Literature review about piezoelectric electronic circuit Research Paper

Literature review about piezoelectric electronic circuit (Rectification with an inductor and Buck DC-DC converter cuircuit) - Research Paper Example (Diamond, 2009) Much of its role in alternative energy and applications but first, what is piezoelectricity or, the piezoelectric effect? Wayne Tomasi (2004) defines the piezoelectric effect as generating electrical oscillations as varying mechanical stresses—either as, compression, tension, torsion or shearing, is applied across a crystal lattice structure (i.e. quartz, Rochelle salts, tourmaline, etc.) and vice versa. With this, ambient vibrations in and around systems which typically, are lost energy, can be captured and converted to usable energy, available for consumption—the primary goal of power harvesting; but since, as shown in research, the energy generated by piezoelectricity is insufficient to power most electronics, power harvesting technology has, mostly, focused on accumulation and storage techniques that would enable technology to collect enough energy for a variety of applications. (Sodano et al., 2005) In this premise, the researcher came up with a pro ject, entitled â€Å"Integrated Circuits for Energy Harvesting Application†, aiming to design and build a prototype circuit that utilizes piezoelectricity—via the PFCB-W14 piezoelectric device, for energizing small electronic systems, which in this case, is the charging of a Lithium-ion rechargeable battery—which have become very popular today. Figure 1. Equivalent Circuit and Power Generation of PFCB-W14 at 27Hz To better visualize the concept of piezoelectricity, illustrated above is an equivalent circuit of a piezoelectric generator—functioning as a capacitor and a resistor in series with the output terminals, as well as a bar chart of the power generation of Advanced Ceramics Incorporated PFCB-W14 at 27Hz, both obtained from PFCB-W14 Specifications Sheet. By closely looking into the chart, it can be seen that with load resistance in the range of 400k? to 600k?, at typical amounts of force applied, there is maximum power. And along the lines of impedan ce-matching, when the load and source impedances—in this case, the load and internal resistances, were equal, maximum power transfer occurs, an important point to consider in every circuit design. (Boylestad & Nashelsky, 1998) Also, note that the output of the generator is an ac voltage. Disregarding impedance-matching, rectifying the piezoelectric generator, and directly connecting the output to a capacitor or battery would have been a more straightforward approach for the project. Despite its simplicity and the fact that this circuit works, with the enormous mismatch between the resistances of the generator (in the order of millions) and the battery (merely in ohms, and at times even down to milliohms), basically all the power would be dissipated as heat in the generator itself. For a better implementation of the project, the circuit shown below was considered. Figure 2. Simple Charging Circuit using Inductor Illustrated above is a simple charging circuit that utilizes an i nductor, on top of piezoelectric generator, a rectifier bridge, a Zener diode and a Lithium battery that is being charged. Inductor Adding an inductor, as shown above, with sufficiently high reactance so as for the piezoelectric

Linkedin Essay Example for Free

Linkedin Essay What is the LinkedIn website, what service(s) does it provide? (3 marks) It’s a serious business social networking website. It provide resume-posting by more than 100 million professionals and corporate types. 2. What was LinkedIn’s Net profit Margin in 2010? (1 mark) $243-million revenue, profit: $15. 4-million 3. Why are their concerns about the future potential growth in the number of LinkedIn user? 3) -The company acknowledges that the number of its registered members is higher than the number of actual members because â€Å"some members have multiple registrations, other members have died or become incapacitated, and others may have registered under fictitious names† -LinkedIn stated that â€Å"we do not have a reliable system to accurately identify the number of actual members† more of the users use Facebook more often than LinkedIn, if they don’t raise the frequency to increase the times to visit their site, then it might become a problem in terms of profits and stock price. . What is the major driver of their expected -220 times profit-per-share price of $32-$35? (2) -from 2009 to 2010, revenue increased by 102 % and income increased by 487 %. -The audience that already spans much of corporate North America. 5. Who generate most of the site’s revenue? Why do they use the LinkedIn website? (3) -LinkedIn brings in most of its money from corporations that use LinkedIn as a recruiting or marketing tool. which companies can use the user profiles to identify both active and passive job candidate, are cheaper than traditional recruiting firms. 6. Approximately how much capital is LinkedIn trying to raise? What will it be used for? (3) -IPO valuation of $3-billion -â€Å"invest heavily† in product development -â€Å"aggressively expand† its field sales staff 7. Would you invest in LinkedIn shares? Why or why not? (3) -probably no, lthough It’s a unique concept compare to other s ocial net working website, however, all these facts stating that the company isn’t doing very well in the article. The risks in raising their number of users, major competition like Facebook and Google. Down side benefit for new investors, that will have minimal voice in the company’s governance, since they plan to maintain a dual-class voting structure, and forecasted a net loss for 2011 of unspecified size. All these facts show that maybe it’s not the right time to invest in the company yet.

