The Purpose Of Metro Rail

The Purpose Of Metro Rail The purpose of this report is to determine how managers at MetroRail can achieve ecologically sustainable management values and practices utilising planning and controlling methods, while running and maintaining a metropolitan rail network. 1.2 Scope This report will analyse initiatives higher level management at MetroRail can consider in order to achieve ecologically sustainable management, due to investment in new rolling stock and expansion of rail network. The report will look at strategies MetroRail can adopt to run an environmentally friendly transport service with minimal carbon footprint. 1.3 Methodology The information used in this report will use ecological sustainable management values and practices. To facilitate these value and practices, the use of tools such as management planning and organising will be used by MetroRail. 1.4 Assumption It is assumed that MetroRails environmental vision has been promoted to all employees. The policy statement is to establish MetroRails environmental commitments and provides the basis for setting our environmental objectives and targets. This policy will pursue policies that protect the global and local environment and those that are consistent with principles of ecologically sustainable development. 1.5 Limitations This report is limited by its focus on planning and controlling of ecological sustainable management values and practices to satisfy this reports requirements. In addition, only key elements within planning and control have been addressed. Organisational and leadership functions are also represented within MetroRail, however these will not be included in this report. 1.6 Background MetroRail is a state run corporation in the state of Queensland, providing passenger rail services covering suburban Brisbane and extending to south western, western, central west and northern regions of Queensland. MetroRail plans to expand its network as part of the Federal Government Nation Building Economic Stimulus Plan, with further investment in new rolling stock to cater for the growing demand for clean, reliable, passenger rail services. 1.7 Plan This report will first discuss the importance of ecologically sustainable management values and practices before discussing planning and controlling methods utilised to achieve their nominated functions. Several practical and theoretical concepts will be outlined to management on different proposals to be taken. A summary of recommendations and justification will be presented at the conclusion of this report. 2. Discussion 2.1 Importance of Ecologically Sustainable Management Values and Practices The introduction of new rolling stock and expansion of rail network raises the need for MetroRail to recognise the growing need for more ecologically sustainable management practices, Robbins, Bergman, Stagg and Coulter (2009). As a result, both state and federal Government have required MetroRail to review its environmental policies and strategies to be eligible for grant funding. Sustainability has become an important value in many corporate cultures, however implementing this concept has been very challenging (Esquer-Peralta, Velazquez and Munguia, 2008). This could be due to sustainability having various meanings according to the interest, needs, and values of different societies. 2.2 Planning Planning is an approach to establishing the long-term future of an organisation and then moving that organisation in an appropriate direction to achieve the future. (Bell, 2002). Through planning a strategy can be developed on the concerns about organisations impact on the natural environment (Robbins et al., p.175). By clearly outlining the ecological sustainable management values of the organisation it can enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the company by providing focus and direction (Hamel and Prahalad, 1994). 2.2.1 Goals Goals are specific, measurable outcomes that you want to achieve in the next week, month, year, and five years (Chang, 2005). As MetroRail is a government corporation, its goals are set by the state and federal governments. However as governments can change during election periods, MetroRail must be able to set its own goals. These goals must be measurable, an example of a rail company setting goals is CityRail in New South Wales of Australia. The 2009 Customer Charter outlines their specific goals for improving customer service over the next three years, coupled with tangible actions that will directly benefit customers over the next 12 months (CityRail, 2009). Within planning there are two major types of planning that affects a company. Strategic planning is a process of deciding in advance what kind of planning effort is to be undertaken, when it is to be done, who is going to do it, and what will be done with the results (Frank Harrison, 1999). Top level managers such as Chief Engineers, Chief Technology officer and the Department of Transport are usually involved in strategic planning for the corporation. Operation planning is the other type of planning. Manager at both middle and lower levels perform operation planning in order to define the specific tactics and action steps needed to accomplish the goals specified by top management (Morrisey, 1996). Management at MetroRail needs to set clear goals in regards as to how they will expand their current rolling stock, network, and maintaining its existing infrastructure. These goals need to be strategically planned along with operation planning to achieve realistic targets. An example of such goals is to ensure all future rolling stock does not consume more electricity than current rolling stock while featuring extra security features. One way to achieve such a goal is to ensure all new rolling stock is equipped with regenerative braking. This will ensure less wear and tear on brakes as well as less power consumption. 