The Childhood And Teen Obesity Epidemic - 1001 Words

The Childhood and Teen Obesity Epidemic Opening There is an obvious reason why kids cannot drive when they feel like it, or go out wherever they choose. Children cannot have a cigarette or a drink either because if they did these things, they would certainly suffer the consequences, perhaps with their lives. It sounds crazy to think of allowing kids to do anything dangerous, yet each day millions of American children and adolescents slowly kill themselves with unhealthy dangerous foods. The past several decades have seen an escalating trend in the rate of childhood obesity. Obesity results from an imbalance involving excessive calorie consumption and inadequate physical activity. Childhood obesity has continued to be a major issue in the public healthcare system, and has more than tripled. Obesity has increased from 6.5% in 1980 to 20% in 2014 among children aged 6 to 11. During the same 30 year period, obesity among adolescents aged 12 to 19 increased from 5.0% to 18.1%. With that said, America is experiencing a very serious health issue concerning its youth. Definition of the Problem Generally, a child is not considered obese until the weight is at least 10% higher than what is recommended for their age, height and body type. Studies shown that overweight children are more predisposed to the danger of becoming overweight in their adulthood. The main contributors to childhood obesity are consuming too many calories and too little physical exercise. But there are manyShow MoreRelatedChildhood Obesity : A Developing Problem1197 Words   |  5 PagesObesity in America is a developing problem, and not just in adults. Today, one in three American children and teens are either overweight or obese; almost triple the rate previously in 1963. Child obesity has expeditiously become one of the most genuine health challenges of the 21st century (â€Å"10 Surprising Facts About Childhood Obesity†). Physical inactivity, race, junk food in schools, the mass media, and the child’s parents flaws are all factors that have resulted in the prevalence of childhoodRead M oreChildhood Obesity Analysis1473 Words   |  6 PagesCaretakers Obesity in America is literally a growing problem, affecting every age group. Children are the most venerable group because they have no control over where they have dinner or how often they have fast food. Parents and guardians make decisions about food and are responsible for the health of children. Childhood obesity has more than doubled in the last twenty years. This is concerning because Type Two diabetes is a horrible, crippling disease that is affecting children and teens dramaticallyRead MoreTeen Obesity Essay1378 Words   |  6 Pages Teen Obesity Teen obesity is a major issue in the world that is rapidly increasing especially in the United States. It has now become one of the most serious health challenges of the 21st century according to unitypoint.org. In the last 3 decades, teen obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled among adolescents. Why you might ask. Well, children become overweight and obese for a variety of reasons. The most common causes are genetic factors, lack of physical activity, unhealthyRead MoreChildhood Obesity : A Relatively New And Disturbing Term Essay1129 Words   |  5 PagesChildhood obesity is a relatively new and disturbing term. It is an extremely serious problem that many children in the United States face. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2014), approximately 12.7 million or seventeen percent of children and adolescents aged two to nineteen are considered to be obese (Childhood Obesity). This is an astronomical number and it is only continuing to ris e. According to Schroeder et al. (2016), there is approximately an addition fifteen percentRead MoreChildhood Obesity : An Epidemic876 Words   |  4 PagesChildhood Obesity Childhood obesity is more than a major issue in the United States: it is an epidemic. The number of overweight and obese children in America has increased at an alarming rate over the past years. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents in the past 30 years [1]. American Heart Association stated, â€Å"Today one in three American kids and teens are overweight or obese; nearly triple theRead MoreThe Family Nurse Practitioner ( Fnp ) Program Online At South University s Online Program865 Words   |  4 Pagesprogram online at South University’s Online Program. The topic that really interests me is childhood and adolescent obesity. I love working out, and I believe in the saying â€Å"you are what you eat†, I know how good I feel when I eat well and perform physical activity, therefore I cannot imagine life without working out. This is what personally attracts me to the issue of childhood and adolescent obesity. In the United States, Healthy People 2020 tracks children aged 2 to 19 that carry a BMI greaterRead MoreObesity has Taken Over Our Children881 Words   |  3 PagesChildhood Obesity has taken over the lives of American children in the United States. Presently, 23 million children and teens in the United States are obese (CDC 2014). This epidemic affects children of all ages and mostly minority children at a seemingly unstoppable rate. For instance, 18 percent of American children age 6 to 