Concept of Randomness in Statistics

Concept of Randomness in Statistics Part I Introduction Introduction on Freshman Seminar Freshman seminar 1205M offers great opportunities for students to work intimately with professors from the Science faculty on various areas of mathematics. The seminar was targeted to encourage us to open our minds to creative ideas and develop curiosity of influential mathematical theories and various subgroups of contemporary mathematics. In addition to exposure to selected subtopics in contemporary mathematics, we had valuable opportunities to develop our presentation and academic essay writing skills. 1.2 Important roles of Analogy and Intuition The historical development of mathematics is significantly influenced by intuition acquired from real life experience and analogy quoted from various other areas (Harrison Treagust, 1993). Analogy is an extraordinary method in developing new concepts in the history of science. In this module, famous topics in the contemporary mathematics, including geometry, number theory, set theory, randomness and game theory have been discussed. Among all topics, our team worked on Analogy and Intuition of Randomness. In this seminar, various creative analogy ideas and intuition/counter-intuition thinking have been presented based on specific cases in modern mathematics. 1.3 Method on Research and Presentation Our team collected relevant source materials on the randomness, including books, journals, and websites on the Internet. As for presenting applications of randomness, in particular, we focused on the historical development of randomness theory, the simplified key concepts in randomness, the counter-intuitive stories happened, overlapping with other fields in nature, and some significant and influential applications of randomness theory in our daily life. We omitted complicated theories, technical formulas and rigorous proofs. Throughout the whole semester, our team has conducted two informal presentations on randomness. In order to illustrate randomness clearly and intuitively, we adopted various methods: problem solving, in-class quizzes, presentations and attractive stories. Subtopics included: Biology, quantum physics, finance, audio engineering, statistics and so on. Part II Report on Randomness 2.1 Randomness on Communication Theory 2.1.1 Introduction of Noise in Communication Theory In statistics, irrelevant or meaningless data is considered noise (random error). Whereas in communication theory, random disturbance in a signal is called noise. In essence, noise consists of a large number of disturbances with a statistically randomized time distribution. It is assumed that noise signals have power spectral density that is proportional to 1/f^ÃŽ ², where f stands for frequencies of noise. For example, the spectral density of white noise is ÃŽ ² = 0, while pink noise has ÃŽ ² = 1. This special character is widely used for distinguishing among colors of noise. 2.1.2 Laws and Criterions Used to Distinguish Colors and Characteristics of Noise The color names for noise are derived from an analogy between the spectrum of noise and the equivalent spectrum of lights with different visible colors. For instance, if we translate the sound wave of white noise into light waves, the resulting light will be viewed as white color. In electronics, physics, and many other areas, the color of a noise signal is usually understood as some characteristics of its power spectrum. As different colors of noise have significantly different properties. Therefore, each kind of noise requires a specific color to match with it. Start with the most well-known one: White noise, people name different noise after colors. This is in analogy with white color light, which has a flat spectrum of power on its frequency range. Other colors, such as violet, blue, red, pink, are then given to different noises with extremely similar spectrum characteristics. Although most of them have standardized noise patterns with specific disciplines, there are also plenty of noise spectrums with imprecise and informal definitions, like black noise, green noise, brown noise and so on. These below parts were summarized from Wikipedia terms: Noise (electronics) Sites: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noise_%28electronics%29 2.1.3 Inner Sources of Noise Thermal noise is generated from the random thermal motion of charges (usually electrons) inside electrical conductors. The amplitude of the signal has a probability density function similar to the Gaussian (Normal) distribution. The amplitude of thermal noise depends on the temperature of the circuit. Shot noise results from unavoidable random fluctuations when the charges (such as electrons) jump over a gap inside the electric circuits. It sounds rather similar to the noise created by rain falling on a tin roof. Flicker noise has a frequency spectrum that falls down into the higher frequencies areas steadily. Burst noise consists of sudden step-like transitions between two or more levels at random and unpredictable times. It sounds like eating popcorn. 