Our Bodies Under the Light

While reading Unbearable lessons Sunday night the television flashed a commercial that directly related to the subject matter that I feel obligated to post and elaborate on. Here is the video first off:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXsoDx9s0j0


The reading has a primary focus on Canadian guidelines stating that in the late fifties a program was enacted by the government requiring twenty minutes of moderate to vigorous physical exercise as well as a four hundred dollar tax credit to families who enrolled their children in physical education programs that feasibly encouraged healthiness. Our nation, according to the USDA, has encouraged thirty minutes in our era and now, is asking sixty minutes.
According to the research in the article this only further elongates the period in which "fatness" is given an opportunity to humiliate children. I have to disagree with most of the conclusions that are being formed on the basis that 1. I am a kinesiotherapy major, 2. I was an obese child, and 3. I believe that a lack of proper education during the allotted time is the primary culprit, not the mandated sport participation time.
Considering that my primary focus is kinesiology (The study of the anatomy, physiology, and mechanics of body movement) with a focus on fitness, it is against my embodiment as a student to find it plausible that a "fat" body can be considered as healthy or natural as an athletic body. Obesity is a human created and human maintained state; both as a classification and a condition. There are many factors that may involuntarily or voluntarily contribute to the development of excess adipose tissue; economic depravity, parental control of diet, and lack of education just to name a few.
Although these are variables that contribute to obesity, they are not in themselves determining factors. Health is associated with thinness because when all components of health are stressed the individual that emerges has a thin,athletic exterior from the rigors placed on it. This isn't to say that an individual can't be healthy if they are "fat," it just exposes that health professionals aren't out to create mobs of fat phobic maniacs as the text seams to elude to.
As a child I was overweight and consequently underproductive in most sports. As I recall I was embarrassed when people made fun of me or called me names but I didn't and still can't blame that on forced sport interaction. There was never a time when our class was given the true meaning and reason behind our physical education; we just did it because we had to. When High school hit I joined team sports and my health class coincided with the teachings I received in the weight-room. Physically, my mobility, strength, endurance, and overall well being improved greatly.
I don't believe that the promotion of a thin society is a bad thing, many associate thinness with health as stated before, it's the ignorant scolding of a those that don't fit the extremes of a society that ruin the soul of healthy mandates. I'd like to present a video by levis that promotes this type of society in America in a different way than Obama and the NFL did previously.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG8tqEUTlvs&NR=1

This video shows thinness as part of natural movement and embrace in human mechanics. Strip away the notion of obesity and sport and what we are left with is a joy to move freely throughout a world that is our playground. That's what the theme of this video is at least. ALong with this it promotes a healthy outlook on life which I believe is helped by a healthy outlook on the body.
Obesity isn't concurrent with laziness or moral incompetence but rather a lack of really KNOWING the body. The article states that we treat the body too much like a machine: calorie intake has to be less than calorie expenditure and exercise will burn calories, and so on and so forth. These are all guidelines that merely scratch the surface of what science coupled with experience knows about our body and the way it acts. In its most simplistic form, exercise encourages growth of the body and growth in itself is a fundamental progression of life.
Hatred, prejudice, and a fat phobia may exist as societal ploys to encourage the overweight to shape up. This approach can be broken down in many immoral ways that don't support the purpose behind them. Weight is another factor in life, and like many can be controlled with knowledge. If obesity becomes a desired state than so be it, all power to those who choose that lifestyle; it shouldn't effect social status, wages, or anything that is given equal advantage by our society. When cases are made that overweight children are deprived and harmed by their condition the education should play a roll in giving them what they want. If they want to be a better athlete but can't because they are overweight in a class of athletic kids they should have the knowledge that exercising and having fun on the field instead of simply standing around mulling over being picked last (such the case in the article)can help them like it has the other kids.
This may be a harsh way to look at the situation but look at the way it is being approached by the article. I feel as if it it subtly discrediting the work of health professionals and those who find exercise as a tool for better self esteem, health, fun, enthusiasm...I could go all day.
Even though I have experience on both fronts, my opinion is continually growing on behalf of the health community. Real professionals don't give obese people destructive criticism or call them names because we have the knowledge of what is happening within the confines of the body. It's the ignorance of society as a whole that hurts the approaches made by our government and medical community.

-By Chase Owens
Kin 332I
T/TH 12:30pm

A big miss

Landon Donovan one of the most recognizable US soccer play and captain of La Galaxy failed to make a penalty in the MLS final verses Salt Lake. Landon Donovan is not only on the US National team but is one of the penalty specialists for the team. This season Donovan was named the most valuable player in the MLS.

No one expects the League MVP to step up to a penalty kick and shank it right over the crossbar. Its one thing to have a penalty saved, but to miss badly over the crossbar is unacceptable. The hopes of the city and countless fans were on him to bring back the MLS title to LA. Donovan has no one but himself to blame and he has once again given the media a chance to critique him.

