May 8th, 2012 Zoe...Obviously
Hunger- the uneasy or painful sensation caused by want of food.
Malnutrition- a lack of nutritional elements necessary for your health.
Every year, 15 million children die from hunger.
For the price of one missile, a school full of hungry children could eat lunch every day for 5 years.
Every 3.6 seconds someone dies of hunger
The world’s sanitation and food requirements would only cost the United States $13 billion. This is how much people in the United States and the European Union spend on perfume each year.
One in twelve people worldwide is malnourished, including 160 million children under the age of 5.
One out of every eight children under the age of twelve in the U.S. goes to bed hungry every night.
This week I discovered a program called “Stop Hunger Now” it is a hunger relief organization that distributes food and life saving materials to many different countries. Volunteers help package nutritious food to send to people in different countries and are used for crisis situations and school feeding programs. They even provide a school lunch program for families in poverty. The “Stop Hunger Now” program has helped children and their families since 1998, and they will do whatever it takes to help end hunger. 
Talk to you guys later! This is Zoe…Obviously…signing off!
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May 5th, 2012 Zoe...Obviously
It’s hard to tell someone that his or her behavior towards you or others is out of control. You may want to believe them if they say “I’m sorry, it will never happen again”. However, you may begin to realize that this repetitive phrase is really just an empty promise, and you don’t deserve to be treated this way.
You may be wondering how you can tell if you are REALLY being abused. Usually, there are a few signs that show you are being abused. Here are a couple:
*Your abuser constantly criticizes you and puts you down
*Humiliates you and yells at you in private or in public places
*Ignores your opinion and puts down your accomplishments
*Threatens or intimidates you
*Physically hurts you
*Blames you for his or her abusive behavior
If you realize that someone has done any of these things to you, you may be in an abusive relationship with this person. Wether it be a family member, close friend, boyfriend or girlfriend, you have to make them realize that the behavior they are distributing is unacceptable. You deserve to feel valued, respected, and safe.
Some things you can do to help the situation are listed here:
Talk to your abuser if you are comfortable doing so. Talk about your worries and be clear that you disapprove of his or her lack of control.
Explain that his or her actions are not in any means a sign of love towards you.
Encourage the idea of counseling for the two of you, so you can both understand why the abuse has gotten to the point that it has.
If the abuse has gotten out of hand, and you know you need immediate help:
Call the police or a trusted adult (preferably a guidance counselor, or family member).
Ask your school guidance counselor (providing that the abuser is your friend or partner,) If you can go to counseling together one or two days each week, for help with your relationship.
Stand up for yourself. Laughing at or ignoring the behavior only reinforces the abuse. Make it known to your abuser that physical violence or emotional abuse is not okay.
Once you recognize your abuser, and are able to realize that he or she really IS abusing you, it’s time for you to take a stand. It could make a big difference in your life.
Talks to you guys later! This is Zoe…Obviously…signing off!
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April 28th, 2012 Zoe...Obviously
Eating disorders are very serious emotional and physical problems. The common eating disorders include anorexia,(restricting food intake by excessive dieting, fasting, or excercising,) bulimia, (eat to excess, then vomiting to stop gaining wieght) and binge eating (vomiting more than 3 times a week, but you dont make up for it by eating a lot of food). If you have an eating disorder, and don’t seek out help, the habit will only be harder to break, and you’ll live a very unhelathy, unhappy life, because you will never be satisfied with your body.
Here are some interesting facts I found about eating disorders:
- 90% Of people who have eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25.
2. In the U.S., eating disorders are more common than Alzheimer’s disease: five to ten million people have eating disorders compared to four million with Alzheimer’s disease.
3. Anorexia has the highest premature mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder. The majority of deaths are due to physiological complications.
4. People who have severe anorexia often grow a downy layer of hair, called lanugo, all over the body, including the face, in an effort to keep the body warm.
5. Over one-half of teenage girls and nearly one-third of teenage boys use unhealthy weight control behaviors such as skipping meals, fasting, smoking cigarettes, vomiting and taking laxatives.
6. The average American woman is 5’4” tall and weighs 164 pounds. The average American model is 5’11” tall and weighs 117 pounds.
7. One out of every four college aged women has an eating disorder.
8. A study found that 53% of thirteen-year-old American girls are unhappy with their bodies. This number grows to 78% by the time girls reach seventeen.
9. Although recovery from anorexia can often take up to a decade, the outcome of treatment is better than for obesity or breast cancer.
Seeing these facts made me realize that we need to learn to be comfortable at a healthy wieght. I realized that for people with eating disorders, it must be difficult for them to unlearn their behaviors, and relearn others. But with time and patioence, you can understand your relationship between your feelings and eating, and you will be able to accept yourself for who you are. 
Talk to you guys later! This is Zoe…Obviously…signing off!
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April 21st, 2012 Zoe...Obviously
Staying in shape doesn’t have to always be a chore! Once you try these sneaky ways to get in shape, you won’t even realize that your actually toning your muscles throughout your day!