11 and teens ages 12 to 19 are obese (Spradlin 2012). When examining ethnicity, Caucasian American children 28.2 percent is far lower percentage when compared to that of theRead MoreChildhood Obesity : Is It The Enemy?869 Words   |  4 PagesChildhood Obesity has become a topic of national concern. There has been an extremely rapid increase in the number of obese children in the recent years. The percentage of obese children from the age of 6-11 has increased from 7% to 18% and for adolescents a ge 12-19, a 5% to 21% in a short span of about 30 years. This epidemic has grown to such a high number that it had been brought to the attention Michelle Obama, the First Lady of America, who then created a plan to try to end this Childhood ObesityRead MoreChildhood Obesity : A Growing Problem922 Words   |  4 PagesChild Obesity is a large problem in America. The childhood obesity epidemic is a serious public health problem that increases death and illnesses, and has long term economic and social costs. The American Psychological Association (APA) reports that in teens ages 12 to 19, overweight rates have tripled (5.0% to 17.6%) in the last twenty five years; this is a higher percentage than in any other industrialized country. Teen obesity leads to obese adults that are going to have poor health later likeRead MoreObesity And The United States1430 Words   |  6 PagesAccording to an article, â€Å"Obesity in Children†, published through the medicine health website, the issue on childhood obesity in the United States has increased within recent years. â€Å"Today, nearly a third of youths are overweight or obese. That’s more than 23 million children and teenagers,† (Childhood Obesity in the United States). Obesity can eventually lead to different and more serious health issues. Fast food restaurants attract the attention of our younger generation and are some of the main

The Stages Of Development For Children - 1475 Words

The concept of time is a very important aspect of life. From an early age, children learn just how important the concept of understanding time can be in their everyday life. Piaget described a child’s developing concept of time into four stages. During each of the four stages, children learn the key aspects of time through activities related to time that produce many learning outcomes for children, relating to time. Sensorimotor, Preoperational, Concrete Operations, and Formal Operations are the four stages of development that were created by Piaget in order to categorize children’s development with the concept of time. The first stage of development for children is the sensorimotor stage. The sensorimotor stage starts at birth, and ranges to two years of age (Santrock, 2014, p. 192). This stage involves the infants’ association with sensory experience and physical action (193). A child in the sensorimotor stage can associate certain sounds, like hearing the wor d no, with physical implications like a spanking for disciplinary action. Children in this stage of cognitive development can begin to comprehend and understand time. Like I stated previously, a child hearing the word no, can understand that at the time of hearing that word, they will be enduring some form of punishment shortly after hearing the word. Piaget divided this first stage of cognitive development into six substages. The first of the six substages is simple reflexes (192). This substage involves theShow MoreRelatedStages Of Children s Development1367 Words   |  6 PagesPreschool children’s development is particularly different within the period of early childhood because their play behavior develops dramatically. They may play independently but within close proximity. We learned the five types of play, Parten talks about in her article, which are Solitary Play, Onlooker Play, Parallel Play, Associative Play, and Cooperative Play. In addition, Parten also found that different ages correlate to the type of play preschool children engage in. For example, older preschoolRead MoreDevelopment Stages children 0-81531 Words   |  7 Pages Assignment 1. 1. Summarise the main development of a child from the age range 0-2 years, 3-5 years and 5-8 years. 0-2 Years Newborn babies grow extremely quickly. During ‘Infancy’, which lasts from birth to eighteen months, babies change from a helpless newborn, to a child who can lift up their own head at three months, sit up unsupported at six months, walk at sixteen months and kick and throw a ball at two years old. Newborn babies actually lose some of their birth weight to begin withRead MoreDifferent Stages Of Development Children Go Through Essay1353 Words   |  6 Pagesquestions from parents about why children are repetitive in some things at certain stages. These types of questions will be answered if we all understand the concepts explained by Dr. Maria Montessori regarding different stages of development children go through. Maria Montessori believed that children pass through different phases in which at certain stages throughout their development they have a predisposition or sensitivity to learning a specific skill. These stages are called ‘Sensitive Periods’Read MoreRole Of A Senior Practitioner With Children s Learning Development Stages1472 Words   |  6 PagesA child’s learning and development stages start from his birth and continue