Donovan remains the face of American soccer. It’s a face that doesn’t want to go play oversees and one that has a tendency to choke under pressure. Soccer needs role models and stars for younger generations to look up to, so that interest starts and more future stars are raised, rite now soccer in the States isn’t going any ware.

Matthew Hivner Kin 332I tu/thur 9.30am

Celebrities and the

Racism in the Media

I recently saw a commercial on TV that left me with a sour taste in my mouth. The commercial portrayed numerous black athletes in very competitive situations. Throughout the course of the commercial, clips of high school, college, and professional athletes were shown competing in practice and in games. From watching the commercial, it left me with three thoughts. 1) That being overly aggressive to the point of physically fighting someone is ok, and part of athletics. 2) That only black athletes behaved this way. 3) That the only way for black athletes to succeed would be through hard work in athletics. I'm not sure what the real message of the commercial was, but I didn't get it. The only thing I saw was a reinforcement of what most Americans already think of black athletes. The company was directly targeting a race by using a stereotype that is unfortunately accepted and reinforced in our society today. What truly irritates me is the fact that most people wouldn't even come close to having the same thoughts that I had.

Derek W.
KIN 332I Section 2

Gambling on Sports

I feel that no matter where I am or who I am talking to today in regards to sports, the topic of gambling always comes up. It is almost impossible to hear people talking about football without hearing some mention of what the "spread" is in certain games. While gambling on sports can add a certain excitement to the viewing experience, doesn't this take away from the beauty of sport? The competition should be on the field of play or on the court, but instead there seems to be a stronger need for competition between a person and their bank account. It is just unfortunate to me that sports alone are not enough for someone to be excited, and that the need to add something illegal to it is prevailing. I understand that sports and gambling have somewhat been going hand in hand for centuries, but it is my hope that one day sports will be appreciated enough that gambling will not be needed to raise excitement among viewers.

Derek W.
KIN 332I Section 2

Are we going overboard with steroid laws?

We learned in class (kin 332I) how steroids increase muscle size, speed and power. They can also enhance masculinity, aggressiveness, well-being, and sexual prowess. And for decades, sports fans have dismissed reports of drug use is sport. In October, the PGA Tour announced that Doug Barron has been suspended one year after having violating its anti-doping policy. This news came on the heels of a season where Barron had earned “exactly zero dollars” in four nationwide tours and one PGA tour, also while playing on a minor medical extension. My question is, though it is beneficial to be able to crush a ball a mile, to get to the hole in shorter hits, using this stuff wont make you a better golfer, so who cares. The short game is what makes or breaks a good golfer; if Tiger Woods can get laser eye surgery to better his vision, which by the way makes a bigger difference in being able to read the green, why should steroids make that big of a difference in golf. Just ban it in sports where its going to make a difference, like football, not golf.

B. Ott
kin 332I.S2
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=4617694&name=sobel_jason

What happened to the “student” in “student athletes?”

What happened to the “student” in “student athletes?” There was been a lot going on in college sports, especially football. As the season is coming to an end, you here a lot about how athletes are getting ready for the upcoming bowl games and the mental preparation and practice that will happen in the time in between. What you don’t hear about is all the finials they will have to be doing at the same time. When did we forget about the school their playing for is actually a school.

I was reading an article in the LA times in late September and when the RB for USC Stafon Johnson dropped the weight bar on his throat and had to go to the hospital. The paper s and the news media all where talking about how this could potentially end his career in football, but didn’t give a second thought to how this would affect his schooling. He ended up missing a whole month that must have really affected his grades. But we live a society where we put athletes above other based on how they play or how their team does, not on the charities they help out with or in the case of college athletes how well they do in school.

B.Ott
kin 332I.S2
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2009/09/usc-stafon-johnson-weightlifting-accident.html

2010 World Cup in South Africa

I read Soccer against the Enemy for my book review assignment and I learned a lot about how different countries view soccer. The country that stood out the most to me was Africa, mostly because they are the ones that struggled the most to gain talent recognition and exposure in the World Cup. The first World Cup tournament was in 1930 and Africa did not participate until 1970, forty years later. Even after that Africa was looked upon poorly when it came to soccer. They were only granted 2 positions in the World Cup, which was not proportional considering more than half the teams were European. When Africa lobbied FIFA for more positions, they declined their request because they did not think Africa was good enough. FIFA continually showed strong signs of racism toward African teams. In the 1998 bid for the World Cup between France and Morocco, Morocco was quickly over-ruled. However, it is encouraging to see that the tables are turning for Africa. The 2010 World Cup will be held in South Africa and they now have 5 representing positions. http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/destination/index.html

Cynthia Gonzalez Kin 332I TuTh 12:30pm

Positive Connection to HS Sports?

