How East-Asian Martial Films Have Influenced Hollywood Cinema Literature review

How East-Asian Martial Films Have Influenced Hollywood Cinema - Literature review Example This genre has been known to incorporate richly detailed choreographed action scenes with high-flying kicks and martial art techniques. When it was first seen in Asia, it was far-removed from the American film genre and style. However, it soon became a common feature in the Hong Kong film industry (Michallet-Romero, 2003). While trying to preserve the traditional stories of Chinese heroes, Hong Kong film directors translated martial arts techniques into film and in the process influenced the Hollywood film industry. The Wuxia tales in Chinese history were representations of male and female sword masters who represented much heroism in their actions (Garnet, 1999). These tales of heroism were developed in an era dominated by Confucianism and the teachings of this religion. Confucius was very much focused on loyalty, obedience, and on fulfilling one’s duty to one’s family. The father was considered the head of the household and as such total respect was owed him by the re st of the family (Morgan, 2001). Confucius also advocated the belief that those who were stronger must protect the weak, the aged, and those who were unable to defend themselves. Confucius also supported the ideal leader, ordering his warriors to live their lives with dignity and with valour. From these teachings grew wuxia literature. This literature was also enriched by the stories of the Buddhist religious leader Siddartha Gautama (Michallet-Romero, 2003). Buddha’s teachings incorporated philosophical beliefs to the wuxia tales and also advocated the idea of alleviating the sufferings of man. Physical disciplines were later associated with Buddhism and Confucianism and these movements were meant to enhance a person’s chi, which is considered to be the life force of all beings (Michallet-Romero, 2003). ... iplines were later associated with Buddhism and Confucianism and these movements were meant to enhance a person’s chi, which is considered to be the life force of all beings (Michallet-Romero, 2003). From these movements Kung Fu would soon evolve. The Wuxia tales presented the image of the hero – either male or female – as one who is able to wield a sword skilfully, travelling to distant lands and carrying out heroic deeds in defence of the powerless and the weak. These heroes were often known to travel alone, exemplifying their strong skills in martial arts and sword play (Desser, 2002). The relationship of master and student within these stories were also apparent. The wuxia tales also presented the virtues of justice, valour, and sacrifice for the greater good of the people. The protagonists were also usually of common lineage and with skill and training gained much prestige (Birrell, 1999). This protagonist was very much different from the protagonists portra yed in Western stories where the heroes were often of noble blood. Wuxia folklore eventually made its way into the common and the noble people of China and these stories were retold with slight changes in their characterizations, making them darker and flawed and somehow representing a danger to those who were weak. Due to these changes in their characterization, the heroes were often made to confront their dark side as well (Birrell, 1999). Eventually however, this wuxian hero would be able to redeem himself by favouring the original teachings of Buddhism and Confucianism, harnessing enough chi to make the ultimate sacrifice for the people. These wuxia tales became popular forms of literature in China and they became common themes among travelling groups of actors in China. When the Peking Opera was

Gender roles. Roles of Men and Women in Society Essay

Gender roles. Roles of Men and Women in Society - Essay Example II. The biological make up of an individual within a society has long been used to determine how that person should behave †¢ Biology is not necessarily a determining factor in gender roles †¢ In many of the societies today, there is a tendency to ascribe roles according to the biological makeup of the individuals within them †¢ Men were given the positions of power, not because they could do better than women, but because of their biological makeup III. The society plays a major role in determining the gender roles of the individuals within it †¢ The parents of a large number of people in society determine the gender roles of their children and rigidly enforce them. †¢ Society is a powerful force in the lives of the individuals within it †¢ It is often extremely difficult for individuals to go against the roles which have been set for them by their own societies IV. Culture is another major factor that determines the gender roles of individuals in the societies within which they live. †¢ There are many different cultures around the world and each has its own expectations about what roles the members of each sex should undertake †¢ Other cultures cannot be judged according to the western standards because of the fact that while there may be similar cultures, there are others which are completely different †¢ In a globalized culture, men and women are considered to be equal and tend to be given equal opportunities, with each sex performing those tasks which were traditionally reserved for the other V. The various roles that are ascribed to the various genders are mostly determined by the society within which individuals live