Tooth Brush Squats!Stand up against a wall when you brush your teeth and bend your kneew until your sitting up against the wall. Hold this position ofr thirty seconds, stand up and take a breath, then go back in the same position for another thirty seconds to finish brushing your teeth. This simple work out tones your legs and butt, and should be done twice a day (or everytime you brush your teeth!).
Heavy Backpack!
Fill up your back pack with books! They don’t neccesarily have to be books from school, they could be any extra books you find around the house, you can even throw in some super-light wieghts. The extra wiegt helps you burn more calories whenever your walking around! Try not to put too many items in your bag. If your backpack is too heavy, it could cause a strain on your back. Try this on weekdays as often as possible!
Invisible Ab Work Out!
You can do this super sneaky trick wherever you are, whenever you want! All you have to do is sit up straight and squeeze your abs as tight as you can (but don’t overdo it!) and hold for 30 seconds. This counts as one set. Repeat this five times with a minute between each set. Nobody will even notice your doing it! You should do this work out at least three times a week.
Swivel Chair Ab Work Out!
If you have a swivel chair at home or at school, you should try this easy excercise. Simply place your arms on the desk in front of you, tighten your core, and swivel to the right and left in your chair. Doing this at least fifteen times a day for five sets will tone your abs and boost your flexibility!
If you do these workouts as they are instructed, you will eventually start to see changes! These simple excercises do pay off, and they take almost no time out of your day!
Talk to you guys later! This is Zoe…Obviousy…signing off!
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April 19th, 2012 Zoe...Obviously
It may be hard for some to stay motivated whenever they are working out. When pushing through a hard work out, you may think that it’s easier to just give up on the last couple of reps when you feel tired. You may think that just because you only did 18 crunches instead of 20, that it doesn’t really matter, and you just give up. However, those two reps are the ones that will ultimately make you stronger. Once you begin to skip out on a few reps, this will become a continuous habit. You’ll go from 18 crunches to 17 within a week. then 16 the next week, and 15 the next. Once you realize you aren’t seeing the results that you wished for, you end up losing the motivation to work out altogether.
You may be the person that decides to work out regularly for 1-2 months, however you never get the results you really want, so you end up “taking a break” for a couple months before realizing you should probably get in shape, so you start exercising again. This cycle will continue to go on if you don’t stay motivated while trying to stay in shape. If you back down just because you don’t have the perfect body within 1-2 months, then this only means that you need to work out more regularly, and try to keep exercising for a longer period of time. If you really try staying motivated you won’t believe what a difference it will make! If you still don’t feel like your seeing any changes, try eating healthier food items along with your work out routine!
Here are a few tips to help you stay motivated:
1.) Keep Your Goals In Mind!
Remind yourself why you started working out in the first place and what you really want to get out of this. When you do this, it will help you finish your work out and strong, and get you the results you REALLY want!
2.) Invite A Friend!
When your exercising with a friend, your able to hold yourself accountable. This way, you can’t schedule a date with them to go work out and then bail on them the day before. Plus, it’s easier to be motivated to do practically anything when you know a friend is going to be with you!
3.) Stay Consistent!
If you do your exercises in sets at anytime you want during the day, your body will get used to it, and pretty soon it’ll become a habit! It will seem as though your body will start missing the daily routine when you skip a day! Try to remember these tips, and you’ll be able to stay motivated throughout your work out routine!
Talk to you guys later! This is Zoe…Obviously…signing off!
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April 18th, 2012 Zoe...Obviously
At my school, we have a club called “The Diversity Club”. We don’t only focus on welcoming our peers to different races and ethnic backgrounds, we also focus on serious subject happening today. Cyber bullying, bullying, keeping our school fit and active, getting ourselves and our school involved in our community, are some of the many things we do in Diversity Club. If your school has a diversity club, I think you should definitely join. It may not do all of the things I listed, however it’s good to get your school involved in things going on, and make them aware that it’s fun to learn about people’s backgrounds and where they come from.
For example, the diversity club that I am a member of is hosting an ethnic food week at our school. We’ll be making different foods from all over the world, to celebrate people’s backgrounds. We are having a bake sale to raise money for supplies that will be provided by the activist group “Invisible Children” to go to Uganda for the Kony children. We are also going to be sponsoring the new movie “Bully” when it hits our small town’s theater, and as a group, we will go see it the day it comes out.
We make posters with slogans on them about eating healthy, accepting different backgrounds, and bullying, and hang them up around our school. We even create skits that are presented to the school that have to do with different problems that teenagers in high school are facing, like peer pressure, relationships, etcetera.
All in all, diversity club is a good way to express to your school that you care about what’s going on, and you want to get your school to feel the same way. Your able to express how you feel about different situations, and you end up getting involved in some pretty cool stuff. So maybe think about joining your school’s diversity club, or make one of your own. You could be making a big difference in your school.
Talk to you guys later! This is Zoe…Obviously…signing off!
