Most heavy teens' attempts (lose) weight don't work, but a new study shows a big secret of those who do succeed.
They do it more their own sake rather than to impress their peers or please their parents.
"Most parents have the view that their teens are (large) influenced by other people's perceptions of them, " said Chad Jensen, psychologist at Brigham Young University. Our (finding) suggest that teens have motivations that are more intrinsic. One implication is parents should help to focus their teens on healthy behaviours in order to keep healthy more than for social acceptance.
Jensen and his students at BYU looked in depth at the success stories of 40 formerly obese or overweight teens. On average the participants dropped 30 pounds, (move) them from the obese to the normal weight category. They also maintained their healthier weight for a full year. More than 60 percent (describe) their health as the primary motive. About 43 percent identified peer acceptance as a factor.
In another interview, nearly all of the teens emphasised that it was their own (decide) to lose weight. According to teens, parents provided the most help simply by modeling healthier behaviours and providing (healthy) options for meals and snacks.
We've all experienced peer pressure(同伴压力). It happens to everybody. However, people have different reactions. Confident people refuse to do things they don't want to do, but shy and anxious people often give in. It may be because they want to be liked. It may be because they worry that their friends will make fun of them, or perhaps they're just curious about trying something new.
It's hard being the only one who says no and the question is:how do you do it? If you think that missing maths, or smoking, or going somewhere you know your parents wouldn't like is a bad idea, then the answer is simple:don't do it. It's your decision, nobody else's. You don't need to be aggressive. You don't need to shout and scream, but you must be confident and you must be firm. You need to say, "No, thanks. I don't want to do that. "
Being on your own against everybody else is very hard, so it can really help to have at least one other peer, or friend, who will say no too. You want friends who will support you when you're in trouble. You don't want people who will always agree with the majority. Remember, the most popular people aren't always the most trustworthy.
You can learn a lot from people of your own age. They can teach you great football skills or the best way to do your maths homework. They can recommend music and advise you on fashion. And don't forget you can tell them things too, and that always feels great. So, find friends who have similar interests. And remember, friendship isn't about feeling depressed and guilty.
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A. Choose your friends carefully. B. Firstly, you must decide what you believe in. C. It's about sharing experiences and having fun. D. Of course, peer pressure isn't completely bad. E. It may be because they were all born to be stubborn. F. Depression and guilt will surely give you peer pressure. G. Whatever the reason, some people end up doing things they really don't want to. |
After years of heated debate, gray wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park. Fourteen wolves were caught in Canada and transported to the park. By last year, the Yellowstone wolf population had grown to more than 170.
Gray wolves once were seen here and there in the Yellowstone area and much of the continental United States, but they were gradually displaced by human development. By the 1920s, wolves had practically disappeared from the Yellowstone area. They went farther north into the deep forests of Canada, where there were fewer humans around.
The disappearance of the wolves had many unexpected results. Deer and elk populations— major food sources(来源) for the wolf—grew rapidly. These animals consumed large amounts of vegetation(植被), which reduced plant diversity in the park. In the absence of wolves, coyote population also grew quickly. The coyotes killed a large percentage of the park's red foxes, and completely drove away the park's beavers.
As early as 1966, biologists asked the government to consider reintroducing wolves to Yellowstone Park. They hoped that wolves would be able to control the elk and coyote problems. Many farmers opposed the plan because they feared that wolves would kill their farm animals or pets.
The government spent nearly 30 years coming up with a plan to reintroduce the wolves. The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service carefully monitors and manages the wolf packs in Yellowstone. Today, the debate continues over how well the gray wolf is fitting in at Yellowstone. Elk, deer, and coyote populations are down, while beavers and red foxes have made a comeback. The Yellowstone wolf project has been a valuable experiment to help biologists decide whether to reintroduce wolves to other parts of the country as well.
It's hard to talk to Dad sometimes. His silence about his feelings and thoughts made him mysterious and hard to see through. You could never break his hard shell and get to know him. And he seemed to want to stay that way too.
But a year ago when my relationship with my wife and career took a hit, I needed my dad to pull back the curtain so I could see him as real and accessible. I was facing serious problems and I wanted to know whether he had faced them before and how he had found his way, because I felt like I had lost mine. In desperation, it occurred to me that sending an email might be the key, so I wrote him one, telling him about my regrets and fears, and I asked him to answer, if he felt like it.
Two weeks later, it showed up in my inbox:a much-thought, three-page letter. Dad, a 68-year-old retired technologist and grandfather of four, had carefully considered my message, and crafted a response. He mentioned his lost love, the foolish mistake he made in career and the stupid pride he had between him and his parents. He comforted me that "life will still find its right track despite many of its twists and turns".
I closed the email and started to cry, because I wished I had opened up earlier but was grateful it wasn't too late. I cried because at 33, in the midst of my own struggles, his letter instantly put me at ease. And I cried because in the end, it was so simple: I just had to hit "Send".
We've since had many email exchanges. This increasing communication opened a door into his world. My problems haven't been magically solved, but getting to know my dad better has made the tough thing more manageable and life sweeter. It's hard to talk to Dad sometimes, but I'm glad I found a way to talk to mine.