as well as by its culture. Biology only acts as a marker to determine how the society is going to socialize an individual to behave and it is not in itself a definer of gender roles Within the modern world, gender roles are starting to become insignificant Women can take up the roles traditionally reserved for men with the same efficiency and the reverse has also been proven to be true The gender roles are today slowly becoming blurred and they may cease to exist altogether in future It is a fact that gender roles have existed for almost as long as the human race has existed and it is quite possible that they will continue to exist in the foreseeable future. T hey are a part of the daily lives of individuals and are manifested within the society by observable factors such as how one behaves or appear. Gender roles can be considered to be patterns of feelings deemed appropriate or inappropriate because of one’s gender and they derive from the social expectations of how members of the different genders whether male or female, should behave. An example of this is if a person considers themselves to be female, then she would be expected to display the characteristics which are typically associated with being female, such as being gentle, dependent and expressive of their feelings. There are various factors that are used to determine the gender roles in society and the most important of these are biological, social, and cultural factors. One would state that the biological make up of an individual within a society has long been used to determine how that person should behave. However, there is yet to be proof of the fact that whether on e is male or female, he or she is born with the innate knowledge of the characteristics that are often ascribed to their gender (Zosuls et al 827). In

Values Of Nationalism In Pakistan

Values Of Nationalism In Pakistan The ideology of nationalism has been defined as a feeling of belonging among the individuals of a nation and it is based on the religion, language, and ethnic origins. In Pakistan, the ideology of nationalism was first initiated with Islam as single religion. The Muslim of India was unified on the basis of religion to create a single national identity (Haqqani, 2005)Â  [1]Â  . However, nationalism can also be defined as feeling among group that is reawakened by modernity (Adeel, 2005)Â  [2]Â  , thus nationalism in Pakistan is a result of struggle to have separate identification from the Hindus in the region of sub-continent Asia. Since the creation of Pakistan, nationalism is related to expression of historical, cultural, religious, linguistic and political values which is further elaborated as showing pride in the historical culture, heritage and identity of Pakistan that also helps to formulate future vision of Pakistan. Problem with Nationalism in Pakistan Since its establishment, Pakistan has faced different difficulties and nationalism with concern to identity has been the most problematic national issue for Pakistan. Pakistan, being born from the old division of Indian civilization, has been struggling to construct its culture which gives it different identity, not much different from Indian culture but at the same time must be recognized as different by the world (Jaffrelot, 2002)Â  [3]Â  . After more than half century, nationalism in Pakistan has two faces or in other words there are two levels of values of nationalism exist. At first, there is nationalism which forms all Pakistani as one nation and according to that all Pakistanis possess one nationality and are citizen of Pakistan; similarly it is observed that government and media in Pakistan continuously attempts to prevail the value for nationalism among the citizen by showing threaten from India (Jaffrelot, 2002). Conversely, for more than five decades, it has been observe d that nationalism in Pakistan is disintegrated on the basis of linguistic, ethnicity and region. To Jaffrelot (2002), nationalism is an ideology which combines the people into a group and this formation occurs as a result of territorial, ethnic and social construction rather than on the basis of religion or language. Thus this definition excludes the linguistic group and religious communities. Pakistan, on the other hand, appears to be an unachieved nation on account of ethnic identities they have. Pakistan with disintegrated nation has been going through different problems. No matter what the nature of the problems is, media has long been playing its role in the creation of values of nationalism in Pakistan. This paper intends to examine the role of media in the creation of nationalistic value in Pakistan with especial reference to media as strong source or tool for creating the values of nationalism. Pakistani Media and Nationalism With the disruptive nationalist ideologies in the period of globalization, present nationalism is significantly different from the ideology of nationalism in nineteenth and early twentieth century. Today, it is seen that nationalism is impacted and increased by the mutual incompatibility between local as well as global world. However, nationalism has its deep root in diverse political, and cultures while different national trends impacts the way of media and journalists choose to demonstrate the news stories about national collective identities and the national interests. It is considered that national welfare development impacts the news coverage criteria towards a less narrow-minded and more responsible attitude on the part of