2.1.4 Outer sources of Noise Atmospheric noise is the natural disturbance caused by electricity discharges in thunderstorm and other natural disturbances occurring in nature, like disruptions of high-voltage wires. Industrial noises are produced by automobiles, aircrafts and so on. The disturbances are produced by the discharge processes in these operations as well, which is similar to the atmospheric noise. Extraterrestrial noises come from the universe. These noises include: Solar Noise, which is a radiation from the sun due to its intense nuclear reactions and the consequent high temperature, and Cosmic Noise, which are able to transmit its radiation and cosmic rays to almost everywhere. 2.1.5 Classification of Different Colors of Noise This part was adapted and summarized from an online introductory article: â€Å"White, pink, blue and violet: The colors of noise† from the Wired Magazine Science Column, Author: Duncan Geere, Date: Apr. 07, 2011 White noise White noise has a constant power distribution density on its spectrum. It is named after the white color light, which has a flatten frequency everywhere on the spectrum. The term is widely applied in many scientific and technical areas, including physics, audio engineering, telecommunications, statistical forecasting and many other areas. Specifically, White noise is used as a generator for random numbers. In addition, weather forecasting websites also use white noise to generate random digit patterns and simulate real weather.   Pink noise The power density of pink noise decreases proportionally to 1/f. In the past, the term of flicker noise sometimes refers to pink noise, but it will be more appropriate if we strictly apply it only to electronic circuits. Moreover, Pink noise is also used in analysis of meteorological data and output radiation power of some astronomical bodies. Brown noise According to the precise definition, the term Brown noise refers to a noise whose power density decreases inversely proportional to f^2. The density function can be generated from integrating white noise or via an algorithm of Brownian motion simulation. Brown noise is not named after the color brown spectrum, which is distinct from other noises. It can be used in climatology to describe climate shifts. However, within the scientific community, scientists have been arguing about its value for such purposes for a long time.   Blue noise The power density of Blue noise is proportional to frequency. Blue noise has an increasing frequency over a finite frequency range. Blue noise is similar to pink noise, but instead of a decreasing spectrum, we observe an increasing one. Sometimes it is mixed up with Violet noise in informal discussion. Violet noise Violet noise is also known as the Purple noise. The power density of Violet noise is proportional to f^2, which means it increases in quadratic form. Violet noise is like another version of Brownian noise. Moreover, as Violet noise is the result of differentiating the white noise signal density, so people also call it the â€Å"Differentiated White noise†. Grey noise Grey noise is a special kind of white noise process with characteristic equal loudness curve. However, it has a higher power density at both ends of the frequency spectrum but very little power near the center. Apparently, this is different from the standard white noise which is equal loud across its power density. However, actually this phenomenon is due to the humans hearing illusion. 2.2 Randomness on Finance 2.2.1 Brief Introduction to Efficient Market Hypothesis This part was summarized based on an online informal introductory article: â€Å"The Efficient Markets Hypothesis†, Authors: Jonathan Clarks, Tomas Jandik, Gershon Mandelker, Website: www.e-m-h.org In financial fields, the efficient-market hypothesis asserts that stock market prices will evolve with respect to to a random walk. They have the same probability distribution and independent of each other. Random walk states that stocks take a random and unpredictable path. The probability of a stocks future price going up is equal to going down. Therefore, the past movement (or trend) of a specific stock price or the overall market performance cannot be used as the basis to predict future movements. In addition, it is impossible to outperform the entire market without taking additional risk or putting extra efforts. However, EMH proves that a long-term buy-and-hold strategy is the most efficient, because long term prices will approximately reflect performance of the company very well, whereas short term movements in prices can be only described as a random walk. 2.2.2 Historical Backgrounds of Efficient Market Hypothesis This part