till he reaches the age of 15 to 16 years. The most significant years when a child starts to understand the world around him, and starts to make sense of his carers is usually from birth to age 5. From birth to age 5, the learning and development stages are kept at under strict eye by the carers since it is important to see that all the activities of the child are monitored and that the child is growing in the right way.Read MorePiaget s Stage Theory Account For Children s Cognitive Development1759 Words   |  8 Pageswell does Piaget’s stage theory account for children’s cognitive development? Intro Piaget believed there were four stages in a child’s cognitive development and sub stages within these stages. These stages have been the object of debate since Piaget introduced them and are still continuously debated. All of the stages are very concrete and large scale. They don’t account for children at a particular age who are behind or ahead. Piaget underestimated the capability of children to do particular thingsRead MoreEssay on the Moral Development of Children, Through the Ages and Stages; Referring to Kohlberg and Lickona.2197 Words   |  9 Pagesthat involve moral reasoning. Knowing how and when to respond, requires the teacher to understand the theory and principles underlying the process of moral development. There are several theories and principles by psychologists related to the process of moral development. Freud, a social theorist, proposed a psychoanalytic theory where children form a conscience or superego through identification with the same sex parent (Cole Cole, 1996). A child would behave morally in order to avoid guilt andRead MoreHow Does Piaget s Stage Theory Account For Children s Cognitive Development?1576 Words   |  7 PagesHow does Piaget’s stage theory account for children’s cognitive development? Jean Piaget (1896-1980) had a stage theory about cognitive development and how it works with children. There are 4 stages to this theory; sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational. Piaget emphasised that they occur in this order. (Smith, Cowie, Blades, 2015, p. 446). He considered the fact that the way child’s mind develops, intellectually, is a continuous process of Assimilation and AccommodationRead MoreUnit 3.3.1 – How Communication with Children and Young People Differs Across Different Age Ranges and Stages of Development1458 Words   |  6 PagesUnit 3.3.1 – How communication with children and young people differs across different age ranges and stages of development 0 – 6 Months By 6 months, usually children will: * Turn towards a sound when they hear it. * Be startled by loud noises. * Watch your face when you talk to them. * Recognise your voice. * Smile and laugh when other people smile and laugh. * Make sounds to themselves, like cooing, gurgling and babbling. * Make noises, like coos or squeals, to getRead MorePiaget vs. Vygotsky1120 Words   |  5 Pagestheory of cognitive development is defined as the development of the ability to think and reason. There are many theorists who have studied cognitive theories and the most famous is Jean Piaget. Cognitive development covers the physical and emotional stages of a child. The basic premise for cognitive development is to show the different stages of the development of a child so you can understand where the child might be in their development. Understanding cognitive development will better prepareRead MorePiagets Theory of Cognitive Development Essays1715 Words   |  7 Pageswho had a lifelong interest in how individuals, especially children, use cognitive development to adapt to the world around them. Piaget published his first paper by the age of 10, completed his bachelor’s degree by the age of 18, and at the age of 22 received his PhD from the University of Neuchatel. Piaget spent many years of his life researching the developmental and cognitive knowledge of children. The Theory of Cognitive Development places focus on human intelligence and developmental thinking

Emerging Technology And Innovation Security - Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss about the Emerging Technology And Innovation Security. Answer: Introduction Significance of the research Security is one of the major features of the electronic commerce. Without proper and effective security being put in place online retailers and customers they put themselves in the risk of fraud payments. The research was is very important in that it outlines the e commerce security concerns and come up with proposals on how a secure ecommerce can be develop. The approach of the research The qualitative approach was used in the research were by the researcher obtained the original data from the people who were directly involved in the e-commerce. Also the secondary was obtained from the secondary sources which containing data regarding the topic. Literature review The researcher was trying to establish; The technologies which are being used in the day to day activities in the ecommerce sector. The researcher had identified that the technologies which are being put in place are very effective. The reasons behind the fast growing of the e commerce which most of the people are currently preferring. The procedures of ecommerce[1]. The threats which are mainly facing the ecommerce sector