. Few students mentioned about ethical behaviour in purchasing. They stated that after reading about a brand in news about forced labour or child labour, they boycotted the brand. A group of st udents mentioned about Rana plaza disaster, which changed the way they purchased products. The disasters resulted in number of deaths and injuries. Consumers regarded this as a serious issue and didn’t purchase from clothing brands that were involved. Students are also influenced by news videos circulating in social media. One of them stated, â€Å"I was very much depressed when I saw Peta video of how Chinese worker were handling rabbits for getting angora wool; this video encouraged me to say no to angora wool†. 4. Conclusion An ethical consumer is the one who applies additional criteria when buying a product. They want to buy a fair-trade labelled or ethically sourced product. They consider the impact of their private consumption on society and environment. An ethical consumer simply boycotts product that are associated with child labour or other unethical activities. There are various products that come into ethical category such as food, clothing, insurance, energy, soft drink tea and finance. One of the companies that claim to be ethical is The Local Food Company, based in Devon in the UK. The company is engaged in selling of bakery products, dairy, meat & fish, fruits & vegetables and household items. The company has been awarded with many green awards. The company acts as a socially responsible organisation and aims to fulfil needs and wants of different stakeholders such as customers, suppliers and employees. Suppliers are encouraged by The Local Food Company to follow ethical procedures in product ion. They are given the liberty to sell their food via any number of outlets. They are paid on time and treated respectfully. Ethical policies clearly show that company is against child labour and excessive working. The employees are offered safe and hygienic working environment. For customers to choose wisely, the company has listed information on supplier standards and ethical practices on their website. With the development of Internet technology, customers are getting more informed about the products they use or consume. According to the opinion survey conducted, customers make their purchasing decision on the basis of online reviews, location of store and store environment. They also consider ethical factors when buying a certain product. They boycott a brand when they read something bad about a product or say no to product that are against human rights. 5. References Beauchamp, T. (2004) Case studies in business, society and ethics, 5th edition, Upper saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Crane, A. and Matten, D. (2005) Corporate citizenship: toward an extended theoretical conceptualization, The Academy of Management Review, Vol. 30, Issue 1, p166- 179. Ethicalconsumer.org (2014) Product guides, Last accessed 23rd November 2014 at: http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/buyersguides.aspx Harrison, R., Newholm, T. and Shaw, D. (2005) The ethical consumer, 1st edition, Wiltshire: Sage. Newholm, T. and Shaw, D. (2007) Studying the ethical consumer: a review of research, Journal of Consumer Behaviour, Vol.6, Issue 5, p253-270. Shaw, Deirdre S. and Ian Clarke, (1998) Culture, Consumption and Choice: Towards a Conceptual Relationship, Journal of Consumer Studies and Home Economics, Vol. 22, Issue 3, p163-168. The Local Food Company (2014a) Welcome to the Local Food company, Last accessed 23rd November 2014 at: http://www.thelocalfoodcompany.co.uk/ The Local Food Company (2014b) Ethical Policy, Last accessed 24th November 2014 at: http://www.thelocalfoodcompany.co.uk/p/ethical-policy The Local Food Company (2014) Environmental issues, Last accessed 24th November 2014 at: http://www.thelocalfoodcompany.co.uk/p/about-us/about-environmental-issues

Anti Corruption Of Chinese New Government - 1808 Words

Deborah Zhao 04/21/2015 Research Paper Anti-Corruption in Chinese New Government On 15 March 2012, Chongqing Party Chief Bo Xilai was removed from his tenure on charges of bribery and abuse of authority. ()The incident of Wang Lijun brought to the politburo more evidence that Bo Xilai was undergoing briberies. On 22 September 2013, after many trials, Bo Xilai’s final destiny was to be sentenced as life imprisonment for corruption, and the estimated amount of bribery was 8 billion RMB (BBC 11/11/2013).This enormous number not only brought the attention of the inner party members but also frightened the entire Chinese nation. However, Bo Xilai is just one of the many â€Å"Big Tigers† that Xi and his increasing power were paying attention to, there are many more previously high-ranking trusted officials that have proven to be corrupt. (BBC 11/11/2013). What happened to the system? When did bribery start happening? Why isn’t anyone taking any actions for this situation? Who is responsible for the conseq uences? How can Xi change the current government with a better system and more trustful reputation? While the last decade has seen tremendous economic prosperity in China, it has also fostered series of widespread high-profile corruption scandals within the government. Throughout the start of the Chinese civilization, China has always been ruled by monarchy. Even till today, there is still a King-like figure who distributes orders and subordinate follows them. This is where theShow MoreRelatedCorruption in China1319 Words   |  6 PagesWhile corruption is said to generate inefficiency and retard growth in a country (Ackerman, 1997), China manages to deliver astronomical economic growth amidst rampant corruption (Li, Peng, 2001). To explain China’s puzzle, the essay first focuses on the causes of corruption and why it has yet to be eradicated, and then analyzes its economic impact in the short and long run. 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As a relocation specialist I would inform the global manager and his family what they can expect

The Cardiovascular Fitness Chart My Rating Is At Poor

1) For the Cardiovascular Fitness chart my rating is at poor. I wasn’t surprised at my rating because in high school I use to run indoor track, play lacrosse and I was on the crew team (number 8). Therefore I use to be able to run for 12 minutes without walking, I was able to pace myself and my breathing. I had more control over my body. I’m not satisfied with my current rating because I know what the factors of being unhealthy can lead to. Diabetes, Cancer and heart disease run in my family, therefore I should be a lot more active then I am. Since I have took the 12 minute run I have took my fitness in my own hands. I have been mediating morning and night to keep my stress down, find my inner self, as well as increase my confidence. I have learned that stress can increase body fat as well, and before mediating I use to always stress about every single thing and was depressed often. Another thing I have done to improve my cardiovascular fitness rating, is yoga, twice a day. The last step I have taken for improvement is I eat at least two salads a day and I drink mainly water. With eating the two salads a day I make sure to cut out my snacking on things like candy. I also make sure to get plenty of veggies in my salad and I have changed my salad to a light dressing. The change I feel inside is incredible and it helps me to stay positive with my fitness. In the future I would like to be able to run 12 minutes and my rating changes from poor to good. Also I would like to addShow MoreRelatedMr. Wilsons Symptoms With Bipolar Affective Disorder1703 Words   |  7 Pages(BPAD) with comorbidities (diabetes and hypertension) for 4 years, Mr. Wilson responded well to ECT treatment during a previous admission. On this occasion, he presents an episode of depression. His perception symptom include with low in mood, poor sleep, poor appetite, loneliness, irritability, and a feeling of hopelessness. Mr. Wilson admits to forgetting to take medication for the l ast 2 weeks. 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Used herein under license. Library of Congress Control Number: 2006933904 Student Edition: ISBN-13: 978-0-495-11873-2 ISBN-10: 0-495-11873-7 ââ€"   To my nephews, Jesse and Luke Smidt, who bet I wouldn’t put their names in this book. R. P. ââ€"   To my wife, Sally, and my daughter, Anna C. O. ââ€"   To Carol, Allie, and Teri. J. D. ââ€"   About the Authors puter Teacher of the Year award in 1988 and received the Siemens Award for Advanced Placement in mathematicsRead MoreThe Marketing Research of Brainquiry33782 Words   |  136 PagesDisorder 672,948 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder 672,948 Eating Disorders 1,922,709 Migraine 480,677 Sleeping Disorders 2,828,305 The chart above shows the number of estimated people with the illnesses mentioned. There are a number of good possibilities for a target market. There is also one other blade in the excel file for patients that shows the entire us population and all the states