Childhood Obesity Childhood obesity has become an international epidemic and gained a lot of scientific research in last few decades. Statistics showed that the percentage of overweight children has increased by about 20% in the last decade in western countries. This essay will shed light on some of the causes and possible solutions of this problem. The single most important cause of childhood obesity is lack of physical activity. Children nowadays are leading a sedentary lifestyle; spending many hours a day sitting at home watching TV or playing video games. Moreover, schools do not paying much attention to body exercise lessons. This sedentary lifestyle will prevent children from burning fat from their bodies and will lead to putting on more weight. Perhaps, the second most important cause of obesity in children is the unhealthy food habits. Many parents now have busy work schedules, which will make it difficult for them to cook food at home daily and will compel them towards increased consumption of fast food. This type of food is high in lipids and is lacking essential vitamins and minerals. Moreover, relying on fast food will make the family pay less attention to vegetables and fruits, this, further increases the deficiency of vitamins and minerals. Childhood obesity has detrimental impact on the physical and emotional wellbeing of children. Research in the field of obesity proved that obesity leads to increased lipids in blood - cholesterol in particular - and increases the incidence of hypertension and diabetes. These problems collectively will increase the liability for children to serious heart and brain diseases. Moreover, it was found that obesity restricts children’s mobility and physical activity with a consequent increase in weight, creating a vicious circle. Regarding the emotional wellbeing of children, obesity has a direct negative effect on children's self-esteem with the consequent susceptibility to depression and anxiety. In conclusion, childhood obesity had become a real challenge and a serious problem facing our modern society. It has a detrimental impact on the health of our children both physically and emotionally.

Youth Crime Youth crime demonstrated a considerable rise in the last few decades. This problem is not confined to a certain country or race; rather it is a global problem. This essay tries to examine causes and possible solutions of this topic. Many reasons play roles in the mounting number of crimes committed by teenagers. Damage of the nuclear family is the main culprit leading to youth crime. Nowadays many children are raised by a single parent, usually a single mother; this deprives the children -especially boys- from the father figure which in turn affects their growing morality. Domestic violence, overcrowding, and poor economic status are also examples of factors damaging the family. Some countries are unable to provide the proper education to all children, and this consequently maximizes the problem of Juvenile delinquency. For instance, hundreds of rural areas in developing countries are lacking schools. Media also have an important part in this problem, through movies presenting intensive crimes, youngsters who frequently watch these violent movies, sometimes try to adopt the personality of the characters of the movie. Talking about solutions, both governments and individuals should take part in solving this problem. Parents should work hard to keep the integrity of their families; domestic violence should be replaced by constructive criticism between partners. Moreover, parents should keep their eyes open on their children; observe their behavior, their attitudes, and their peer relations. Governments on the other hand, have a critical role on tackling this problem. State organizations should work on raising the public awareness towards the details of Juvenile delinquency. Improving the education system, financial support of poor families and creating job opportunities for youth are a few examples of what governments can do. In conclusion, youth crime is a widespread serious problem which has detrimental impact on our societies. Both individuals and governmental bodies should do their best to overcome this dilemma.

Alternative Medicine Nowadays, there is a clear inclination to return back to nature and to avoid synthetic chemicals. This attitude is applicable to medicine, where many people proclaim to stick to alternative medicine and to avoid synthetic drugs. However, others contend that alternative forms of medicine are useless; sometimes even harmful to our health. This essay will examine both sides of the argument. Proponents of alternative medicine argue that most of its remedies had been used for centuries and it had cured many patients. Given the fact that most treatments come from natural sources - mostly plants - then it is conceivable that they will not have any harmful effects. For instance, in Aromatherapy, natural plants and oils are used to treat many kinds of diseases and there were no any reported fatalities. Moreover, Acupuncture uses no substances at all, only needle pricks, so there is no expected harm of them. On the other hand, opponents of alternative medicine see that currently we are not in need for such practices, since conventional medicine had demonstrated substantial development in treating various kinds of diseases. They add, modalities in conventional medicine are usually used only after being subjected to thorough research and undoubtedly proven to be effective, this is in contrast to alternative forms of medicine which depend mainly on anecdotal evidence. Some opponents of alternative medicine opine that if any of these remedies is proved experimentally to be effective and devoid of deleterious effects, at this stage it will be logic to add it to the list of conventional medicine. To conclude, alternative medicine is and will continue to be a contentious issue. In my opinion, we should always weigh pros and cons of alternative forms of medicine before deciding on to discard them altogether. Moreover, scientists should aim to investigate these remedies by extensive research to make use of its potential value.