Identify the proper confidentiality as well as authentication service that can be utilized by e-commerce. Applications and security measures that are related with e-commerce. Proper strategies as well as methods that can be implemented in order to solve the challenges that are generally relating to e-commerce. E-commerce applications which are basically required for accessing integrity, control, authentication, confidentiality, non-repudiation as well as availability. Many companies in the present times are having moving to online platforms to carry out their transactions commerce security thus is very essential regarding to this matter, the many customers and retailers who are involved in the processes require assuarity that their confidentiality is guaranteed to avoid the fraud payments. The alarming rates of the attackers in the ecommerce is of great worry thus this issue of e commerce security is of great significance The qualitative approach of the research was very original in that the researchers were directly involved in the e commerce. The information about how the e commerce was obtained mostly from the people who are usually involved in the processes[2]. During the research many proposals were suggested with the main aim of ensuring that the ecommerce is secure. Some of the things which were proposed includes; A proper and efficient new method which has a combination of both the algorithm as well as public key infrastructure, better applications such as the online retailing-banking and e-tailing. It was also proposed that more guards to be added to the information system to ensure that the system is more secure. Putting forward a proper PKI model which is er commerce based model which is considered in most cases as an adaptive secure infrastructure. New procedures of ecommerce that can basically enable a customer to access the required information about the product he/she wants. From the articles different aspects of e commerce were measured such as the approaches of PGP as a method of e-commerce security for specifying the advantages of different method as well as techniques are other parameters of the ecommerce such as the speed at which the transactions are taking place were also measured[3]. E-commerce is the utilization of the internet to carry out transactions for selling both the goods and services. E-commerce is comprised of software, hardware, methodologies and services which enables the processes of the transactions to be carried out. There is need for security for this system to ensure that the transactions are carried out without any challenge.Most of the work which has been done by the authors does not outline the factors which leads to insecurity in the e-commerce. Most of them are explaining the process and procedures on how the e-commerce are carried out instead of focusing on the e-commerce security. The authors have not proposed on how to improve the ecommerce security. The articles would been more significant if the authors would have outlined the factors which contributes to insecurity in the ecommerce platform and then come up with proposals on how to improve the security[4]. The articles do not clearly cover the entire area of study. Which makes most of their data to be unreliable. Also the information contained in them is very shallow and does not cover the topic of research fully.Some of the areas which I was researching about such as the proposals on how to improve the ecommerce have not been covered in this articles.1.5 Aim of researchthe research was carried out to investigate the most recent patterns which are used in claiming the ecommerce security. To find out ways on how to improve the processes and procedures of ecommerce to ensure that they operate smoothly and to establish the methods through which the attackers use to fraud the customers and retailers on the ecommerce platforms[3]. Material Methods Research and Systems Development method Procedures Literature Review about the e commerce security was carried and the different articles which have been written by different authors regarding to this topic were reviewed to get the existing knowledge about the topic. The security risks which are associated with the e commerce and the different ways through which the attackers use to fraud the customers and retailers and also the security solutions which can be put in place to ensure that the e commerce security improves and is carried out in a very efficient way Software Development Life Cycle. Integrated system of the ecommerce clearly understood and how it works to enable the researcher be able to understand the whole system. The components of the system were also researched about to gain further knowledge of the whole system[2]. Data gathering Primary data was obtained by interviewing the various people who are involved in the ecommerce transactions. The people who participated in the research were interviewed on the following questions; What security threats are ecommerce systems facing today? What solutions are used by companies for managing security of the ecommerce system? What latest advances are seen in the field of ecommerce security? Secondary data was obtained from the secondary sources which were related to topic of study. The data was obtained from Journals, websites and research reports. Data