Contemporary State of the Domestic Violence Issue Research Paper

Contemporary State of the Domestic Violence Issue - Research Paper Example The client has a history of the specific abuse, both at the hand of her father in the initial years of her life, and now at the hand of her husband and his family. The client has been married for 13 years and has been living with her family in slums and ghetto regions of the cities in rented and government-funded housing. The family has been shifting houses every 8 to 10 months due to their changing financial situation and the constraints government-funded schemes for the homeless in the cities. The diagnosis that has been made till now regarding the predicament faced by the client is that the environment in which the client resides as well as the current financial position and the homeless state of the client and her family have aggravated the issue of domestic abuse. The client does have history regarding being a victim of domestic abuse from her childhood as well. The client is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder due to the repeated domestic abuse. Domestic abuse is one of the many forms in which women are exploited in modern society and cultures by their families and husbands. There exist various different forms of domestic violence which can include sexual, emotional as well as violence in terms of intimidation, stalking, threats, and economic deprivation. This is one of the passive forms of abuse of women which often goes unreported due to the submissive and lack of confidence and resources available to the victims of domestic abuse. Domestic abuse was actively targeted and received attention on the 1970s with the movements for women's rights. Research and findings from studies regarding domestic violence have indicated that "around the world, at least one in every three women has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused during her lifetime and nearly one-third of American women (31 percent) report being physically or sexually abused by a husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives, according to a 1998 Commonwealth Fund survey. Nearly 25 percent of American women report being raped and/or physically assaulted by a current or former spouse, cohabiting partner, or date at some time in their lifetime, according to the National Violence Against Women Survey, conducted from November 1995 to May 1996." ('Domestic Violence is a Serious Widespread Social Problem in America: The Facts', 2008).

The Dicode PPM (DiPPM) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Dicode PPM (DiPPM) - Essay Example The results from the simulation tests have revealed that when the RS decoder is used it increases the transmission efficiency of the DiPPM to a large extent by decreasing the number of photons. In addition, the system using the RS code has also been shown to provide an improvement of 5.12 dB as compared to the systems which do not employ the RS code. Such an improvement is observed when the code functions at the optimum rate of (3/4) and at a code length.Further, the results have also shown that at this optimum code rate, the DiPPM system achieves maximum transmission efficiency. However, when the system is operated below this optimum level, there is an increase in the number of redundant symbols which in turn negatively affects the performance of the system. It is only above the optimum coding rate that the redundant symbols are found to decrease which implies that the amount of correcting symbols also decrease thereby reducing the transmission efficiency. From the results, it is al so evident that the DiPPM system while using the RS code required only about 14.3 x 103 photons per pulse when it is operated at a bandwidth equal to or above 0.9 times the PCM data rate. On a comparative basis when the DiPPM system uses the MLSD system it achieves a reduction in a number of photons per pulse when it is operated at a bandwidth of less than 1 normalization. From this, it is evident that the DiPPM system when using the RS code outperforms that of the MLSD system when it is operated at a high bandwidth.

Alfred the Great Essay Example for Free

Alfred the Great Essay Alfred the Great ruled between the years of 871- 899. He was a son born to Aethelwulf, King of Wessex and his queen, Osburga, in 849 in Wantage, Berkshire London. He was born of the royal house of the Jutes of Wight. He was the fourth son born and had one younger sister. He became king only after each of his older brothers had ruled for some time. When he did rule he ruled at a time that they were battling the Vikings. In his period of ruling he defended the Vikings and became the dominate ruler of England. Alfred the Great was the first King of the West Saxons to style himself King of the Anglo-Saxons†. He was a king who encouraged education and improved his kingdoms legal system and military system. King Alfreds education as a child was important to his reign. He did not have a formal education and learned to read and write only after he became king in 871, but he did receive great instruction throughout his life. At the age of four, Alfred went to see Pope Leo IV in Rome for instruction. The Pope later adopted King Alfred as his spiritual son. Most of the Popes instruction to Alfred was concentrated on Christianity and not the liberal arts. This instruction was well giving for his future role as he would spend most of his reign defending the Christian Anglo-Saxons The word great was given to Alfred because of his great leadership of a king and of a leader of the military defeat. Although Alfreds greatest achievement during his reign was the defeat of the Danes, he also had other accomplishments. He pushed for better education and helped make learning important in the lives of the people of his land. This was necessary during his reign because education had declined due to the fact that the Danes were looting the monasteries and churches which were the center of education. Alfred believed that learning makes life more rewarding and enjoyable; the worst thing of all is ignorance. He also kept the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and established a code of law based on the teachings of the Bible. This helped maintain social order. King Alfred the Great died on October 26, 899 and was buried in the Old Minster at Winchester. His death brought sadness to the people in his land that looked forward to Alfred the great being their leader. Alfred the Great was a great leader, Christian, and ruler of England for many years. His people established trust in him because of the battle he won for his people in his land. Alfred the Great is forever known in history. He is the only English monarch to be known as the Great. He is well-deserving of this title. He defeated the Danes and protected his people, but he also contributed his ideas for better education and social order.