the press. The role of mass media, since 1960s with the ideological state equipment, was able to organize the social image more concentrating on the ideology of national identity and national interest. Since national integrity and solidity have been core national issues of Pakistan, and press media has been rather active in analyzing these problem through generating the public awareness than electronic media. In Pakistan electronic media has long been missing its place to make significant influence to create national values. According to Price (1995)Â  [4]Â  , organized activity of media for social imagery was achieved by different controlling policies and it has directed to considerable and firm construction of consent in the name of the population within a nationality and nation state. The consent is taken from the symbolic and imaginary way of we and them, and it is implemented by the media event and the selection criteria of news and its presentation. To Dayan and Katz (1992)Â  [5]Â  , this consent is more prominent when it is about foreign policy issues and the international relations of a nation state. Gans (1979)Â  [6]Â  contends that nation is presented as a unified e ntity through TV news which is framed into anthropomorphic term. In addition, ethnocentrism is considered as one of the main journalistic values through which TV news is selected and presented. In the same way, since Pakistan has long been ally with the US state government and after 9/11 attacks the news coverage by electronic media in Pakistan had followed the international relation policy of Pakistani government through which Pakistani media showed sympathy with the people and citizen of the US (PÅ‚udowski, 2007)Â  [7]Â  . Generally people consider mass media as mean of determining the knowledge level and information about the national and international alliances, political players and foreign policy; similarly, news coverage both by press and electronic media also gives the geopolitical image of a country. For many decades nationalist movement was based on the typography and according to McLuhan (1987)Â  [8]Â  printed word make it possible to give the rise of national languages, producing common way of communication, and, as a result of it they have view of a common destiny. Urdu press in Pakistan, on the other hand, has been most careless and irresponsible in the world as it has always been indulge in promoting such conspiracy theories that could be harmful for the union of all provinces and its national image inside and outside the country. As discussed above that language communication is more powerful than picture communication with the view to have intimacy with the people using common language , Pakistani Urdu press media is deteriorating the national values by relying on the propaganda and prejudice views. However, here it is not significant to overview if the word of truth is promoted but more importantly that the news content is not relevant to promote the values of nationalism in the country (Gupta, 1999)Â  [9]Â  . However, the role of media with nationalism can also be observed in the time of war especially with reference to radio. Radio through broadcasting spreads the common words of fear and hate towards the other nations. Bias nationalism affects the selection as well as presentation of news stories and eventually results in outburst of nationalist mobilizations. The role of radio in Pakistan has similarly been motivated to promote the national values by the war threat from India in 1965 (Ali, 1995)Â  [10]Â  . Similar to theoretical concept about the role of radio with the context of creating the values of nationalism; radio in Pakistan is now less active is promoting integrated national values. Radio during the separation of East Pakistan from the West Wing had been remarkably positive and active in promoting integration between both wings on the other hand, radio in Bengal was active in disintegration of Bengal from the West Pakistan (Ghulam Kabir, 1994)Â  [11]Â  . Nationalism and Pakistani Media in the Era of Globalization Present nationalism is not the result of reemergence of past but rather integral and self-reliant. The ideology of nationalism is different from the ideology that existed in ninetieth and twentieth century. Nowadays, nationalism ideology is more influenced by the global trends. However, the process of globalization occurs both on the level of systemic integration and on the level of social integration. Systemic integration refers to economy, technology, and communications; on the other hand, social integration is life-world. The process of globalization takes place in a very systematic way and occurs from place to place. Thus, in modern period ideology of nationalism is taken into account as local reaction of political system and mutual identities to different number of national welfare development (Robins, 1991)Â  [12]Â  . New era of popular electronic media is Pakistan is more like autonomous body especially electronic media which seems to find different ways through which public of Pakistan is making a successful transition to a democracy. However, values of nationalism in Pakistan is complicated with the view of having multi-linguistic and ethnic population (Akbar, 1998)Â  [13]Â  but this complication is also related with lack of democracy in Pakistan and impartial judicial process which can remarkably overcome the disintegration (Akhtar, 2000)Â  [14]Â  . Pakistani media now seems to have role of watch-dog while holding