2.2.2 Strategy Strategic planning brings about an integrated perspective of the company, a foresight of the companys direction that is built upon experience and hard data from research (Schmetterer, 2003). Collecting these ideas as building blocks is instrumental to the development of strategic plans. Mintzberg (1994) insightfully said, The big picture is painted with little strokes. There are a number of tools to formulate an effective strategy. Research can be used to see how other companies go about tackling their ecological sustainable management practices. However research in the organisation itself is vital to understand if its current policies and missions are adhered to. Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis helps identify where MetroRail is performing well in its environmental policies and where improvements need to be targeted at. Upon completion of a SWOT analysis, the three key points, Weakness, Opportunity and Threat must be carefully taken into account when setting up ecological management values and practices. A strategy on how to lower MetroRails carbon footprint must be developed with industry and community consultation. Management must set boundaries on available resources, such as human resources, budget and facilities before a strategy can be formalised. If MetroRail does not have the necessary resources to initiate environmentally friendly initiatives, it must find ways to implement the strategy with its limited resources. If it cannot allocate the resources to the initiatives, it may need to reduces its goals or form an alliance with key industry partners to get the resource it requires. A key strategy for MetroRail in ecologically sustainable management practices is to ensure the procurement of all equipment, services and resources have the environment in mind. An example would be to purchase a portion of energy to come from renewable sources. MetroRail is committed to becoming a carbon neutral company through policies the management sets. MetroRails environmental policy needs to be filtered through the company to ensure all employees continuously strive to improve its environmental performance. Many of the key strategies are developed by full time planners who would develop business strategies. Mintzberg (1994) points out, one of the key weaknesses of this approach was that the strategic planners, while being superior analysts of hard business data, were outsiders of various business functions. As such, many plans devised by these strategists were poor. In order to create the most effective strategic planning strategies, each specific business or activities is to be planned by those involved with the particular business and activities. Higher level management should only initiate policies and ideas. This paradigm shifts the decisions downwards to lower level persons who have direct knowledge and in-depth understanding of the subject matter at hand (Barney, 2002). 2.2.3 Plans Setting realistic plans is the next important activity once a strategy has been formulated. Planning is the process of establishing specific objectives, action steps, and a schedule and budget related to a predetermined program, task, or project (Kerzner, 2003). Planning helps to focus on critical areas that need attention and action. Short term plan needs must balance with long term plans. Different types of plans are needed to meet each specific department, as they require different methods to reach their goals. The strategic plans will be created by higher level management, while operational plans will be formulated by individual divisions. As MetroRail is a state government corporation, it is bounded by the governments vision. Higher level management at MetroRail will formulate the strategic plan for the whole organisation on how best to minimise environmental impacts. This is usually released as an organisation policy on the environment. An example of strategic planning, is all future rolling stocks must feature regenerative braking to minimise energy use. More specific operational strategic plans will stem from each division. These ecological sustainable management practices and values will flow into divisional employees to guide them and follow. Operational plans include, how to minimise energy with moving empty rolling stock between stations and stabling yards. These plans will be long term as they are on-going issues and are performed repeatedly. Both strategic and operational planning are important, because the success of MetroRail in its ecological sustainable management depends on creating new paths to the future as well as implementing short term operational plans (Noy, 2001). 2.3 Control The function of control process is taking a systematic approach to figuring out if what has been planned is has achieved or not (McNamara, 2008). This process occurs after the planning process. This allows managers to make decisions on whether to modify the plan as required. 