Human resources manager in international expansion

Human resources manager in international expansion ABSTRACT The worldwide dimension of Human Resources work may not have high influence in some businesses. But in some business it does posses a lot of influence. Some organizations that have world wide activities, needs to be staffed but with some different comparisons in the terms and conditions of employment. This is where the importance of international human resource management and the role of international human resource manager arise. International human resource manager must be responsible for framing new Human resources policies and strategies that gets in line with the locations ethical and religious issues for which managers need to posses both explicit and tacit knowledge. This research highlights the importance of this knowledge and its transfer from the parent country to the host country in line with the other objectives of this research. INTRODUCTION The growth of significance in International Human Resource Management originates from the augment of globalization. This substantial growth can be seen very obviously over the past half century. This term explains the propagation of international trading relations, foreign direct speculation, worldwide mergers and acquisitions, quicker and affordable transport and swift technological revolution. Amalgamation of markets multi-nationally was involved by globalization and the involvement was done on a regional level as well which is enthused by the rise of potential and authoritative markets in china, India and Eastern and Central Europe. Multinational companies are yet other visible manifestations of globalization. As companies expand domestically to a certain level they then try and expand internationally. This is when the role of International Human Resource Management comes into action. The objective of this research is to 1. Identify the role of International HR Manager. 2. To provide justification for the chosen geographical area. 3. To discuss the role of IHRM in relation to companys global involvement. The chosen geographical location for this research is India, for which the justification would be revealed during the course of the research. LITERATURE REVIEW International HRM can be defined as ‘the set of distinct activities, functions and processes that are directed at attracting and maintaining an MNCs human resources. It is thus the aggregate of the various HRM systems used to manage people in the MNC, both at home and overseas. Taylor, Beechler and Napier, 1996, pg: 960. There are various models that best explain the International Human Resource Management. These models have been put forward to illustrate how the HR function is configured. The Schuler et al. (1993) model explains us the integrative frame work of international HRM. This is a conceptual frame work that tried to record HRM activity to the diverse strategic requirements for integration and local responsiveness. Schuler et al. (1993) defines strategic international HRM as ‘Human Resource Management issues, functions, policies, practices that result from the strategic activities of multinational enterprises and that impact the international concerns and goals of the enterprise. â€Å"International Human Resource Management can also be referred to as a scrupulous type of devolution activity and spreading out of HR role. As and when an organization starts to develop its international activities, the organization inexorably sets up the degree of decentralization, but internationalization is not just a form of decentralization. This is considered to be one of the most complex forms of the same and involves different types of language, culture, economic and political systems, legislative frame works, management styles and conventions and diversification that stay within those national boundaries.† (Torrington, Hall and Taylor, 2005, pg: 695). Perlmutter (1969) proposed a model that was purely network based, illustrating the globalization of companies. This model was initially implemented in the international human resource management prose, rather than the international business field from where it originated. Kobrin (1994) ‘identified the classification in human resource management issues such as training, recruiting, selecting people and resources as the prime reason why international Human resource theorists adopt the Perlmutters model widely. Perlmutter (1969) initially defined three organizational types based on managements mindsets. They are ethnocentric, polycentric and geocentric organizations. Later he came with the fourth type of organization which is called the regiocentric organization. â€Å"THE ETHNOCENTRIC MINDSET reflects a spotlight on home country values and methods of operating. The consequence is the key positions are filled by the parent country nationals which give them a high degree of direct control over the subsidiaries. THE POLYCENTRIC MINDSET focuses on host country values and methods of operating. The key positions are filled by local employees and the parent company is less interested in homogenizing the organizational culture. THE GEOCENTRIC MINDSET focuses on global operation methods and values. These values are not nationally specific but transcend national boundaries and become almost multi-cultural. This approach involves best people for the job and the selection is done from all over the global organization. THE REGIOCENTRIC MINDSET recognizes regional operational methods and values. The organization is normally structured along regional geographic lines (e.g.: Europe, America, Asia Pacific Rim) and employees are transferred within these regions allowing certain degree of integration and recognizing regional diversity.