analysis The data which was obtained from both the primary and secondary sources was further analyzed to get a better understanding of the content and enable the researcher to come up with a conceptual framework. Prototyping The security components which were proposed were prototyped and a development methodology was put which was to ensure that the security of the e commerce security was to be improved. Data Collection The people who were interviewed were provided with questionnaires which they were required to fill. The fill questionnaires were further analyzed to get the required data about the research. Data was also collected from the secondary sources which were having relevant information regarding to the topic of study. An investigation on how to the coordinated framework meets the expectations to which the security websites, Ict journals and the exploration reports to determine the main factors which contributes to the high levels of insecurity in most ecommerce platforms. The collected data was further analyzed by use of Matlab and other math works to get the clear understanding on how the ecommerce security can be improved. Ethical considerations. The personal information of all the people who participated in the research was kept confidential and their contributions regarding to the ecommerce security were kept as a secret. The security professionals who took part in the research their contributions were not recorded due to the nature of their professional. Incase their contributions were to be recorded the some of them might have risked losing their jobs Result From the research which was carried out in three months. The data was collected during the first month, the second month the data was analyzed. The following were the findings from the research which was carried out. The main causes of the ecommerce insecurity includes; Price Manipulation which is a very common vulnerability in that in most cases the total cost of the purchased goods is hidden in the HTML fields of a dynamic generated web page. Buffer overflows was also mentioned as one of the factors which contributes to high levels of ecommerce insecurity. Cross-site scripting which was also one of the attacks which are usually witnessed in the ecommerce platforms Weak authentication and authorization. Which in most cases gives the attackers an easy way to carry out their malicious activities. Risk analysis The risk analysis which was carried out was to display the types of dangers which are likely to happen on the e commerce platforms. The table below show the types of risks which were likely to happen. Risk Probability Impact Response plan Information which was obtained may not be enough to design a proper and appropriate solution Medium High Experts can be contacted to fill the information gap in the process Delays spilling over the work beyond timelines. Medium Medium Increase the speed of the remaining work to ensure that the final deadline of the project is met Discussion Ecommerce being one of the fastest and most reliable means methods of carrying out businesses it requires very high levels of security to ensure that the process is not affected in any way by the external attackers. A lot of knowledge regarding to the e-commerce security has been gathered. It has been established that a lot of e-commerce activities are being affected worldwide by the security issues. From the research carried out daily thousands of people lose their valuable information and money from their bank accounts due to their personal information in the e-commerce getting into the hands of the online attackers[1]. Most of this issues which rises its due to the lack of proper security measures mostly in the payment gateways which in most cases should be kept secure all through. During the gateway payment process a lot of information is transferred including the most confidential information such as the card details and the account location. It was found 0ut from the researches which has been conducted that some fraud organizations are implementing some security measures deliberately to get information regarding to account. The information which they gather they hand to the hackers to carry out their malicious activities which in return they pay the organizations some commissions. E commerce security should be put in place to ensure that the hackers does not get room to carry out the fraud activities. Conclusion In conclusion, e- commerce has gained a lot of popularity in the recent past. Most of the people prefer e-commerce to other forms of business due to its faster way in which the transactions are carried out. Even though the e-commerce is being considered as one of the most efficient ways of carrying out business it is faced with a lot of setbacks which are mainly contributed by security issues. There is need to come up with ways to ensure that the e-commerce is very secure and free from hacking. Reference A. K. Ghosh, E-Commerce Security and Privacy, London: Springer Science Business Media, 2015. M. Khosrowpour, E-commerce Security: Advice from Experts, Chicago: Idea Group Inc, 2016. A. K. Ghosh, E-Commerce Security: Weak Links, Best Defenses, Chicago: Wiley, 2014. D. Cameron, E-commerce Security Strategies: Protecting the Enterprise, London: Computer Technology Research, 2014.