2.3.1 Approaches to Control Setting standards specifies criterias by which work and results are measured and evaluated (Chang, 2005). Standards provide guidelines for measuring performance of ecological sustainable management practices. In order to make comparison on how well MetroRail is being measured on its ecological management practices, it will be benchmarked on technical, planning, perception against other corporations. Many of the high level controls put in places come from the strategic planning stage. These need to be measured to show the public and government MetroRail is committed to reducing its environmental foot print. Benchmarking, however has limitations, such as data not been available, and in such cases, estimates must be made. Managers may use techniques to study samples, ratings, data collection to measure the performance of the organisation (Dhillon, 1987). To evaluate performance is to evaluate work in progress, assess job completed and provide feedback. Example would be to control the roll out of new maintenance of pneumatic pressure gauges. This needs to be benchmarked to the old maintenance scheme to assess if the new system lowers leaks from the system, thus reducing waste on compressing air. To exercise control, manager can perform inspections, review progress and define and add variation to plans. Managers exercise control over projects when serving as project leaders (Katz, Light and Thompson, 2003). The main driving forces for the implementation of controls such as Environmental Management System and ISO 140001 in industry are to satisfy customer requirements, to ensure legal compliance, to improve risk management, to improve public image, and in a systematic way utilise the potential to save money and natural resource (Sammalisto and Arvidsson, 2005). 2.3.2 Types of Control There are three types of controls used by mangers, Robbins et al. (2009). The first is feedforward control. The essential feature of a feedback system is that performance is compared to a standard and this comparison becomes the basis for corrective action (Tadepalli, 1991). MetroRail must use feedforward control as much as possible. This comes mostly from the planning process, such as utilising the Environmental Management Plan. The second type of control is called concurrent control. Concurrent control involves monitoring and adjusting ongoing activities, Erdogan, Bauer, and Carpenter (2009). The best way to for managers to continuously monitor and adjust activities is to manage by walk about (MBWA). The final type of control is called feedback control. Feedback control provides managers with information concerning outcomes from organisational activities, Enz (2009). With feedback control, managers measure performance against targets set during planning. An example of feedback control is measuring the power consumption of the new trains to technical plans provided during the planning phase. 2.4 Conclusion Planning and controlling are essential tools in ecological sustainable management values and practices. Planning allows managers to forecast and to regulate plans for sustainable management. Planning to procuring new trains with regenerative braking and effective and efficient movement of trains between stations and stabling yards are sustainable solutions. Proper planning ensures the strategy and goals developed can be achieved. Control process is followed by the planning process. This link ensures plans are controlled to reach their set goals. Control ensures MetroRail is complying with applicable environmental legislation and regulations, and addresses government policy. In summary, planning and control process ensure MetroRail aims to achieve ecological sustainable management values and practices. 3. Recommendations Implement mandatory training on ecological sustainable management values for all employees. Provide an audit and review framework to achieve continual improvement in ecological sustainable management. Establish objectives, targets and key performance indicators to monitor environmental performance and drive improvement. Comply with applicable environmental legislation and regulations, and address government policy. Minimise use of natural resources. Adhere to the principles of ecologically sustainable development. Procurement policy to consider ecological sustainability practices and values. Word Count: 2488

Organizational Effectiveness

Organizational Effectiveness â€Å"Researchers analyzing what CEOs and managers do have pointed to control, innovation, and efficiency as the three most important processes managers use to assess and measure how effective they, and their organizations, are at creating value (L. Galambos, 1988)†. Control is essential over the external and internal environment by knowing what the demand for a business is. A tool to help make these decisions with control is to conduct a trend analysis. An analysis will reveal patterns be it internal or external of an organization.To identify current patterns along with the status of the organization managers are able to determine how to restructure the business in or to produce product or services in the most efficient way possible. This may include adding additional skills, technologies, or current assets to the current workforce anything that