† Perlmutter (1969). ROLE OF INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER The primary role of the human resources manager of a company that is expanding internationally for the first time is to formulate new HR strategies and policies based on the organizations business policy. They must keep in mind the issues in the geographical location where the company is going to operate. Those issues may be varied starting from political issues, labor issues, religious issues and diversity issues. The next important role would be the transfer of knowledge. ‘Knowledge is defined in terms of its explicit and tacit qualities (Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995). Polyani (1962) states that ‘tacit knowledge is the one that can be articulated and explicit knowledge is something that cannot be articulated. Both these knowledge has different methods of acquisition and accumulation purposes. Lam (2000) argues ‘that explicit knowledge is mostly generated through reckoning and inference and can be acquired through learning, training reading and listening and tacit knowledge is acquired through exposure in different environments, face to face communications. Close interaction plays a critical role in diffusion of this knowledge. As per the above argument by Lam (2000), we can say that it is mandatory for an international human resources manager to posses both explicit and tacit knowledge. Explicit knowledge will help the manager in framing international HR policies and strategies based on organizational objectives. This can also be addressed to as the internal factors in international expansion. Where as the external factors include the political issues, the opportunities and threats which they might experience. This requires the manager to posses abundant tacit knowledge which is acquired through experience. To be more specific on the roles we can consider the work of Tregaskis, Glover and Ferner (2005). They examined the role of international HR networks in 13 different Multi-national companies and outlined the role of the HR manager. These include â€Å"1. Global policy development. 2. Global HR policy accomplishment. 3. Best practice conception and allocation. 4. Utilization of the distributed HR expertise. 5. Creating buy-in to policy initiatives. 6. Information Exchange. 7. Socialization of the HR community.† These roles are self explanatory and it underpins the relevant knowledge requirement of the person involved in the international setting. JUSTIFICATION OF THE CHOSEN AREA This research will proceed further based on the assumption that the UK based organization is planning to expand its operations in India. India is one of the largest democracies in the southern Asia. India draws a high level of international attention with a GDP of growth rate of 8.1 percent in the first quarter of the financial year 2005-2006. This increased from 1.9 percent in 1995 to 3.4 percent in 2004. Major growth rate can be found in the industrial and the services sector with a growth rate of 8 percent in 2005. There are quite a few challenges that the organization might have to face during its expansion in India. This is outlined by Beardwell and Claydon (2007, pg: 626). â€Å"INFRASTRUCTURE: The combination of weak authoritarian mechanisms and the improper flow of FDI which is found more in non core sectors have restricted the flow in core sectors and Energy. Wider skill up gradation seems to be essential in India for e.g., more manpower is required in the information and the communication Industry. CORRUPTION: This is another challenge that could be faced by the organization. This is the reason that the FDI flow in china is comparatively higher. The government of India has implemented the Rights to Information Act in 2005. Setting up of the vigilance commission is also an important step taken by the government. GROWTH WITH EQUITY: Despite the fact that there are more jobs being created, these jobs are in the unorganized sector with poor wages and benefits and there is less job security. But the government is taking necessary steps to improve job opportunities and enhance skills development by ensuring education for all. Beardwell and Claydon (2007, pg: 627), outlines the advantages an organization that enjoy despite the arousing the challenges. They are LANGUAGE: Advantage of wide knowledge in English language is evident in most graduates who come from across a million universities in India which makes recruiting quality candidates very easy. SKILLS: Highly skilled people from the field of software and information technology are one of Indias competitive advantages. India though highly recognized for unskilled cheap labor produces a number of graduates from the field of mathematics and science from a number of colleges. DEMOCRACY: The egalitarian nature of the Indian state provides a sustainable distribution of resources with an equitable distribution of resources and opportunities. This may help India address the challenges of poverty, inequality, low equality and per-capita income. DIVERSITY: The key to understanding the Indian context is its diversity. Managers with an experience in a diverse organization are regularly equipped to adjust as well as respond to the increasingly diverse international work place. PROSPECTS: India on description of its competitive advantage continues to gain employment within global division of MNC. The probability of this change happening is high with a projected growth of 9-10 percent which was predicted by the World Bank.† DISCUSSION AND EXAMPLES IHRM and Companys Global Involvement This discussion will mainly focus on role of IHRM in companys global involvement followed by examples of two organizations. Vernons (1996) stage model of organizational change and the steps are listed below PHASE 1. DOMESTIC: Focus is on the market, with unique products and services. ‘There are no requirements of cultural diversity and the HR needs are not demanding in international terms. I.e. expatriate assignments cross-cultural (Dunbar, ET. Al., 1989). PHASE 2. INTERNATIONAL: There is an increase in competition and international markets gain significance for profit. The HR now performs vital role in attaining control of local operations. PHASE 3. MULTINATIONAL: The product/ service reaches maturity, there is a rise in competition and a fall in price. The best people are chosen for international postings for increasing profits and the recruitment of international manager would be from those with the knowledge of parent culture. PHASE 4. GLOBAL: The previous three stages were based on hierarchical structures. This phase functions on the postulation that the business unit will need to operate in all the three phases continuously. ‘It is in this stage the demarcation between the expatriate and local managers disappears and management of dual demands of integration and local responsiveness takes place in the organization. (Doz and Prahalad, 1986). Phase I Domestic Phase II International Phase III Multinational Phase IV Global Primary Orientation Product or Service Marketing Price Strategy Strategy Domestic Multi Domestic Multi National Global World Wide Strategy Allow Foreign Clients To buy Product/service Increase market Internationally, Transfer technology abroad. Source, Produce and Market Internationally Gain global strategic competitive advantage Staffing Expatriates None (Few) Many Some Many Why sent? Junket To sell control or transfer technology Control Coordination and Integration Whom Sent? ‘ok performers, salespeople Very good performers High- potential Managers and top executives Purpose Reward Project ‘to get Job done Project and career development Career and organizational development