the politicians and making them accountable and keeping the public informed of the situation. As far as role of television is concerned historically one of the evidence of media influence on the nationalism was observed in the late century when nationalist mobilization occurs owing to effects of TV pictures and power of media to construct the imaginary national community. According to Meyrowitz (1985)Â  [15]Â  , the presentation and directness of TV pictures allows focusing on the local event to change into event of national and international interest. The effectiveness of media impact in the creation of nationalism is not measured yet but TV has been observed effective for spreading a word at a distance. In last few years electronic media in Pakistan has grown well with the inception of private news channels and radio channels; therefore now media is much free but less responsible in terms of bearing the responsibility towards creating the values for nationalism in the country. Even though if it is assumed that electronic media in Pakistan is not effective or playing role to promote national values to integrate the country, yet Pakistani media has deep effect on the popular consciousness (Jaffrelot, 2002). To assess the historical role of television in Pakistan it is significant to overview the effectiveness of television in the creation of national values. Television with the coordination of demand and aims distant plays an important tool which forms the practical narrative and also creates group identity. Television is very friendly tool when it is used to address national minorities (Smith, 1990)Â  [16]Â  . Here it is essential to mention that current nationalism or previous nationalism is not the result of media communication but media has been used as such structure that aids to find the origination and development. However, once nationalism is created as on political ideologies, it can be effective or manipulative for media. Pakistan television which is government entity failed to maintain that integrity and promote the nationalism on account of government influence on the coverage of news (Asian Media Information and Communication Centre, 2000)Â  [17]Â  . To Altheide (1979)Â  [18]Â  , there could be two different trends in relation to nationalism or national identification and media. At first it is excess or fast moving changing picture and images, this is the result of logic behind the concept of television. The commercialization in TV forms nations identification the nation with indefinite, sporadic, and sometimes insecure identification. White (1992)Â  [19]Â  justifies it as citizen-viewers are with interrupted views and actions and usually have contradiction views. Thus, national dominancy over the social imagery is changed with diverse similarities. The last century (quarter of the twentieth century) is witness of the situation and was resulted as broadcasting deregulation and globalization of information and economy (Lash, 1994)Â  [20]Â  . Bauman (1993)Â  [21]Â  explains that it helps to promote the sense of co-belonging and also affects other mutual identity that is likely to conceal neotribalism. The relationship betwe en nationalism and media is affected by both materially and conceptually and it is changing and shifting cultural, political and economic configuration (Schlesinger, 1991)Â  [22]Â  . Therefore, nowadays nationalism ideology has become a mediatized and it is used through TV which through narrative language leads to change in understanding and views of an individual towards national identity and feelings of nationalism. To Luke (1995)Â  [23]Â  , nationalism is nowadays related to and reproduced as part of real life and more associated with the national identity. Similarly, there is another trend related to globalization of communication; since globalization of communication has directed the world towards limited cultural difference and viewers usually find it easy to maintain the nationalism and make selective interpretation of international message. According to Negrine and Papathanassopoulos (1990)Â  [24]Â  , paper and electronic media maintains their national integrity and in terest and this orientation is observed by the news presentation especially international news. Pakistan has been observing new era of modern communication in the country and local news channels within the country are more concerned about the national issues. Both electronic and press media in Pakistan is more focusing on the future of Pakistan as independent nation with different identity in the world. However, media in Pakistan is considered as effective entity with the perception to show the culture of Pakistan to the world and get them identified as separate nation. The news coverage of national issue, on one hand, is likely to support the national interest of the country, on the other hand national government and politics are more criticized by news channels. With such combination television in Pakistan is politicized and looks rather defocused on promoting the national integrity and national identification. As far as foreign policy is concerned the news media apply distinctive influence on the audience with the use of language and images. Since there is little contributio n of television in Pakistan as a result of limited personal experience and involvement in the issues the news presentation is commonly like cycle with popular expectations cultivated by national stereotypes especially in the time of nationalist enthusiasm.