will produce the best output of an organization in the most efficient way. An organization must be inno vative when introducing their product or services to the market.This may require management to demand radical changes to the organization by improving or changing processes, advertising, and just acquire the capability to adjust to any environment the organization has to confront be it internal or external. An organization does not need to use the three methods to assess and measure organizations effectiveness it would depend on what needs attention, but it is always good for an organization to know the health of their organization pertaining to the three measures. Table 1 (Jones. , 2010) L-3 communications. Revenue: Over $5 bil. Employees: Over 10,000 Fortune 1000, Fortune 500, Russell 3000 Industry: Aerospace & Defense , Consumer Electronics , Consumer Goods , Manufacturing SIC Codes: 3663 NAICS Codes: 334220 L-3 is a prime contractor in Command, Control, Communications, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C3ISR) systems, aircraft modernization and maintenance, and nati onal security solutions. L-3 is also a leading provider of a broad range of electronic systems used on military and commercial platforms.Our customers include the U. S. Department of Defense and its prime contractors, U. S. Government intelligence agencies, the U. S. Department of Homeland Security, U. S. Department of State, U. S. Department of Justice, allied foreign governments, domestic and foreign commercial customers and select other U. S. federal, state and local government agencies (Company Profile, 2013)†. Currently L-3’s concern is to operate in an efficient manner to maintain and increase their target market.L-3’s similar companies are Raytheon Company, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, and The Boeing Company. They are giants in their field and are companies that are veterans to the profession. With a majority of veteran companies, the challenges are similar with L-3 the continually changing environment. Example: the changing t echnology, changing target markets causes the reluctance of change in the internal cultures of these large companies and L-3 is not immune to this challenge.The best approach to use for L-3 is the metrics that would help improve organizational effectiveness. This is the internal system approach see [ Table 1 (Jones. , 2010) ]. This method includes improving the communication process between the levels of management. Elevate problems in a timely manner to upper management. The internal health of the company is beneficial information ( be it negative or positive) quickens decision-making process which in turn allows the organization to continue with planed processes.One of the main issues to correct is the workforce to shift into using new tools, processes, and just looking at the organizations requirements differently for the organization is changing, nothing is consistent with change. This constant change without training causes decrease in motivation, create conflicts and certainly prevents L-3’s output to its’ market, and in the end a delay in output to the market does disrupts the external environments. Thus, processes need to be re-evaluated and restructured.Replacing the aging tools with current tools results in a streamline and automates processes. â€Å"The Benefits of Process Automation: Improved Efficiency. Many business processes span systems, departments, or even external business partners. Manual effort, poor hand-offs between departments or partners, and the general inability to monitor overall progress results is a significant waste for most processes. Process automation eliminates or significantly reduces these problems with a resultant reduction in labor hours, time span, and increased throughput.Increased Productivity. By automating processes that are currently being implemented manually, individuals can work more efficiently and can take on new or additional workloads. Process automation allows us to rise to the challenge of be ing asked to do more with less. Shorter Cycle Times. Time is money. By automating processes, they are kept moving, hand-offs are facilitated, consistency is assured, and cycle times to complete the process are shortened. Getting the product or service to the end user or to market quicker can result in significant financial benefits.Consistent Process Implementation. Consistency comes from having a documented process that is understood and followed every time. Process automation makes the process easy to understand and enforces adherence to the process steps. This eliminates missed steps often found in manual processes, resulting in consistent, reliable measures that assist in making decisions and implementing process improvements. Corporate Governance and Compliance. Process compliance, regulatory compliance, and corporate governance are ever increasing in importance.Organizations must demonstrate consistency and show that effective controls and business monitors are in place to ens ure processes are sound and will provide financial accountability, visibility, and reduce risk and fraud. Process automation can help your company with compliance issues surrounding regulations like the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Combined Code for Corporate Governance, Bilanz Reform, and more. Noncompliance or lack of adequate controls