Tag Archives: Health

Opinion

Mass Media and Body Image

 

Negative and positives effects mass media has on body image.

Over the years, ideas of beauty have evolved in many ways. I have never really paid attention to what the media thinks when it comes to body image, but over the past year I have seen and read about the many positive and negative effects that mass media has made on the American idea of beauty. Here are some of the negatives and positive effects that the media has on body image.

NEGATIVES:
1) Calvin Klein: Myla Dalbesio is Calvin Klein’s new plus size model. She is a size 10, and I’m so blown away to see that she was considered plus size. Being plus sized myself, I giggled at the fact that this is what Calvin Klein thanks plus size is. Myla is beautiful, but she’s definitely in no way near being a plus size model.
2) Victoria’s Secret: Known as angels, Victoria’s secret models are well-known as some of the most beautiful women in the world, but they have stringent requirements on what it is to be a model and oftentimes promote unrealistic ideas about what body image should be.
3) Children’s Dolls: Growing up I played with Bratz dolls and Barbie’s. Back then, they just looked like normal dolls to me, but almost all of them promote an unrealistic body image. Mattel has recently made an average size Barbie.

POSITIVES:
Tess Taylor: Tess Munster, who also goes by Tess holiday, is making history. She is the first plus sized model to be signed to a major model agency — she’s a size 24 and is 5″5’, and she is signed to milk model agency. Tess shows us that beauty comes in any size. Being plus size I look up to Tess, because she broke the barrier for plus sized women and made her own mold. She created a movement on social media called #Effyourbeautystandards. I have joined the movement, and I believe all women should.
MTV movie awards: A lot of you may know Rebel Wilson as fat Amy in pitch perfect. Rebel did something pretty hilarious at the MTV Movie Awards. She poked fun at Victoria’s Secret Angels. Rebel came out dressed like an angel right off the runway. When she bent down, the pants read “THINK” mocking Victoria secret “PINK.” In an interview, Rebel explained that she put “THINK” on her pants because she wants girls think about what is beauty and that there are no limits when it comes to beauty and size.

Opinion

Take Charge of Your Mental Health

 

Being a college student comes with stress and lots of it. Some people now how to handle their stress while others struggle with mental illnesses like anxiety and depression which can make it harder for them to cope with stress and makes something as simple as choosing a class to take or studying for a final extremely difficult. With the right medication and therapy, the struggles that come with having anxiety or depression can be relieved, although they will never disappear. Here are some steps students can take to cope with mental illness:

Breathe: The best thing to do when you are having a panic attack or are feeling stressed out is to breathe. Concentrate only on that by taking deep breaths and counting down from 10. When I have an anxiety attack, taking control of my breathing is key.

Realizing your triggers: Realizing what triggers your mental illness really helps prevent attacks or depression from happening. If you are someone for example who gets anxiety when they watch a horror film, to prevent yourself from having an anxiety attack it would make sense to realize that’s your trigger and to stop watching them. My triggers that set off my anxiety are caffeine and watching the news. I get decaf coffee each week and limit my watch of the news. Realizing these triggers has decreased my attacks.

Getting help: Coming to terms with your issues is hard, but in the long run it really helps you out. Many of us out there are born with a mental illness that run in our family– in my family over 70% have a cases of anxiety and depression. Many of us are on medicine and pills to help soothe the pain. If taking medication isn’t for you, there are many great therapists to talk to about your problems. Sometimes that all you need is someone to talk to.

According to the ADDA (Anxiety & Depression Association of America) more than 40 million adults over that age of 18 suffer from an anxiety disorder, 6 million people suffer from panic disorders and 7.7 million suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Having a mental illness doesn’t define you, and you are not alone. For more info or support, contact any of the following:

Crisis Call Center
800-273-8255 or text ANSWER to 839863
Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week
http://crisiscallcenter.org/crisisservices.html

Depression and Bipolar Support
800-273-TALK (8255)
Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week

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National Hopeline Network
800-SUICIDE (784-2433)
800-442-HOPE (4673)
Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week
http://www.hopeline.com

Crisis Center and Hotlines Locator by State
http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/getinvolved/locator

Suicide Prevention Services Depression Hotline
630-482-9696
Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week

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News

Mobile Hygiene

 

By the time young adults get to college, chances are they have developed proper hygienic and hand washing habits. However, it may be their most precious belonging that is spreading disease from one to student to the next.

Mobile devices, such as phones and tablets, may harbor more bacteria than a public toilet seat.

A study featured on ABC News concluded that more than half the mobile phones tested had traces of fecal matter and salmonella.

Foodborne bacteria such as salmonella and E. coli can be easily transferred to a touch screen when following recipes online.

“That is disgusting,” said UMass graduate Tony Morelli. “When I think about how many meals I have cooked and I was texting and swiping the screen the whole time. . .gross!”

Mobile phones are especially dangerous when it comes to infectious disease because they are held against the face. If shared with others, phones could be contaminated with anything from chicken pox to conjunctivitis (an eye disease) or even head lice.

“I can’t believe I let my 2-year-old niece play with my phone!” said NECC student Melissa Dow. “She puts it in her mouth all the time, and I always blame the daycare when she gets sick.”

According to Women’s Health Magazine, cleaning phones and cases once a week can help reduce the amount of bacteria. Most manufacturers sell wipes designed for their own devices. However, any alcohol-free disinfectant wipe should do the trick.

Uncategorized

Understanding NECC health insurance

 

Students who attend NECC have to have health insurance. If a student does not have health insurance through work, family or personal expense, they have to enroll in the health insurance plan provided by NECC.

NECC sponsored health insurance costs 1,640 for the 2014-2015 policy year. If students don’t waive the health insurance online under “Waive My Health Insurance,” on their NECC student account, the fee will automatically be charged along with tuition.

The company providing the insurance is Arthur J. Gallagher and Co. More information can be found at https://www.gallagherstudent.com/students/student-home.php?idField=1211 The website outlines the benefits and plans, what doctors take Gallagher student insurance, health resources and how to file claims.

An email explaining NECC health insurance should have been sent to all students who enrolled containing information on what is covered, FAQ and important contact information.