Career Impact Negative Bad for domestic career Important for global career Essential for executive suite Professional Re- entry Somewhat difficult Extremely difficult Less difficult Professionally easy Training and Development None Limited Longer Continuous throughout career For Whom No one Expatriates Expatriates Managers Performance Appraisal Corporate bottom line Subsidiary bottom line Corporate bottom line Strategic positioning Motivation Assumption Money motivates Money and adventure Challenge and opportunity Challenge, opportunity, advancement Rewarding Extra money to compensate for foreign hardship ______________ Less generous, global packages ____________ Career ‘Fast Track Domestic Domestic Token international Global Executive Passport Home country Home country Home country, token foreigners Multinational Necessary Skills Technical and managerial Plus cultural adaptation Plus recognizing cultural differences Plus cross- cultural interaction, influence and synergy Source: Adler and Ghadar, 1990 cited on Beardwell and Claydon 2007. The table illustrated above was proposed by Adler and Ghadar, (1990), which illustrated the IHRM in relation to the companys global environment relating various aspects with Vernons model of organizational change. Examples The two organizations that will be considered as examples in this research are Barclays bank and British airways. â€Å"Barclays is a UK based organization which is expanding globally at a considerable rate. Barclays bank has been operating in India for just a span of two years. Within a short span of time they have gained the title as the most respected foreign banks of the country. This bank is led by Mark Jones, who is the Managing Director in Asia. The company has its own corporate social responsibilities. In 2008 52.2 million pounds was invested in community projects and over 57, 361 employees in over 50 countries was involved in one of them.† www.barclays.in (2009). Theoretically speaking Barclays in now on PHASE 3. THE MULTINATIONAL STAGE, as illustrated by Vernon (1996). The organization employed a director who has the knowledge of the parent culture. They have five branches across India and currently have their efforts focused on financial inclusion, entrepreneurship, and education and Helping people into Employment. The ethnocentric and polycentric mindsets of Perlmutters (1969) model best suits the companys International HR management practices because; Barclays key positions are filled by parent country nationals as well as nationals from the host country. â€Å"When considering the case of British Airways, they are slightly different from Barclays. This difference occurred because British airways are a huge organization with over 80 years of history. Though they have their hubs only in London, they have their operations in six continents and in over 69 countries and India is one of them. They serve to more than 36 million passengers every year. They believe in offering diversity, more development, better training than their competitors.† www.britishairways.com (2009). This organizations international HRM strategy can be compared in contrast with the permutters (1969) geocentric and regiocentric mindsets of the people because; they involve best people from all over the globe and at crucial stages employees are transferred within a particular region. British airways is currently in the PHASE 4 which is the GLOBAL PHASE as they are operating on all the prior three stages. CONCLUSION This research analyzed the international human resource management using a range of academic models and theories. The role of human resource manager during a first international expansion was clearly related to the knowledge transfer and the organizational strategies and policies. This research can be a useful tool for a domestic company whose future plan is to expand their business globally. After analyzing the advantages and challenges in India it gives the organization a clear picture as to what are the issues that can be expected, both internally and externally. Advantages are those which the organization must be prepared to utilize, and the challenges are something which they must be ready to face. Keeping in mind the role of the IHRM in organizations global involvement, the stages for organizational change, and the advantages and challenges they might face in the host country, the organization can really make an excellent start in their proposed geographical location. REFERENCES 1. All about British Airways, available at http://www.britishairwaysjobs.com/baweb1/?newms=info1 accessed on 24 August 2009. 2. About Barclays (2009), available at http://www.barclays.in/about/about_us.htm accessed on 24 August 2009. 3. Adler, N. and Ghadar, F. (1990) ‘strategic human resource management: A global perspective, in Pieper, R. Human Resource management: An International Comparison. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter. 4. Beardwell, J. and Claydon, T. (2007), ‘International Human Resource management, HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT: a Contemporary Approach, Edition 5, PP: 562-664. 5. Doz, Y.L. and Prahalad, C.K. (1986) ‘Controlled variety: A Challenge for Human Resource Management in the MNC Human Resource Management, 25, Edition 1, PP: 55-72. 6. Kobrin, S.J. (1994) ‘Is there a relationship between a geocentric mindset and multinational strategy? Journal of International Business Studies, third quarter: 493-511. 7. Lam, A. (2000) ‘tacit knowledge, organizational learning and societal institutions: an integrated frame work. Organization Studies, 21, Edition 3, PP: 487-513. 8. Dunbar, E., Mendenhall, M. and Oddou, G. (1989) ‘Expatriate selection, training and career pathing: a review and critique, Human Resource Management, 26, fall: 331-345. 9. Nonaka, I and Takeuchi, H. (1995) the knowledge creating company. New York: Oxford University Press. 10. Perlmutter, H.V. (1969) ‘the tortous evolution of the multinational corporation, International Organization, 51, Edition 1, PP: 1-30. 11. Polyani, M. (1962), Personal Knowledge. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 12. Schuler, R., Dowling, P. and De Ceiri, H. (1993), ‘An international framework strategic international human resource management, Journal of Management, 19, 2: 419-459. 13. Taylor, S., Beechler, S. and Napier, N. (1996) ‘Toward an integrative model of strategic international human resource management, Academy of Management Review, 21, Edition 4, PP: 959-985. 14. Torrington, D., Hall, L., Taylor, S. (2005), Human Resource Management, Prentice hall, Edition 6; PP: 693- 778. 15. Vernon, R. (1996) ‘international investment and international trade in the product cycle. Quarterly Journal of Economics May.