can cost your company big-time.Process automation ensures your processes are followed as they are laid out. Ability to Quickly Implement Change. Another benefit of automated process is that the reliable, consistent information provided can enable you to recognize the need for change or improvement quickly and then be able to make that change and put it into effect in a faster and more controlled manner than you could with a manual process. The ability to change quickly provides an important business advantage. Improved Customer Service andSatisfaction. Customers are much more satisfied when they receive timely, top quality products and services. Process auto mation enables you to build consistency into your products and services, facilitate continuous improvement, and get the product or service to your customer faster. Happy customers are repeat customers. Reduced Costs and Improved Profits. All of the above benefits result in direct bottom-line results of reduced costs, ability to take on more work, and improved profitability.All things any company is seeking (A. Moudry, 2013)†. To establish organizational effectiveness, management L-3 needs to focus on structuring their workforce, internal employee management systems, and the organization and abilities (including the organizational culture) to the plan. This is a crucial point to any strategy and engagement from all involved dictates whether organizational effectiveness, management is a success. References: A. Moudry, J. (2013, March 16). Real Benefits of Automated Processes.Retrieved from NEXTGENPINEW. COM: http://www. nextgenpinews. com/files/Real%20Benefits%20of%20Automated%2 0Processes. pdf Company Profile. (2013, March 14). Retrieved from L-3: http://www. l-3com. com/about-l-3/company-profile. html Jones. , G. R. (2010). The Organization and Its Environment. In G. R. Jones. , Organizational Theory, Design, and Change, Sixth Edition. Prentice Hall. Copyright  © 2010 by Pearson Education, Inc. L. Galambos. (1988). â€Å"What Have CEO’s Been Doing? †. Journal of Economic History, 18, 243–258.

Parental Decisions Impact Childhood Obesity Essay

Society, in general, has drastically changed over the past century. Growth and expansion have paved the way for new technological advances, but not with some downfalls to go along with it. One such downfall of new technology would be the â€Å"convenience factor† (convenient stores for junk food, convenient to watch television, play video games, watch a movie, talk or text on a cellular phone as opposed to physical exercise, convenient for parents to stop by fast food as opposed to healthy meals). Lack of parental controls in these areas in conjunction with the â€Å"convenience factor† has lead to childhood obesity. This is an increasingly growing disease and will continue to be so if society does not stop being so convenient. The American Society today has become â€Å"obesogenic’, characterized by environments that promote increased food intake, unhealthy foods, and physical inactivity (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010). People (children and adults) spend more time in front of televisions or computers and less time exercising. We drive a car everywhere we go as opposed to walking or riding a bicycle. Children play more video games instead of playing hide and seek, which requires them to run around, being active and getting exercise. We lead busier lives so time does not allow for spending it in the kitchen preparing healthy meals. Parents live such hectic lifestyles which often lead to dining or getting take out at a fast food restaurant, making them guilty of contributing to childhood obesity. Children with obese parents are likely to follow in their parents footsteps and become obese themselves. Overweight and obesity result from an energy deficiency. This incorporates taking in too much food (too many calories) and lack of exercise; thus defining obesity. The imbalance between calories consumed and calories used can result from the influences and interactions of a number of factors, including genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors. Studies indicate that certain genetic characteristics may increase an individual’s susceptibility to excess body weight. However, this genetic susceptibility may need to exist in conjunction with contributing environmental and behavioral factors (such as a high-calorie food supply and minimal physical activity) to have a significant effect on weight. Genetic factors alone can play a role in specific cases of obesity. The genetic characteristics of the human population have not changed in the last three decades, but the prevalence of obesity has tripled among school-aged children during that time. Because the factors that contribute to childhood obesity interact with each other, it is not possible to specify one behavior as the â€Å"cause† of obesity. Behaviors include energy intake, physical activity, and sedentary behavior. Home, child care, school, and community environments can influence children’s behaviors related to food intake and physical activity (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009). Parents in the workplace often lead demanding, hectic lifestyles that have a direct reflection on home life activities. Activities, such as eating habits for their children, are a casualty of their fast-paced environment. Such lifestyles lead