WVO Quines Epistemic Paradigm :: Naturalized Epistemology

WVO Quine's Epistemic Paradigm Since its publication in 1969, Quine's seminal essay entitled Epistemology Naturalized has had a polarizing effect on pursuits in this field. Many have rejected the naturalist approach to epistemology on the grounds that it is mere relativism (see below), while others have celebrated Quine's program for articulating an empirical approach to epistemology. In what follows, I will endeavour to provide a clean explanation of some of the central features of Quine's naturalism and point out what I believe are the strengths and weaknesses of these features and, I will offer a brief account of why I believe Quine's naturalism to be an exemplary approach to clarifying how epistemic pursuits ought to be carried out. 1. Quine's Naturalism What then is naturalized epistemology according to Quine? Simply stated, it is the departure from traditional philosophy insofar as it invites empirical science to play a crucial role clarifying the explanatory relation between theory and evidence. The reason that this is a departure from the tradition is because philosophical doctrine has clung to the notion that epistemology is primarily a normative inquiry concerned with the pure justification of our claims to knowledge. One of the major, and perhaps ironic, problems with the traditional view, however, is that there has been much disagreement over just which criteria are to count as justification in the first place. If we need justification to increase the liklihood that our beliefs are true, and thus wind up with knowledge, then how are we to know that our original criteria are themselves justified? The most familiar strategy1 against this risk of infinite regress is to accept only beliefs that are indubitably true, such as first-person reports of conscious phenomena or clear and distinct ideas. From this initial cache of first principles one could then, were this endeavour successful, rationally reconstruct an epistemically justified account of how we come to have knowledge. Quine characterizes this approach generously by drawing a parallel to the attempted reduction of mathematics when he says: "ideally the obscurer concepts would be defined in terms of the clearer ones so as to maximize clarity, and the less obvious laws would be proved from the more obvious ones so as to maximize certainty."2 With this kind of foundationalist epistemology, once one has defined which first principles are to be accepted as justified truths, one can then proceed with the project of explaining science (inter alia) in accordance with them.

Lady Macbeth Sit

Macbeth is walking and talking with friends at the party, and one of Machete's rinds mention my name. You can see the guilt and discomfort approach his face. If only he could see my face right now. When everyone is away I will make sure he gets to see my face one last time! Will make his life so horrible he is going to regret the thought of trying to kill me and my children. Macbeth is luckily distracted by his evil deceiving and conniving wife Lady Macbeth. What Macbeth doesn't know is that I am watching his every move. And waiting for the perfect time to surprise him!I'm so angered and pained that I m not here on this earth anymore to take care of my children. And to see my children approaching the castle for Macbeth coordination party. I am only curious and confused as to why they would want to attend Machete's party. I can see my children strolling and pacing the castle as if they are planning something. I have to see what my children are up to before they hurt their selves, some one else or hurt Macbeth. My plan is to distract Macbeth by showing him ghost face and getting my children out of this castle before Macbeth gets a chance to see them.Macbeth is having a nice conversation with his wife in a separate room and I figured this is the perfect time to surprise them. My first plan of action is to scare them by making noises next I want to fluster them. As I approach the room, and whisper Macbeth, Lady Macbeth. The expression on their face is priceless. I can hear Macbeth say what is that, who goes there. He has no clue that is me. And for my finale I will make my appearance. Hi Lady Macbeth and Macbeth. What a wonderful coordination dinner you have here. Banquet is thou?Yes am he Banquet ghost, here to ruin your lives like you ruined mine. Lady Macbeth we have to get out of here now. Oh no there is no way of escaping this. You and your wife will not be able to get away with this. You and Lady Macbeth caused pain and suffering to so many people that now you all must suffer. And for the ultimate finale, finish off Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Before I could even finish them off my children come storming through the room ready to finish what I started. Startled and surprised to see my ghost, they say in unison â€Å"this is for you dad†.