Impact of the Media in America :: Media Argumentative Persuasive Argument

Impact of the Media in America Imagine that you have a younger brother who has an obsession for video games. At the same time, you have a sister who is very fond of a particular music group. Your brother buys a video game, which has a massive amount of violence in it, and plays non-stop. Now imagine a week later after the day he purchased the game. He finds a gun located in your family's storage, takes it to school, takes aim at a fellow student (Like in the game, except not against students) and fires. Your innocent little brother has just transformed from a video game loving freak, to a brain washed homicidal killer. Your sister on the other hand buys her favorite band's new CD and begins listening to it relentlessly. You overhear a passage of one song while passing by her room that states a very provocative message about drug use; you think it's a little bit inappropriate, but you continue walking. Later during that same week you come across a marijuana-smoking device while searching for the phone. Has the music corrupted the mind of your sweet little sister and prohibited her decipher of right from wrong? And is the video game producer at fault for the death of the young student that was committed by your younger brother? Though it may be hard to say so from a standpoint of a relative, the answer is undoubtfully "no." Though there have been recent studies conducted by many organizations such as NBC, ABC, and CBS, which were in relation to the made-up incident above. One of which I saw personally was an experiment conducted by the Army and covered by NBC. The Army had soldiers play a virtual reality simulator in order to simulate a real battle sequence and give them the feel for the "real deal" of shooting enemies. The object of this experiment was to give soldiers not so much the urge to kill but to sort of aid them in the process of actually firing on and killing another human being. However, there is a big difference between video games, which are used for entertainment, and the program, which was used for firing training that I just mentioned.

Essay --

The story of Prophet Muhammad is the best story of all. Prophet Muhammad is the one who had the changed the world around him and had the greatest influence for the people during his time and in today’s world as well. He puts other people welfare before his own; he values other people importance before his own. These values of him made people to loved and respected him for his dedication and honesty to the society. As an Islam’s founder, some people claimed that Prophet Muhammad is a reformer while others claimed him as a revolutionary. Before I make any further argument, let’s first define what’s the difference between a reformer and revolutionary. First of all, I believe a reformer is a person who makes changes in something such as a practice or political issue in order to improve what they already have to be better. Meanwhile, a revolutionary is a person who is either actively involved or advocates revolution. Thus, here I will argue that Prophet Muhamm ad is a reformer instead of a revolutionary. According to Hart (1992), he believed that Prophet Muhammad is the most influential individual in the world and he was the only man in the history who had achieved a lot of success in both sacred and profane matters. He also puts Prophet Muhammad at No. 1 on the list among top 100 ranking of the most influential persons in the history. Prophet Muhammad was born in 570 C.E., in the city of Mecca, in the southern of Arabia. When Prophet Muhammad was forty-years-old, he was convinced that the God (Allah S.W.T.) was communicating with him through Archangel Gabriel and he was chosen to be The One to spread Islam to the people. At the beginning, he advocated only to his close friends and fellow associates. Only by about 613 C.E., Prophet... ... was done without any extra charges or taxes and it was also has to been voluntary and can’t be forced. As the conclusion, I believe that Rasulullah S.A.W. was indeed the savior of the mankind. He showed and guided us on how to solve the problems of humanity from women and children to slaves, the poor, and even to orphans. That was to establish the message from God (Allah S.W.T.) and to save us from the hot fire of Hell after our death. Therefore, it is important for us to read and understand the Al-Qur’an and read the messages of Prophet Muhammad for the success in both lives on earth and the life after death. Moreover, the Prophet also took the brutal tribal system where the rights are not equal to everyone especially to women, children and the poor, and he reformed it into a system where everyone received the same and equal amount of opportunity and chances.

Obesity †case study and health promotion paper Essay

Obesity has reached global epidemic proportions, and has become a major health problem of out society. According to Peeters et al. (2007), 32% or 60 million people are now obese in the United States. The condition develops as a result of the interaction between genetics, lifestyle behavior, and cultural and environmental influences. Fat accumulates when more energy is consumed than expended. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has adopted a classification system of body mass index (BMI). BMI, the indirect measure of body fat, identifies the overweight and obese individuals. A BMI of 25-29 kg/m2 is considered overweight, 30-34 kg/m2 is mild obesity, 35-39 kg/m2 is moderate obesity, and above 40 kg/m2 is extreme obesity (Palamara, Mogul, Peterson, Frishman, 2006). Obesity develops due to high-fat, high carbohydrate diet coupled with a decline in physical activity. Modern living conditions, eating habits, and quality of food lead to over-consumption of cheap, super sized portions. More cars, roads, and fast food restaurants at every corner, as well as quick, ready to eat microwavable dinners loaded with fat, salt, and simple carbohydrates are easier and often less expensive than nutritious, quality food products. Furthermore, the technology has made humans rely on mechanical devices. The automated inventions designed to make life easier, perform thousands of tasks that in the past required physical labor. As a result of sedentary life and over-consumption, the excessive fat accumulates in the body, and may have significant health consequences. Multiple research studies have revealed that excessive weight gain increases the risk of diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, coronary heart disease, stroke, osteoarthritis, and many forms of cancer. In particular, abdominal obesity has been recognized as strongly associated with the development of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (Behn & Ur, 2006) (Chen et al., 2007) (Balkau et al., 2007) (Despres, 2007). Due to the dangerous health risks of obesity, it is considered a disease that requires treatment (Palamara et al., 2006). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (n.d.) estimated that medical expenses related to obesity cost $92.6 billion in the year 2002, and the condition causes 300,000 deaths per year. Nevertheless, prevention of the multiple health consequences of obesity is possible by weight reduction. Bardia, Holtan, Slezak and Thompson (2007) suggested that: â€Å"Even a small decrease in a patient’s weight would result in better control of multiple diseases, enhance quality of life, greatly improve a patient’s morbidity, and result in lower health care use and medical costs†. In addition to preventing many diseases, weight reduction can improve the already present disorders. Research indicates that weight loss of 4% to 8% is associated with a decrease of systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 3 mmHg (Mulrow et al., 1998). The main weight reducing interventions include: diet, exercise, psychological, behavioral, pharmacotherapy, surgery, and alternative therapies (Vlassov, 2001). However, the long term effectiveness of these interventions has not proven effective, as majority of people regain their weight after losing it (Biaggioni, 2008). Guidelines for weight reduction suggested by NHLBI involve the following: initial reduction of 10% of body weight, low calorie diet (800-1500 kcal/d); 30% calories from fat, 15% calories from protein, and 55% calories from carbohydrates, daily deficit of 500-1000 kcal to lose one to two pounds per week during six months, long term weight maintenance, and physical activity for 30 to 45 minutes three to five days a week (Palamara et al., 2006). Health care providers are faced with the prevention and management of a major cause of morbidity and mortality for which effective life long interventions are desperately needed. CASE STUDY Bob is a 38 year old white male. Except for hypertension, he considers himself healthy. He has seen his family doctor three months ago for regular blood pressure check up, as he does every six months. Bob is married, has four adolescent children, and works as an automobile dealer for fourteen years. Past medical history: hypertension, obesity, hyperlipidemia Allergies: none to medications, latex, animals, foods, or environmental Hospitalizations / surgeries / injuries: tonsillectomy in childhood Medications: lisinopril 20mg orally daily Family medical history: mother and brother with hypertension Social history: lives with wife and children, all very supportive of each other, get along well, drinks 2 glasses of whiskey socially on weekends, denies smoking or illicit substance use Physical activities: walks on treadmill for twenty minutes once or twice a week, occasionally plays volleyball with family on weekends Daily intake patterns: breakfast – four sandwiches with cheese and ham; lunch – home made soup, cooked or fried sausage; dinner – salad, lots of potatoes, 2 portions of steak or meatloaf or chicken, pickled vegetables; supper – pasta with sauce or pizza; snacks – chips, cookies, candy, pretzels and fruits, all throughout the day; fluids – 8 glasses of soda, juice, water or milk. Review of systems: unremarkable, no complaints. Weight: 280 pounds, Height: 6’3†³, Waist circumference: 52†³, BMI: 35kg/m ², BP: 150/90 mmHg Most recent abnormal laboratory tests: total cholesterol – 220, triglycerides – 310 All other results including glucose, blood count, BUN, creatinine, and liver enzymes were within normal range. Bob admitted that weight loss has been one of the greatest challenges for  him. His several previous attempts at weight reduction have been unsuccessful. He expressed willingness and readiness to try again, but was concerned that he would not be able to follow the plan long term. Bob’s family was very supportive, and willing to help with his weight loss attempts. To identify the health risks of obesity, and to determine interventions to reduce those risks, research articles were examined. The search for relevant studies was conducted using OVID MEDLINE, PUB MED, CINAHL, and COCHRANE databases. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE Dietary interventions form the fundamental element of the management of obesity. There is a wide variety of possible diets, but no consensus on which is the most effective for weight reduction. A review by Noakes and Clifton (2004) compared the effects of a low carbohydrate diet and a low fat diet. Overall, the studies revealed that a very low carbohydrate diet resulted in significantly more weight loss than low fat diet in the short to medium term. On the other hand, a moderately low carbohydrate diet resulted in similar weight loss as a low fat diet. Moreover, the very low and moderately low carbohydrate diets have been found to more effectively reduce triglyceride, and increase high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels compared to low fat diet. Again, comparison between the low carbohydrate and low fat diets was performed by Lecheminant et al. (2007). In a quazi-experimental design, 102 participants were assigned either to a low carbohydrate (LC) or a low fat (LF) group. Both groups followed a very low energy diet and lost significant body weight (LC 20.4 kg, LF 19.1 kg) and waist circumference. The differences between the two groups were not statistically significant. In addition to the diet, all participants were involved in brisk walking 300 minutes per week, and all were issued pedometers to monitor their progress. Also, both groups were equally effective at preventing weight re-gain over six months, and both groups were found to have a decreased blood pressure as a result of weight loss. Similarly, a systematic review by Pirozzo, Summerbell, Cameron and Glasziou (2002) compared the effects of a low fat diet to low calorie diet and low carbohydrate diet. Six randomized controlled trials with a total of 594 participants were analyzed over a period of six to eighteen months. Overall results demonstrated non-significant differences in weight loss, weight maintenance, serum lipids, and blood pressure between all the diets reviewed. Moreover, a one year randomized trial by Dansinger, Gleason and Griffith (2005) compared Atkins, Zone, Weight Watchers, and Ornish diets. A