was summarized based on an online nonprofit educational website: www.e-m-h.org and a research paper: History of the Efficient Market Hypothesis, Nov.2004, Author: Martin, Sewell, Publisher: University College London. Historically, the randomness of stock market prices was firstly modelled by a French broker, Jules Regnault, in 1863. Shortly after, a French mathematician, Louis Bachelier, developed the mathematics of Brownian motion in 1900. In 1923, the famous economist, Keynes clearly stated that investors in financial markets would be rewarded not for knowing better than other participants in the market, but rather for risk taking. After the WWII, the efficient-market hypothesis emerged as an outstanding theory in the mid-1960s. In the 1960s, Mandelbrot proposed a randomness model for stock pricing. Fama discussed about Mandelbrot’s hypothesis and concluded that the market data confirmed his model. In addition, he defined the so-called â€Å"efficient market† for the first time, in his paper â€Å"Random Walks in Stock Market Prices†. He explained how random walks in stock market significantly influence individual stock prices. Later, he introduced definitions for three forms of financial market efficiency: weak, semi-strong and strong. The term was eventually popularized when Burton Malkiel, a Professor of Economics at Princeton University, published his classic and prominent book: â€Å"A Random Walk Down Wall Street.† 2.2.3 Three Major Types of Markets: Weak, Semi-Strong and Strong The three types of EMH were summarized based on an online technical blog: â€Å"The Efficient Markets Hypothesis†, Author: Jodi Beggs, Website: About.com   Weak Form of Efficiency We cannot predict future prices through analyzing prices from the past. And we cannot earn excessive returns by using information based on historical data. In this level, technical analysis is always profitable, as share prices exhibit no dependencies on their past. This implies that future prices depend entirely on performance of companies. Semi-Strong Form of Efficiency Information other than market data is released, such as instant news, companies’ management, financial accounting reports, companies’ latest products. Under such condition, share prices will reflect the new information very rapidly. Therefore, investors cannot gain any excess returns by trading on the public information. Semi-strong-form efficiency market implies that neither technical analysis nor fundamental analysis can produce excess returns. Strong Form of Efficiency   Under such condition, information typically held by corporate insiders is released. Therefore, share prices reflect not only previously public information, but all private information as well. Theoretically, no one can earn excess returns. However, even before major changes are exposed to the public, corporate insiders are able to trade their company’s stocks from abnormal profits. Fortunately, such insider trading is banned by surveillance authorities, like the Securities and Exchange Commission. 2.2.4 Arguments and Critics on Efficiency Market Hypothesis However, critics blame that the theory’s applications in markets results in financial crisis. In response, proponents of the hypothesis state that the theory is only a simplification model of the world, which means that it may not always hold true under every conditions. Hence, the market is only practically efficient for merely investment purposes in the real world rather than other aims. 2.2.5 Interesting Counter-intuitive Stories on Monkeys   The story was adapted from the Forbes Magazine, Personal Finance Column, Author: Rick Ferri, Date: Dec, 20, 2012 In order to verify the Efficient Market Hypothesis and illustrate the theories explicitly to the public, a group of researchers conducted a monkey experiment. They randomly picked up thirty stocks from a one thousand stocks poll and then let a hundred monkeys throw darts at the stocks printing on newspaper. They kept repeating this experiment for five decades, and tracked the results. In the end, to their surprise, monkeys’ performance beat the index by 1.7% per year, which indicates that, there is certain situation where traditional technical analysis cannot even beat randomly-selected portfolios. The results have shocked the whole world by how greatly randomness affects the market stock prices. 