Global Warming During the last fifty years, our planet experienced a considerable rise in its temperature; what is known as global warming. This essay will shed light on the main causes and the possible solutions of this phenomenon. Greenhouse gases - mainly CO2 - are the principal culprit of global warming. Elevated level of CO2 in the atmosphere is due to both elevated levels of emissions and reduced rate of clearance. The growing rise in the usage of fossil fuels either by vehicles or through power plants is the main reason for mounting levels of CO2 emissions. Regarding reduced rate of clearance, deforestation plays the main role. For thousands of years, plants work on absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere and replacing it by O2; deforestation unfortunately deprives our planet from this gift. These reasons collectively resulted in accumulation of millions of tons of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which in turn had started to damage the ozone layer. Talking about solutions, both individuals and governmental bodies all over the world have to work hardly and collaboratively to tackle this dangerous phenomenon. First, individuals should try to cut down on using their private cars by using public transportation or bicycles, for instance. Not only this, but also they should be keen to reduce the use of electric power at homes and workplaces as far as possible. Second, government should pursue to develop environmentally-friendly power sources, for example, solar energy, wind power, and biodiesel. Moreover, government should aim at restoring the green landscapes. In conclusion, global warming is considered one of the most significant threats to humanity in the last century. This serious challenge needs industrious and cooperative efforts from both governments and individuals to be managed properly.

Food Additives During the last century food industry experienced huge expansion with mounting number of people rely on processed food in their meals. These processed foods contain chemicals that can be considered by some as toxins to our bodies. Yet, still others seeing it as a necessity in our modern life. Personally speaking, I agree with the later point of view. Over centuries, humans learned how to prevent their food from decaying either by adding vinegar or a lot amount of salt, life was simple then. Giving the marked growth of food industry and the advent of endless kinds of processed food, this created the need for various types of food additives. These additives serve many functions, for instance, food preservatives prolong the life of food by preventing microorganisms from growing on it. Food colorings and flavors are added to enhance foods’ color, flavor, and smell. Moreover, fortifying agents such as vitamins and minerals may be added to enhance the nutrient value of some foods. Here, we should keep in mind that neither all food additives are harmful nor all of them are artificial, as some food additives come from natural sources. On the other hand, some people are concerned by the deleterious effects that these food chemicals can have on our health. Some of these chemicals may increase the incidence of certain diseases such as cancer, diabetes, or hypertension. A recent study pointed out that sodium glutamate - a common food preservative - has neurotoxic effect on the developing brains of children and may lead to hyperactivity in this age group. To conclude, the harmful effects that may arise from the overuse of food chemicals are undeniable, nevertheless, they had become a necessity in our modern life. Moreover, the judicious use of these chemicals with strict regulation can efficiently eliminate these effects.