single center randomized trial assigned 160 participants among the four diet groups. After one year, all diet groups were found to have significantly reduced weight and waist size, without significant differences between groups. Similarly to previous studies, low carbohydrate diets reduced triglycerides and diastolic blood pressure, all except Ornish diet group increased high density lipoprotein (HDL), and all except Atkins diet group reduced low density lipoprotein (LDL). In addition to energy restriction through the diet, energy expenditure may enhance weight loss. In a meta-analysis by Shaw, Gennat, O’Rourke and Del Mar (2006), 41 randomized controlled clinical trials were analyzed to determine the effects of exercise in overweight and obese adults. The multiple exercise interventions included walking, jogging, cycle ergometry, weight training, aerobics, treadmill, stair stepping, dancing, ball games, calisthenics, rowing, and aqua jogging. The 3476 participants exercised three to five days a week for a median duration of forty five minutes a day. Several of the studies compared exercise to diet either alone or in combination with exercise. The results revealed that exercise alone led to marginal weight loss, but when combined with diet produced significant weight reduction. Moreover, comparing the intensities of the various types of exercise activities, it was found that both high and low intensity exercises were associated with weight loss. Nonetheless, high intensity induced only slightly more weight reduction than low intensity, but when the diet component was added, the difference between high and low intensity was not significant. Additionally, the findings revealed that systolic blood pressure reduction was favored by diet over exercise, and diastolic blood  pressure was reduced equally likely by exercise as by diet. Furthermore, exercise did not reduce cholesterol levels, but was found to reduce triglycerides equally well as diet. Patients involved in the exercise trials improved diastolic blood pressure, triglyceride, high density lipoprotein, and glucose levels regardless of whether they lost weight. One of the most difficult aspects of weight loss plans is consistent adherence to exercise. A meta-analysis by Richardson et al. looked at the effects of walking on weight reduction (2008). 307 participants in nine interventional studies were provided with pedometers to monitor step count. Pedometers served as motivational tools to self monitor and reach the goals of walking. The participants logged the daily recorded steps, and reviewed their results during group meetings. On average about 0.05 kg was lost per week after walking two thousand to four thousand steps per day. Although the amount of weight lost in the trials was small, adherence to walking programs and increasing step count according to preset goals is important for the beneficial effects on health. The physical activity reduced the risk of cardiovascular events, lowered blood pressure, and helped maintain lean muscle mass of the participants. The studies have shown that the use of pedometer is helpful in monitoring the progress of physical activity, and is a good way to motivate continued increase in walking. Another meta-analysis compared different psychological interventions and their effects on weight reduction (Shaw, O’Rourke, Del Mar, Kenardy, 2005). 36 randomized controlled clinical trials including 3495 participants were evaluated. The majority of studies assessed the effects of behavioral interventions on weight loss. The duration of clinical contact with the participants ranged from 7 to 78 weeks, with sessions lasting 60 minutes weekly. The techniques included stimulus control, goal setting, and self-monitoring. The therapies enhanced dietary restraints by providing adaptive dietary strategies, and by increasing motivation for physical activities, and to maintain adherence to the healthier lifestyle. Behavioral therapy was successful at decreasing weight as a stand-alone strategy (2.5 kg), and even greater weight reduction was attained when combined with diet and exercise (4.9 kg). Several evaluated studies also assessed cognitive  therapy, psychotherapy, relaxation therapy, and hypnotherapy, but the results of these either did not reveal significant weight reduction, or resulted in weight gain. Moreover, a number of studies found that weight loss was associated with reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, serum cholesterol, triglycerides, and fasting plasma glucose. These findings once again confirm the important health benefits of reducing weight. Overall, the research suggests that most diets are equally effective at weight reduction. There are multiple more or less popular diets known, and according to Dansinger et al. (2005), more than one thousand diet books are now accessible. Instead of searching for the best available, obese patients should be advised that any diet would be more effective than the one they are currently consuming. Moreover, diet modification has been shown to be more effective than exercise, but both are beneficial in reducing cardiovascular risk factors. Exercise does not have to be intense, and walking on most days of the week is sufficient for risk reduction when continued long term. Finally, addition of behavioral interventions may strengthen motivation and self monitoring, and enhance weight loss maintenance. INTERVENTIONS AND RESULTS Bob was presented with the literature findings on health risks and health promotion, and was encouraged to lose weight by diet, and involvement in more physical activities. He was introduced with the possible options, and it was recommended that he participates in designing his weight loss plan. This way Bob could have more control over the interventions, and was able to incorporate his preferences. Bob identified his perceived benefits of losing weight as: improved body image, mood, physical fitness and agility, reduced blood pressure, and reduced risk of comorbidities. The main barriers were mainly the resistance to eliminate favorite foods, and occasional laziness to perform physical activities. Instead of starting one of the multiple popular diets, Bob decided to reduce  his portion sizes initially by 30%, substitute supper and snacks by fruits and vegetables, and eliminate soda and juice. To assure smaller portion sizes, Bob was encouraged to use a smaller plate than usual. He also agreed to drink at least two liters of water a day, especially with meals, to reach satiety sooner. He was encouraged to keep a journal of all his daily intakes