2.3 Randomness in Physics and Biology 2.3.1 Application of Randomness in Modern Physics In the early 19th century, physicists use the philosophy of randomness to study motions and behaviors of molecules, and they build models in thermodynamics to explain phenomenon in gas experiments. In the 20th century, when the era comes for quantum mechanics, microscopic phenomena are considered as completely random. Randomness of things like radioactive decay, photons passing through polarizers, and other bizarre quantum effects cannot be explained and predicted with classical theories in the usual way (Scott, 2009). Therefore, physicists propose a new theory, which claims that in a microscopic world, some of the outcomes appear casual and random. For example, when we describe a radioactive atom, we cannot predict when the atom will decay. What only left for us is the probability of decay during a specific given period. In order to solve this mystery, Einstein postulates the Hidden Variable theory, which states that nature contains irreducible randomness: properties and variables work beyond our scope somehow, but they actually determine the outcomes appear in our world. 2.3.2 Application of Randomness in Biology The modern evolutionary states that the diversity of life is due to natural selection. Randomness, an essential component of biological diversity, is associated with the growth of biological organization during evolution (Longo Montevil, 2012). It plays important roles in determining genetic mutation, and the significance of randomness effects appear at different sizes, from microorganisms to large mammals (Bonner, 2013). During this process, a number of random genetic mutations appear in the gene library under both inner and other influences. Although this process is purely random, it indeed systematically leads to a higher chance for survival and reproduction of those individuals who possess these mutations than those without them. This mechanism plays crucial roles in the survivals of animals. Surprisingly, randomness in biology has remarkable relations to quantum physics. Schrodinger proposes his notion of negative entropy as a form of Gibbs free energy, which also behaves similarly to randomness properties in abstract quantum world (Schrodinger, 1944). Part III References Beggs, J. (2014). The Efficient Markets Hypothesis. About. Retrieved Mar 30, 2014 from http://economics.about.com/od/Financial-Markets-Category/a/The-Efficient-Markets-Hypothesis.htm Bonner, J. (2013). Randomness in Evolution. Princeton University Press. Retrieved Mar 30, 2014 from http://press.princeton.edu/titles/9958.html Clarke, J. Jandik, T. (2012). The Efficient Markets Hypothesis. Retrieved Mar 30, 2014 from http://ww.e-m-h.org/ClJM.pdf Ferri, R. (2012). Any Monkey Can Beat The Market. Forbes. Retrieved Mar 30, 2014 from http://www.forbes.com/sites/rickferri/2012/12/20/any-monkey-can-beat-the-market/ Geere, D. (2011). White, pink, blue and violet: The colors of noise. Wired. Retrieved Mar 30, 2014 from http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2011-04/7/colours-of-noise/viewall Harrison, A. G., Treagust, D. F. (1994). Science analogies. The Science Teacher, 61, 40-43. Longo, G Montevil, M. (2012). Randomness Increases Order in Biological Evolution. Retrieved Mar 30, 2014 from http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Giuseppe_Longo2/publication/221350338_Randomness_Increases_Order_in_Biological_Evolution/file/60b7d51544f17cb8d8.pdf Schrodinger, E.: What Is Life? Cambridge U.P. (1944) Scoot, J. (2009). Do physicists really believe in true randomness? Ask a Mathematician. Retrieved Mar 30, 2014 from http://www.askamathematician.com/2009/12/q-do-physicists-really-believe-in-true-randomness/ Sewell, M. (2004). History of the efficient market hypothesis. Retrieved Mar 30, 2014 from http://www.cs.ucl.ac.uk/fileadmin/UCL-CS/images/Research_Student_Information/RN_11_04.pdf

Home Schooling Essay -- Teaching Public Schools

Home Schooling1 Homeschool Children Homeschooling was practiced until about 150 years ago, when schools were established as educational institutes. Nowadays, homeschooling begins to develop and become more widespread again, because the school system is claimed by many people to be failing due to the typical educational plans that bring up stereotype groups of children with the same background. Accordingly, a minority of people preferred to follow homeschooling, which is teaching children at home, in order to bring up unique children with different backgrounds. â€Å"For some students, school can be extremely compromising to their ability, their creativity, and their sense of self † (Staehle). There are more reasons that support and encourage parents to homeschool their children, such as the expected rich personalities of children, their safety, and their lifestyle that might be positively affected by homeschooling. Parents believe that homeschooling truly affects the personality of their children. It helps them have a close relationship with their parents, since they spend most times of the day with them. Naima, my English language professor’s daughter, declares this in a personal interview. This strong bond gives children the ability to learn and get more attention from their parents. They gain the advantages of the familial relationship and its benefits. They are close to their brothers, sisters, parents, and friends, who are of different ages, and this ...