The LA times ran an interesting blog today about research that was done concerning the connection between high school student’s involvement in sports and their behavior. The research surveyed 13,000 male and female high school student, what they found was a little different than that covered in class (332I). They found that (as in class) in males, 60.5% participated in team sports in the previous year, and among females, 48% played one or more team sports. However with males taking part in team sports for males was connected with increased levels of fighting, drinking, and binge drinking. It was also, however, linked with lower levels of depression and smoking. For women it was found the opposite: lower levels of fighting, depression, smoking, marijuana use, and unhealthy weight loss habits. So while participation may lead to an increased grade point average, better attendance, and lower dropout rates, for males it may increase aggression linked to fighting as well as an increased use of alcohol, as well as binge drinking as covered in class.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/11/participating-in-team-sports-is-thought-to-be-good-for-kids-and-teens-teaching-them-discipline-teamwork-and-encouraging-he.html
Matt Tsurumoto (Sec 02 332I 9:30-10:45am T/Th)

Steroids

I found the movie that we watched in class about steroids very interesting. Until watching this movie it had never occurred to me to think of steroids as anything but bad. I think the main point of this video was that all drugs have risks and side effects and should only be used if the benefits greatly outweigh the risks. I was surprised to find out that steroids are actually prescribed by doctors to people with muscle deteriorating diseases. Steroids have also been used to treat Bell’s palsy, Alzheimer's, hormonal disorders, kidney problems, and asthma. There are, of course, risks in taking steroids, but I wonder how many are true and how many are embellished or just simply fabricated to scare people away from them. In the online article I found, it stated that taking steroids can cause damage to sex organs and the nervous system. Frequent users of steroids can also suffer from liver inflammation, ligament and joint damage, facial hair growth, acne, and tumors. This article also stated that steroids cause kidney disease which I found interesting because the other article I found stated that steroids helped people with kidney problems. There seems to be a lot of misinformation out there about steroids. It would be nice if some scientists and doctors did a conclusive study about steroids and released the truth to the public.

Here are the articles I found:

http://www.helium.com/items/337426-the-benefits-and-risks-of-steroids-for-athletes?page=2
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/benefits-of-steroids-and-excellence-in-performance-857569.htm

L. Kinnaman 332I Section 2 T&TH 9:30a.m.

Parents Acting With Bad Sportsmanship

I just read this on AOL News; The father brought his son to practice late, so the coach made the boy run for his time missed. The father argued that his son shouldn't be punished for his (the father's) mistake, and the coach and father found an empty spot on the field and started a fist fight.

The father has a concussion, broken nose, and shatteres eye socket, and the coach is on suspension while the police investigate.

I though this was a great current example of what we had talked about concerning bad sportsmanship. Here is the website if you want to check it out:

http://www.parentdish.com/2009/11/05/parent-sportsmanship-worse-than-ever/?icid=main|main|dl5|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.parentdish.com%2F2009%2F11%2F05%2Fparent-sportsmanship-worse-than-ever%2F


Rachel Smith Kin332I 12:30- 1:45

Yahoo article: 1 year NBA rule

This article features a story about up and coming NBA star Brandon Jennings who decided to play in the European league right out of high school.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=dw-jenningsbucks110209&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

I thought it was a very interesting article based on our class discussion about this rule yesterday. The writer glorifies Jennings for not taking everyones advice to go play college ball for a year. As we discussed, some people know exactly what they want to do right out of high school and they should have the right to do it. Sometimes we all have to do stuff and put in time and efforts to things that we do not want to do. For instance, we all have to take General Education courses at school in order to complete our degress, but why? Why should I have to take an art or theater class if it has absolutely nothing to do with my major? The rules of society tells us that we need to be well rounded individuals, citizens of society; but why should I have to do things I don't want to just like the arguments of why players should not have to wait one year to go pro.

Another thing we really didn't get to discuss yesterday is the fact that a lot of times, men are more developed anatomically to be able to contend in professional basketball straight out of high school. An eighteen year old body is not likely to be able to compete in the NFL or MLB, because of the lack of muscular build which contributes to the power they need to be able to contend with their competitors in their sport. So an eighteen year old wanting to play in the MLB right out of high school will still be sent to the minor leagues for a while to develop anatomically, not skillfully. The same for football players. They will spend a few years in college to be able to allow their bodies to continue to develop to full potential. Remember that these sports are more likely to have athletes on steroids and human growth hormones, whereas it is a visibly less common problem in basketball players.

The argument can fall either way. In the case of Jennings, it worked out best for him to be able to pursue his basketball career right out of high school. Others may not be so lucky. How can you standardize a rule though when it really comes down to the fact that each individual is different?


Michelle Silva
KIN 332I, Sec. 3, T/R 12:30 p.m.-1:45 p.m.