of food and drink to monitor his diet, and to identify some hidden sources of excess consumption. Moreover, to avoid excess eating, Bob was instructed to only eat at the table, and to not allow family members to eat any food while sitting on the couch or in front of the computer. He also decided to become more physically active, and his choice of daily exercise was walking. Bob was encouraged to purchase a pedometer to monitor progress in physical activity, aiming for at least two thousand steps a day. Richardson et al. (2008) informed that a two thousand step walk was estimated to equal one mile. Bob was also encouraged to set weekly walking goals, slowly increasing his step count. Bob’s family was also involved in his attempt to lose weight. To help him attain his goals, family members planned to show support for Bob’s exercise by joining him. Furthermore, Bob was encouraged to identify situations of daily living providing opportunities for more physical activities, for example parking further away from the entrance at work and grocery store. Weekly meetings evaluated Bob’s progress, and discussed about difficulties of following the plan. Bob remained strongly motivated throughout the eight weeks of intervention, and successfully reached most of his weekly dietary and exercise goals. Portions of his meals decreased steadily until no more than 50% of initial food intake was reached, and the snacks included fruits and vegetables only. Daily step count reached up to six thousand steps on some days, and daily walks through the park with his wife became an enjoyable routine. To everyone’s surprise, during the third week Bob decided to accompany his sons to the health club twice a week, where he swam in the pool for one hour. He expressed feeling energized after any physical activity. Several small relapses were recorded when Bob missed a couple days of walking, and could not resist eating high calorie or high fat foods. At the end of eight weeks of interventions, Bob has lost nine pounds, reduced his BMI to 33.9 kg/m ², and his waist circumference decreased by 1.25 inches.  Also, his systolic and diastolic blood pressure was slightly reduced. Unfortunately, the effect on the blood lipid level has not been tested. In conclusion, during only eight weeks Bob turned from moderately obese to mildly obese, and remained motivated to continue the weight loss plan. DISCUSSION Research has revealed that any diet, as long as caloric intake is restricted, will result in weight loss. It has been calculated that to lose one pound a week, one has to restrict food intake by 500 kcal per day. Patients often get discouraged by the slow effects of weight loss. On the other hand, studies point that â€Å"more restrictive diets have lower compliance rates and increased weight regain† (Palamara et al., 2006). Unfortunately, losing the  weight is not the biggest challenge. What people mostly fail at is maintaining the reduced weight. Effective weight maintenance requires not only decreasing energy intake and increasing energy expenditure, but also modification of behaviors that predispose to weight gain. Bob monitored his daily dietary intake, and avoided situations leading to overeating. Also, the pedometer monitored the amount of walking, and served as a motivational tool. Moreover, intrinsic motivation for physical activities, as described by Teixeira et al. (2006), is the satisfaction from participating in an activity, while extrinsic motivation describes the desire of slimmer appearance, and weight management. The authors presented that the extrinsic motives correlated with short term weight loss, whereas intrinsic motives predicted long term results. Bob expressed enjoyment of daily walks through the park, which correlates with intrinsic motivation, and therefore he is likely to continue over longer period of time. It is important that diet or exercise is maintained for the pleasure and positive feelings brought on by the activity. IMPLICATIONS OF FINDINGS FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE The continuing rise in obesity and related risk factors, and failure of maintaining long term weight loss result in increasing prevalence of comorbidities. Health care costs related to treating ailments resulting from obesity will continue to rise, unless health care providers utilize more effective measures to deal with the problem. Promoting healthy nutrition and lifestyle early in life may prevent the development of obesity. It is a great challenge for nurse practitioners to help patients maintain their weight. Although the recommended compositions of various diets include specific amounts of fats, carbohydrates, and protein, the research revealed that it is the total caloric content that is responsible for weight loss, regardless of nutrient partitioning. Once the patient is ready and willing to commit, the treatment strategy should be devised together. Since the variety of diet options have been shown to have similar effects, the nurse practitioner can help match the nutritional plan with patient’s dietary preferences. Although diet was found to be more effective in weight reduction than exercise, patients with cardiovascular risk factors should be  educated about the benefits of physical activities. It is important to encourage continuous participation in exercise, even when no reduction of weight is observed. Lifestyle changes can be difficult to sustain for the patient, hence continuous support and motivation by a nurse practitioner are necessary. The interventions require dedication of both, the patient and the nurse practitioner. Also, counseling patient’s family, and encouraging to get involved in loved one’s struggle through weight loss and weight maintenance may provide additional support, and contribute to lasting behavior changes. Behavioral strategies such as encouraging setting appropriate goals, self monitoring and evaluation may increase the chance of success. Patient’s satisfaction with the choice of diet and physical activity, and successful long term adherenc e are the best predictors of lifelong weight maintenance. CONCLUSION The comorbidities associated with obesity substantially lower the individual’s quality of life, and are also becoming an enormous burden on health care. Successful treatment and prevention of obesity can reduce the occurrence of its complications. Dieting is resented by most individuals, therefore it is necessary to assist patients to find appropriate and motivating interventions that can be successfully followed life long. 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