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April 16th, 2012 Zoe...Obviously
The Boys Town National Hotline reaches out to children and families dealing with emotional, physical, or spiritual problems by giving them a voice through yourlifeyourvoice.org, or through the Boys Town National Hotline that is available 24/7 for teens who are struggling with different issues, or more serious problems like suicidal thoughts. The employees at Boys Town are always there to offer guidance and support to those in need.
At Boys Town, their motto is “Every child has the inherent potential to succeed, no matter what his or her circumstances.” I think that Boys Town is a great opportunity for teenagers to talk to someone if they are having problems with school, family, friends, drugs and alcohol abuse, depression, and more.
Sometimes, we feel uncomfortable telling our parents how we feel about certain issues, so what better way to get your feelings out then by telling someone who you know will listen, and will comfort you every step of the way.
Here are what some kids have to say about how contacting Boys Town completely turned their life around:
DEMARCO
“Boys Town made a difference in my life by providing me with stability.”
TAYLOR
“Boys Town gave me what I needed to put my past behind me and move forward with my life.”
MAYA
“Boys Town believed in me and gave me faith that I had a promising future.”
I believe that when you contact Boys Town or sign up online, your voice will truly be heard, and you won’t have to feel alone any longer.
Talk to you guys later! This is Zoe…Obviously…signing off!
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March 19th, 2012 admin
The truth is, kids like us are more prone to dehydration then adults because they have more body surface area per pound of weight. Since many kids take part in some sort of athletic sport, they are at a particular risk. Dehydration is a serious matter, so in order to prevent it, we have to make sure we drink plenty of water every day. You don’t necessarily need to drink eight glasses a day, (not many people do anyways!) but you do need to drink enough to satisfy your thirst. This usually depends on how much water you get from foods and beverages, and how much you sweat from physical activity. It’s always safe to drink little extra if you’re sick or exercising a lot. Drinking sugary juice or soda isn’t going to cut it. Most of these drinks have more than eight percent carbohydrates, which means that your body does not absorb them as rapidly.
Also, make sure that when you’re going outside on a warm day, dress appropriately for your activity. It’s always best to wear loose fitted clothing, and a hat to keep your face shaded. You will want to drink some fluids twenty minutes before the activity begins. Don’t forget to take breaks during and after the activity to make sure your fully hydrated. If you ever feel dizzy or lightheaded, find somewhere cool to sit for awhile and drink plenty of water. If you can, try putting a cool, wet cloth on your forehead. Taking off any excess layers of clothing is also a good idea. In general, dehydration is preventable. But if you ignore the signs, it can slow you down. So remember to always drink that good old H2O, and you’ll never feel thirsty again!
Written by MECKids Student Ambassador Zoe
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March 11th, 2012 Zoe...Obviously
To most kids, when we talk about our weight, we think of our appearance instead of how healthy we actually are. So what would we think if we had the responsibility to actually run a gym class?
Most teens would probably say that they would do five to ten minutes of light exercise, such as pushups, sit ups, etc. Then, for the remainder of the period, you would play a certain sport of your choice, such as football, basketball, and etc. It would probably be held like a regular gym class; however, we would find ways to make it fun so that it wouldn’t seem like just another class. Even though many of us act like exercise is not just about improving our appearance, many of us do realize it is important to be healthy both inwardly and outwardly!
Contributor:
Student Ambassador: Zoe…Obviously
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February 27th, 2012 admin
According to Dr. Meredith Lutz Stehl, emotional eating is when people use eating as a way to satisfy their hunger. When emotional eating is done often, it can affect our weight, health, and overall well being. A big myth about emotional eating is that it is prompted by negative feelings. It is true that people eat more often when they are stressed, lonely, sad, anxious or bored. But it is also linked to positive feelings too, like when you are celebrating a holiday with a large feast. It can also be tied to major life events, such as death or divorce. However, it is more often the countless little daily stresses that cause people to seek comfort in food. We are all emotional eaters to some extent but to some, emotional eating is a huge problem.
Aside from the health issues, the trouble with emotional eating is that when the pleasure of eating is gone, the feeling remains, and you start to feel guilty about the heavy amounts of food you have eaten. That is why it’s good to know the difference between physical and emotional hunger. Physical hunger tends to come and then be postponed gradually. It can be satisfied with any number of foods, and it does not cause feelings of guilt. Emotional hunger on the other hand feels sudden and urgent, causes specific cravings, and causes guilt afterwards. If you are an emotional eater, you have to find a way to break the cycle. Instead of eating a large amount of food when you are having positive or negative feelings, find something else to do to occupy your time. ” If you’re stressed, try yoga. If you’re tired, rethink your bed routine. If you’re eating because of boredom, call a friend, go outside or make plans to go somewhere.” suggests Dr. Meredith. If the problem is serious, ask a counselor or therapist for help. Breaking the cycle of emotional eating may not be easy, but in the long run, you’ll be healthier, and feel better about yourself.
Written by MECKids Student Ambassador Zoe
Source from: Meredith Lutz Stehl, PhD.
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Hunger- the uneasy or painful sensation caused by want of food.