Epidemiology: Psychiatry and Mental Health Professionals Essay

According to â€Å"World Health Organization† (2012), † Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events (including disease), and the application of this study to the control of diseases and other health problems.† (para.1). There are many approaches for collecting this beneficial data, and there are three basic standard methods. These three methods include routinely collected data, data collected for other purposes, and epidemiologic data (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012). Routinely collected data is secondary data that is collected routinely from the general population, which may include births, deaths, fertility or infectious disease notifications (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012). The quality of this data may vary depending on time and region (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012). Data collected for other purposes are also secondary data, collected within a region or area of interest, and may be used for research and investigative purposes (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012). Epidemiologic data is primary data that uses sample populations to answer specific questions of interest or concern, surveys and new cutting edge GIS technology are often used (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012). Epidemiology uses these methods of data to study health related states and events. There are three factors that must be present in order to create or maintain these health related events. These three factors include an agent to carry and disperse the disease, a host to carry and maintain the disease, and the environment that facilitates the interactions between the host and the agent (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012). Together these three factors are called the epidemiological triangle, and without these three factors there is no health related state or event to study. When all three of these factors are present, data can then be collected, and an investigation of this data may take place. The two basic types of methods for these investigations are descriptive epidemiology and analytica l epidemiology. These two methods rely on each other. As descriptive epidemiology focuses on the concrete, such as who is affected, where they are affected, and when they are affected; analytical epidemiology focuses on how and why the population is affected. The purpose of this paper is to provide both analytical and descriptive views on the prevalence of obesity in people who suffer from mental health disabilities. Obesity is widely referred to as an epidemic not only in the United States but in other countries as well. As the study of mental health disabilities and its treatments continues to evolve and progress, research shows a significant link between mental health and obesity. According to Gasper and Tsai (2006) â€Å"Weight gain is a prominent side effect of atypical antipsychotics† (p. 9). When medications used to treat mental illness are combined with lifestyle factors and a low-income, it can be very difficult for people with mental illnesses to overcome the battle to maintain optimal physical health, as well as mental health. Although this link has surfaced and brought light to an important issue, there is still very much progress needed to attack this problem and provide a better quality of life for people with mental health disabilities around the world. In 2012 a research article published by The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, pointed out that in 2007 funding for a mental health commission was launched in Canada, while an epidemic of obesity, affecting one in four adult Canadians failed to receive similar consideration (Sharma, 2012). This statistic was used in this article to illustrate how the two disorders are actually co-epidemics. A worldwide study published by the International Journal of Obesity further illustrates this correlation by clearly finding a stronger relationship between people with severe obesity and mental disorder (Scott, Bruffaerts, Simon, Alonso, Angermeyer, Girolamo, Demyttenaere, Gasquet, Haro, Karam, Kessler, Levinson, Medina, Oakley, Browne, Ormel, Villa, Uda, and Von Korff, 2008). The actual cause of this link in the general population is not yet fully understood (Scott, 2008). However there are a few factors that shed light upon this correlation. The relationship between atypical antipsychotics and weight gain, contributing to hyperlipidemia, and type-two diabetes is common knowledge amongst most mental health professionals. According to an article published by the Australian Journal of Primary Health, a well-known three year clinical antipsychotic trial from 2004 also illustrates a 27-36% increase in hypertension, and a 1% increase in cardiac disease in patients that were on atypical antipsychotics for fourteen years prior to the study (Stanley, Laugharne, Jonathan, 2012). The article also sheds light on how people that are taking anti-depressants and mood stabilizers are also experiencing there a higher rate of chronic physical health problems (Stanley, Laugharne, Jonathan, 2012). In addition this article touches on a study using 160,000 patients with a diagnosis of depressive disorder using antidepressants for at least two years that exhibited an 84% increased risk for diabetes. This article not only exemplifies the obvious association between psychiatric medications and weight gain, it also demonstrates how lifestyle further amplifies the risk of obesity, and chronic disease in these patients. A survey of 200,000 people in the United States was used to support this association; the population reported that the higher their depression, the higher their likelihood of physical inactivity, obesity, and cigarette smoking (Stanley, Laugharne, Jonathan, 2012). All of these factors