to quick unhealthy meals, such as stopping at a fast-food establishment and consuming a high caloric meal. These types of meals are historically unhealthy with no nutritional value. Nutritional items, such as fruits and vegetables, are limited at these types of establishments. Healthy, home cooked meals are not the â€Å"normal† routine for parents to provide their children of this era. Time does not allow for parents to prepare healthy, home cooked meals. â€Å"The evidence is compelling that the obesity epidemic is largely caused by people’s eating unhealthy food and consuming bigger portion sizes. These unhealthy behaviors are not just a matter of poor decisions individuals make; rather, the environment in which people live determines behavioral choice† (Isaacs & Swarts, 2010). Parents’ workplace habits can directly affect their children’s daily eating routines. Children are relying on parents to provide them with healthy meals. There are many things parents can do to assist children in developing healthy eating habits. Offering fruits and vegetables, dairy products or whole grain items as nutritious snacks, as opposed to allowing them to submerge themselves in chips or sugar filled snacks, is a viable alternative to an unhealthy diet. The obesity rate for children would decrease if parents would make time to plan a healthy weekly menu. By doing so, parents are ensuring that their children get the daily recommended amount of fruits and vegetables in their diet, thus making for a healthier child. Parents should lead by example. Children need to see parents eating different things, to encourage the child to want to try new food items. â€Å"Children and adolescents are dependent on their parents for both economically and emotionally during much of this period of rapid growth† (Davies & Fitzgerald, 2008, pg. 25). One of the best ways to decrease obesity in children is to increase physical activity levels throughout the entire family. Parents, at home or at the workplace, are faced daily with busy schedules, long hours and time management issues (i. e. nsuring all required daily activities, such as household responsibilities, errands are completed). These tasks are direct contributors for the lack of time set aside for physical activity with their children. Also, parents’ daily work schedules do not allow much, if any, time to incorporate a daily physical exercise routine for their children, let alone to monitor such activities. Parents should act as role models by setting examples for their children, such as allowing their children to see them exercise and being active themselves. By â€Å"leading by example†, this should encourage children to emulate them. According to the American Heart Association and the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (Payne, 2010), children should get at least 20 minutes of regular vigorous exercise that makes them sweat and breathe hard. With the apparent lack of physical activity, parents need to create an environment that is conducive to building a daily regime of physical activities that slowly grow over time. â€Å"Minutes spent playing kickball with friends during recess count toward the hour-long daily goal, as does climbing trees in the backyard after school. It doesn’t have to be all at once,’ says Nancy Brown, CEO of the AHA. ‘Kids should be doing things appropriate for their age, so that [exercise] becomes a behavior and a natural part of what they do’† (Payne, 2010). Providing just small increments of daily activity that is geared towards the child’s age category can foster a lifetime of behavioral changes that could prevent the onset of obesity at a later age. Another factor in the saga of fighting childhood obesity is the issue of safety and having a safe environment in which to add physical activity. Advocate for well-maintained, safe sidewalks and bike paths in your neighborhood, and volunteer to supervise the use of school facilities after hours. Children are more likely to want to play outside—and you’ll feel more comfortable with them doing it—if it’s safe, so attend neighborhood association or city council meetings to request proper upkeep of nearby sidewalks and paths. Also, consider gyms and tracks at local schools as options for physical activity after hours and on weekends. Often, schools are willing to make gyms and equipment available on the weekends but simply need parents to volunteer to supervise, Brown says† (Payne, 2010). This avenue of taking facilities that already exist and adding in a safety factor so that they may be used more often could reach into a vast majority of neighborhoods and schools that are currently excluding physical education programs. This seemingly mundane action by a few sets of determined parents could catch on and create new and exciting ways in which physical activities could be introduced to children. In today’s day and age of electronics, technological advances in this area continue to rise at record numbers. Features and upgrades to many electronic devices are geared toward a more convenient, user friendly target market. Such markets, unfortunately from a health perspective, are focused on our children. Convenient and satisfying methods of entertainment, such as television, movies, video games, talking/texting on cellular phones, computers, etc. far outweigh pure physical activity and exercise. Parents’ lack of control in