If I Could Meet Any Historical Figure Essay

If I could meet any historical figure I would chose to meet Rosa Parks. She is an  unbelievable inspiration and a great role model. She is also a great example for everyone that no matter what race you are, you should stand up for what you believe in. Rosa Parks is not only one of the most important people in Black History; she is also a great role model for women everywhere. If I was ever blessed to sit down and meet with her; I would ask her how long it took her to get up enough courage to refuse to move. I’ve often wondered if she planned that out or if she did it as an adrenaline rush, spur of the moment kind of thing. If she had planned it out, I would ask her if she tried to get people to do it with her or if she wanted to do it by herself. What made her finally want to stand up for herself and do it? Next I would want to know if she had any role models her self and what she valued most in life. These characteristics are extremely important to me and in my opinion they show stability and strong sense of character. It’s interesting to think about if she valued the same type of things like me because she seems so much more courageous. Then would be a good time to inform her on how much of a role model she is and how much of an impact she made in the world today. On the topic of black people who made great impacts, she would probably wonder who else was big in black history. It would be my pleasure to tell her about many the great names in black history such as: Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, Angela Davis, Wilma Rudolph, Sojourner Truth, Madam C.J. Walker and Malcolm X. Hopefully she would find this information interesting. I would have loved to have gotten the chance to meet her and discuss all my questions with her. I’m proud of her and I hope she can still see today what an impact she has made in American Black History.

Fast Food America Essay

Fast food has become a major phenomenon here in America. According to Eric Schlosser, he writes in the New York Times, on average $301,369,863 is spent a day on fast food. As Schlosser shows, American people are abusing fast food. In accordance with fast food binging, obesity has become a widespread epidemic. According to Joseph Mercola M. D. , on a personal website states obesity is, â€Å"A chronic condition that develops as a result of an interaction between a person’s genetic makeup and their environment. † Here Dr. Mercola expresses how obesity is directly related to an individual’s environment. Today it is not uncommon to find major fast food chains with in a short distance from residential areas. With so many choices for fast food, Americans turn to the fast food as an alternative to the healthy home cooked meal. The reason for so many Americans eating out is simply because they are in a hurry or unable to cook and just want something fast and easy. A majority of these people get into the habit of constantly eating at these fast food chains. According to Morgan Spurlock, in his documentary Super Size Me, he quotes Elliot Bloom, a young marketing wiz for Taco Bell, â€Å"The fast food chains were sustained by a large group of diners who ate out more than twenty times a month. A big chunk of this group, about 30% of customers, were considered to be â€Å"heavy users† and accountable for bringing in a whopping 70% of total revenue. † These numbers show how important fast food has become to Americans daily eating habits, and further demonstrates the connection between fast food eating and the increases in obesity. Accordingly, excessive amounts of fast food can be very damaging to ones body, and there is proof to back up this claim. Director Morgan Spurlock, set out to document a strictly fast food diet, â€Å"I am trying to prove, fast food makes someone fat. † Spurlock closely documented his thirty-day McDonalds binge, eating only foods and beverages served at the one of the many â€Å"Golden Arches. † Over the thirty-days, he underwent some amazing conditions that even the doctors and health care professionals could not have predicted. Besides the usual changes which included skyrocketing cholesterol and a major increase in body fat, his liver was showing signs similar to that of a smoker. Though the symptoms that Spurlock experienced were on a very drastic scale, this is what is slowly damaging many Americans who are unable to control their fast food cravings. Research has shown the severity of obesity since the late 1980’s, and the studies show the common health problems related with obesity are Type 2 Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, and Osteoarthritis. However, little is known publicly about the dangers of obesity, and the future repercussions if obesity. According to Nanci Hellmich, writing in the USA Today, she states that, â€Å"Overall, employers and privately insured families spent approximately $36. 5 billion on obesity-linked illnesses in 2002, up from an inflation-adjusted $3. 