in combination with a poor diet suggest the need for lifestyle interventions for these patients. The implementation of these interventions may be tricky as the symptom profile of mental health patients comes in to play. In addition to unhealthy lifestyles, mental illness is also known to impact ones motivation, energy, and appetite (Taylor, Stonehocker, & Steele, 2012). The Canadian Journal of psychiatry emphasizes three basic methods, psychological counseling for weight management, psychotherapies for managing obesity, and pharmacology for obesity management (Taylor, Stonehocker, & Steele, 2012). Psychological counseling consists of cognitive-behavioral therapy, which is a widely supported therapy that focuses on guiding the individual towards self-help (Taylor, Stonehocker, & Steele, 2012). Psychological counseling includes mindfulness therapy, interpersonal therapy, and motivational interviewing; these are all client centered approaches that use a combination of patient awareness, recognition, education, mindfulness, and motivation to assist the patient in overcoming an unhealthy lifestyle (Taylor, Stonehocker, & Steele, 2012). Pharmacological treatment is used with caution due an associated risk with cardiovascular complications, potential for interaction with psychiatric medications, and addiction. Bariatric surgery is known to be an effective treatment for obese patients (Taylor, Stonehocker, & Steele, 2012). Taylor, Stonehocker, and Steele (2012) use a study from 2009 to reveal that people seeking this procedure are often overrepresented by patients with mental illness, and most morbidly obese patients who have a controlled diagnosis are candidates for this surgery. It appears that these significant interventions should be available to all mental health patients. In combinations with the tools needed to actually make these changes, mentally ill patients may increase their chance to lead a healthy lifestyle both mentally and physically. It was with this thought that a nurse-led intervention to meet this need was put into place. An overview of this method was published in the International Journal of Mental Health Nursing; its efficacy is still being studied, but the work appears to be promising. Passport 4 Life incorporates the six stages of change into a twelve week program, to develop the skills and knowledge needed for a healthy lifestyle (Park, Usher, & Foster, 2011). The weekly sessions led by a nurse include thirty minutes of discussion and thirty minutes of activity (Park, Usher, & Foster, 2011). Patients are provided with diet and exercise booklets, pedometers, and participate in easy, low-cost exercise activity such as walking in the park, or sports (Park, Usher, & Foster, 2011). The sessions use menu planning, goal setting, and motivational interviewing as tools to teach clients how to track progress and maintain a healthy lifestyle (Park, Usher, & Foster, 2011). Good health, long life, and longevity, are important aspects desired by cultures and sub-cultures all over the world. People afflicted with mental illness are not exempt from possessing this human desire. Unfortunately for them regardless of this desire they may not be equipped with the knowledge base, motivation, or resources needed to maintain the lifestyle associated with these worldwide aspirations. Mental health providers possess the ability to make significant changes in quality of life for people that cannot make these changes on their own. Utilizing significant research information, survey results, randomized studies, and interventions allows mental health professionals to implement changes in a person’s life with the confidence that the potential impact is based on scientific evidence. In addition, building off of previous work of self or others allows a chance to progress in the advancement in the knowledge of diseases that affect the human body, pinpoint the exact cause of the disease or combination of causes, and treatments that can eradicate or hinder diseases and their progression. A famous quote by Mahatma Gandhi encourages people to â€Å"Be the change you wish to see in the world.† With the proper resources and accurate information that change can be greater, and its impact more valuable. References Gasper, J., & Tsai, C. (2006, October). Guidelines for Atypical Antipsychotic Use in Adults in Adults. City and County of San Francisco, Department of Public Health, 1-18. Park, T., Usher, K., & Foster, K. (2011, December). Description of a healthy lifestyle intervention for people with serious mental illness taking second-generation antipsychotics. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing , 20(6), 428-437. Scott, K., Bruffaerts, R., Simon, GE., Alonso, J., Angermeyer, M., Girolamo, G., Demyttenaere, K., Gasquet, I., Haro, JM., Karam, E., Kessler., RC, Levinson, D., Medina ME., Oakley, MA., Browne, Ormel, J., Villa, JP, Uda, HP., and Von Korff, M., (2008, January). Obesity and mental disorders in the general population: results from the world mental health surveys. International Journal Of Obesity , 32(1), 192-200. Sharma, A. (2012, January). Obesity and mental health–a complicated and complex relation. Canadian Journal Of Psychiatry, 57(1), 3-4. Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2012). Public Health Nursing (8th ed.). Maryland Heights, Missouri: Mosby. Stanley, S, Laugharne, H., Jonathan D. E., (2012, September). Obesity, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes in people with a mental illness: a need for primary health care. Australian Journal of Primary Health, 18(3), 258-264. Taylor, V. H., Stonehocker, B., & Steele, M. (2012, January). An Overview of Treatments for Obesity in a Population With Mental Illness. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 57(1), 13-20. World Health Organization. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.who.int/topics/epidemiology/en/