these areas, as opposed to physical exercise, is a factor in childhood obesity. Children would rather be sedentary playing electronic games on a television, cellular phone or computer, as opposed to playing games requiring physical exercise, such as hide and seek or kickball . â€Å"The media may shape children’s food choices and caloric intake, including exposing children to persuasive messages about food, cuing them to eat, and depressing satiety cues of eating while viewing. According to estimates by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), children between 2 and 11 years are exposed to 25,600 advertisements per year, of which 5,500 (or 15 per day) are for food or beverages. A 2009 content analysis of foods advertised during children’s television programming revealed that most foods marketed to children are high in salt, sugar, and fat and low in nutritional value, and that healthy food are virtually invisible† (Jordan, 2010). This barrage of brain-altering subliminal messaging towards newly forming minds lends credence to how other areas of technology are creating pathways to enter impressionable youths. We live in a world that is technology driven in which new devices are created frequently to make life more convenient. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that television viewing by children older than two years be limited to two hours per day or less avoided altogether for children younger than two years. Surveys of United States parents found that most families do not adhere to these recommendations† (Jordan, 2010). These families that provide this amount of television viewing for their children use it as a virtual nanny to keep the child entertained and distracted throughout the day. In today’s health conscious society, there are many reasonable alternatives to just keeping a child zoned out in front of various electronic devices. One such alternative that is catching on with many families is the Nintendo Wii. â€Å"The AHA and Nintendo recently teamed up to promote the use of the Wii Fit to help Americans meet recommended physical activity guidelines. The goal of the partnership is to teach people how so-called ‘active-play’ video games encourage regular exercise. If you’re having a tough time getting your child to play outside, consider buying a video game that requires the child to get moving, Brown suggests† (Payne, 2010). The use of this new video game device has provided many families with not only an opportunity to exercise, but to also interact as a family unit. Interacting together provides an environment that can create future positive habits that might help in the obesity battle. Following recent studies on childhood obesity, it has been found that â€Å"In the United States, childhood obesity is on the rise; the percentage of obese children aged 6 to 11 more than doubled in the past two decades, while the percentage of obese adolescents aged 12 to 19 more than tripled, during the same period as well† (Li & Hooker, 2010). Medical contributors to childhood obesity, such as genetics and/or heredity, are considered uncontrollable and unchangeable to the health and well-being of a child. The imbalance between calories consumed and calories used can result from the influences and interactions of a number of factors, including genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors. Studies indicate that certain genetic characteristics may increase an individual’s susceptibility to excess body weight. However, this genetic susceptibility may need to exist in conjunction with contributing environmental and behavioral factors (such as a high-calorie food supply and minimal physical activity) to have a significant effect on weight. Genetic factors alone can play a role in specific cases of obesity† (CDC, 2009). Battling all these convenience issues will prove to be a lengthy social problem to be solved, but for the sake of future generations of children that will probably be the first to not outlive their parents, it is one that should have the highest priority. Parents establishing controls over guidelines set forth and constant monitoring of such to decrease childhood obesity is not a â€Å"sprint†, but more comparable to a â€Å"marathon†. This requires lifestyle changes both for the parent and the child. Constant monitoring on the parent’s part, along with both parent and child â€Å"staying the course† now will produce dividends for the future of a healthy America. We are all creatures of habit. In the end, the goal should always be for these changes to become second nature. We live in a society driven by a constant; change. Growth and expansion will continue to generate new technological advances, with downfalls associated. One such downfall, the â€Å"convenience factor† (convenient stores for junk food, convenient to watch television, play video games, watch a movie, talk or text on a cellular phone as opposed to physical exercise, convenient for parents to stop by fast food as opposed to healthy meals) will have a direct correlation between parental decisions and the health of children for future generations. Lack of parental controls in these areas in conjunction with the â€Å"convenience factor† will produce childhood obesity cases at record numbers. This increasingly growing disease will continue to be so if society does not stop being so convenient.

An Introduction to Sailing