6 billion in 1987. † Hellmich’s statistics show a tenfold increase in obesity spending over a span of fifteen years. If obesity continues to increase at this rate, in the future obesity may become the deadliest disease in America. Hellmich goes on to say, â€Å"On average, treating an obese person cost $1,244 more in 2002 than treating a healthy-weight person did. In 1987, the gap was $272. † As Hellmich shows in her quote, there exist a connection between obesity and increasing health care cost. Since the majority of Americans pay for health care, the epidemic spreads beyond those affected directly, and raises prices for the healthy Americans too. Hellmich shows there is a cause for concern, simply because obesity has predominately increased over the past two decades. The problem starts with the media which influences Americans eating habits on a daily basis. Today Americans have numerous choices in fast food as compared to five to ten years ago. As well as more commercials there exists the convenience of eating fast food. Within minutes, fast food is ready to serve at most fast food restaurants, and for relatively cheap. Besides the fact food preparation is fast, every year thousands of commercials can be seen on TV. According to Spurlock, on average a single person watches about 10,000 different commercials per year, most of them being junk or fast food products. These influential commercials broadcast smart slogans and offer cheap food to attract customers. In a recent survey, at the Brea Mall Food Court, when asked if they ate on a daily basis, 28 % of males said yes, while 25% of women said they too ate out daily. A surprising portion of people, 30% said they enjoyed the taste and quality, while majority about 46% said there was no time to cook at home because of work or hectic schedules. With so many great food specials and a plethora of commercials, its no wonder Americans turn to fast food for meals. Fast food is practical, quick, and reasonably cheap, though unhealthy many seem to no care. The first signs of concern came in 2003 when legislation was passed by Congress to help to slow obesity among children. The new law banned all junk foods from public schools and enforced new cafeteria food requirements. Robert Colin Carter a medical researcher from the John Hopkins School of Medicine showed that the meals served prior to changes by school cafeteria’s exceeded the newly established limits for total and saturated fats, set by the National School Lunch Program and National School Breakfast Program. Here Carter shows the importance for the legislation, as well as exposing children to healthier foods. In a recent interview, with Sonya Dravenstatt, a School Nutrionist, she stated, â€Å"The new menu now consists of vegetables, low calorie pizzas, and salads. The unhealthy items such as Tatter-tots and French Fries have been substituted with corn, green beans, and fruit cocktail. † As Mrs. Dravenstatt mentioned, the meals are better for the students and follow the limits recently established by NSLP and NSBP. As well as healthier foods in cafeterias, there has been a fairly recent ban of â€Å"unhealthy† foods and drinks in public school vending machines. The soda selection has been exchanged with Dasani water, Minute Maid Juices, and various PowerAde flavors. As for food, all candy and snacks high in fat and sugar have been replaced with healthy low fat alternatives. As well as the changes Spurlock noted in his documentary, there has also been recent public out cry for fast food restaurants to create healthier portions. â€Å"In 2004 McDonald’s forever banished their Super Sized soft drinks and fries, and in 2005 Arby’s abolished their Giant Size offerings. While removing these bigger portions from the menu, food chains like McDonald’s now offer healthier portions and substitutions. For example french fries can be replaced with a side of apple slices or mini salad and instead of soda a variety of juices are offered† (Spurlock). These healthier changes need to be continued due to the fact fast food is a major contributor to obesity. However, the change must begin with the consumers. The numbers show that people are dining out too often and it is affecting their physical health. Since a majority of Americans are either unaware or uninformed on how to prevent obesity, the solution should be enforced by the Government. By issuing a plan of action for fast food companies, a majority of unhealthy food can be exchanged with healthier portions. If the Government passed legislation subjecting fast food chains to restrictions on what consumers can purchase, maybe then fast food consumption could help the obesity epidemic. Fast food companies need to abide by nutrition laws, in the same way schools do, to protect naive consumers. The creation of a program could strictly regulate the unhealthy content commonly found in fast food. A program with capabilities to regulate big corps such as McDonalds, Taco Bell, and Kentucky Fried Chicken would be a major success in terms of stopping the widespread disease. Americans need to wake up and face the facts. Consumers must take the initiative to learn the facts on healthy dieting. The problem needs to be dealt with now, and not in the future. Obesity is affecting millions of Americans each year and is a major threat to American children’s future health. If parents and children are not held accountable now, obesity will continue to shorten lives and cost billions of dollars in health care. Hellmich, Nanci. â€Å"Health Spending Soars for Obesity. † USA Today on the Web 26 June. 2005. 18 Oct. 2005 < http://www. usatoday. com/news/health/2005-06-26-health-spending-obesity_x. htm> Mercola, Dr. Joseph. Home page. 2005. 18 Oct. 2005. Schlosser, Eric. â€Å"Fast Food Nation, The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. † New York Times on the Web 2000. 18 Oct. 2005.