Social Interaction and the Internet Nowadays, many people are concerned about the effects that Internet can imply on social interactions. A recent study concluded that the amount of time people spend on face-to-face communication is inversely related to the time spent on the Internet. That said, some people believe that Internet has detrimental impact on real social relations, while others think that using Internet may open up a new communication possibilities. This essay will examine both sides of the argument. Without a doubt, Internet has been a popular way for communication especially between teenagers. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are few examples of websites that enabled people to communicate with each other all over the world. The possibility of chatting with people from remote areas on the planet was not imaginable before the advent of the internet. Moreover, people now can talk to each other over the Internet in their spare time without spending a lot of time in transportation to meet them face-to-face. Through the Internet we can learn about other cultures and traditions. On the other hand, the overuse of Internet has clear drawbacks. Firstly, youth may spend a lot of time surfing the web, paying little attention to their families which lead to weak relations between family members. Secondly, reducing the amount of time spent on real communication with other human beings has deleterious effect on building our personalities and our social skills. Thirdly, social websites sometimes provide youth with untrustworthy information, which have misleading effect. In conclusion, although Internet has clear benefits, in the same time it has negative impact on interaction between human beings. In my opinion people should cut down the amount of time spent on the Internet and spare it for face-to-face social interaction.

Animal Testing Animals had been used in experimentation for many decades; this caused a lot of controversy in society. Some people argue that animal experimentation is a necessity, while others believe it should be banned altogether. This essay will highlight advantages and disadvantages of this issue. On the one hand, people who support the use of animals for testing claim that this is the only successful way for discovering new drugs. Over the years, scientists used animals for testing new drugs, which created an evolution in the field of pharmacology. Thanks to these experiments, now we have treatments for many diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiac diseases. Proponents of animal testing opine that it is unethical to test new drugs directly on humans, as this may lead to serious harm. On the other hand, opponents of animal testing believe that using animals for these purposes is cruel and inhumane they add that animals are living beings, just like humans have their own sensations and feelings. Animal welfare activists claim that animals are treated and killed in a brutal way during these experiments without mercy. With breakthroughs in technology innovations, some believe that computerized robots can be used instead, yet, this still needs more research. In conclusion, animal experimentation will continue to be a contentious issue for a while; as long as no suitable alternatives appear. In my opinion, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages of animal testing, but strict policies should be instructed to guarantee a humane way of dealing with these animals.

University Education Many people argue that the main purpose of university education is to offer graduates better jobs. To the country, others believe that university education provides much more useful benefit for both individuals and Society. This essay will highlight both sides of the argument. On the one hand, it is true that higher education enables youth to get better job prospects. Nowadays, many companies, especially the huge ones, will hire only those holding higher certificates from recognized universities, because they will be more beneficial to the company. Moreover, with the mounting advancement in science and technology there will be more need for highly specialized professionals, which will be provided only by higher education. On the other hand, university education entails much wider aims than merely providing jobs. Firstly, on the individual level, tertiary education helps youth to understand themselves and the world around them in a sound way. Moreover, it gives them the opportunity to live independently; enabling them to build stronger personalities. Secondly, on the societal level; higher education boosters advancement in science and technology through encouraging scientific research. Consequently, this will positively affect economy and prosperity of the society. For instance, it is obvious that those countries with successful economy are countries with better education system. In my opinion, although the role played by university education in helping graduates getting better jobs is indisputable, it is undoubted that university education plays a pivotal role on the welfare of both individuals and Society.

Human Cloning During the last decades cloning of animals has become a reality and it gained a wide acceptance among society. On the other hand, cloning of humans is a contentious issue. Moreover, when the reason for cloning humans is to provide organs for transplantation, then it is clearly unacceptable and unethical. Thanks to breakthroughs in medicine, humans’ life span showed a dramatic expansion during the last century. Giving the fact that people live longer, it is normal to suffer from diseases when they get older due to aging organs. For this reason, human cloning emerges as an ideal solution to provide people with healthy organs to improve their lives. Not only this, but also human cloning can be a hope for those who are in grieve for their deceased relatives. For good reasons, many people are against the idea of cloning humans. Undoubtedly, human cloning is completely rejected from the religious point of view. Moreover, killing cloned humans is nothing but a murder; definitely, they are human beings just like the rest of us. If we imagined that human cloning became a reality, and then should modern Human Rights would be applicable for them? Should they have the choice to agree on donating their organs or not? To sum up, although human cloning can appear as a magical solution for many diseases, it will definitely create a moral, ethical, and religious dilemma. For this reason, human cloning should be banned by strict legislative measures.