Social security Essay Example

Social security Essay When the topic of social security comes within description, the following questions could be noted to have an impact on the issue: WHO pays for the benefits that go to people in need? What kind of burden is this placing on those who have to pay? In some lands the benefits, such as pensions for elderly people, are paid directly out of government funds. In the Soviet Union and China the entire amount is financed by the place where a person has worked, or by supplementary payments from the government. Generally, though, the term â€Å"social security’’ is attached to programs where both the worker and the employer pay into the arrangement. For example, the system in the United States requires that part of the salary of an employee be deducted from each paycheck. During 1975 this tax rate for social security alone was 5.85 percent, which included coverage for medical benefits. The employer was also required to pay 5.85 percent. Thus, a worker who paid this 5.85-percent tax on an income of $5,000 a year had $292.50 deducted from his paychecks. And his employer had to contribute another $292.50 of the company’s funds to the program. However, not all of a person’s income is taxed for social security. In 1975 this special tax was paid up to $14,100 of an employee’s annual income. Income beyond that was not taxed for this specific purpose. Over the decades, some people have come to regard these payments as an evergrowing burden. They feel that the tax, especially for low-income families, is really beginning to hurt. When social security was first introduced in the United States, the employee had to pay only 1 percent of his salary for this tax. The employer added another 1 percent. But in 1975 the rate was nearly six times as much. Not only has the tax rate jumped nearly sixfold, but the amount subject to the tax has risen dramatically too. At first, the maximum amount of income that could be taxed for social security was $3,000 a year. But that figure kept rising, reaching $14,100 a year in 1975. And late in 1975 the government announced that during 1976 the income taxable for social security would rise to $15,300. We will write a custom essay sample on Social security specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Social security specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Social security specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Thus there has been a double-barreled rise—in the percent of income contributed, and also on a larger amount of the income. How huge this kind of tax rise has become can be seen by making a comparison: 1 percent of the $3,000 at the start was only $30; but 5.85 percent of the $14,100 in 1975 was $824.85, and in 1976 it is scheduled to be $895.05. That represents a gigantic increase in the maximum deductions from one’s paychecks—about thirty times as large as when the program began. This is far greater than any cost-of-living increase in that same period due to inflation. A main reason why some regard this as a growing tax burden is that it is in addition to all the other taxes a person has to pay. And these, too, have been increasing over the years. City sales taxes, once nonexistent, have gone up significantly, now 6 to 8 percent in some places. There are state income taxes today where there were none years ago. Property taxes have also risen. And then there is the federal income tax. Now American workers are so heavily taxed that many of them pay more than one third of their income for these various taxes. Other countries have also seen similar increases in social security taxes. In West Germany, during 1975, the average monthly payment was 9 percent apiece from employee and employer alike on a maximum amount of 33,600 Deutsche Marks a year (about $13,400). If an employee earned less than 280 D.M. a month (about $120), then the employer was required to pay the entire 18 percent. For such reasons, economist Milton Friedman termed the last twenty years of social security â€Å"a crushing defeat for the average wage earner,† since it took such a growing portion of his meager savings. And for low-income workers, the tax represented a more significant burden, since it was greater than their federal income tax payments. Still, there is this to consider: In today’s industrial society, if workers had to pay directly for those in need, such as the pensions and medical payments that elderly members of their own families now get, could they afford it? Few would be able to. Thus, wit hout question, social security systems do take much of the burden of caring for those in need off the workers. The Need for Change Certainly, with the impending growth of population the proposed system of social security in the American region also increases. ALL people want financial security, regardless of how old they are. But especially when persons are advanced in years does the need for such security become more urgent. They are at the time in life when they have to work less, or even retire. But they still want to live in reasonable comfort and dignity. To assist the elderly, and others, many countries throughout the world have â€Å"social security† systems. These are usually plans for providing benefits such as pensions for elderly persons, income for the disabled or unemployed, and medical care for those who cannot afford it. One of the largest social security systems in the world is in the United States. Since that country is a main foundation of the Western world’s economy, what happens to its social and financial affairs is of great interest elsewhere. People throughout the world might expect that the United States, with all its wealth and resources, certainly would have an adequate system for taking care of needy persons. This would include reasonable security for the elderly who retire after a lifetime of hard work. Among the problems related to social security are two basic ones: (1)  How to pay the growing costs for the increasing number of persons eligible for benefits; (2)  The fact that the benefits by themselves do not provide reasonable security for many, particularly the elderly. Some economists say that the problems are not severe. But others say that they are genuinely â€Å"alarmed† at the growing difficulties. Indeed, a headline in a Detroit newspaper asked: â€Å"Social Security Now a Fraud?† The article suggested that it was. The first major problem, how to finance the program, is now coming into clearer focus. It is obvious that the present means of financing the benefits are becoming inadequate. To meet these particular changes, privatizing the social system’s basics is the most effective process viewed by America’s government. This is not to say that there are no good features of such programs by governments. Certainly any financial help to the elderly, ill, unemployed and incapacitated is valuable and appreciated. Why, it was not long ago when there was no assistance at all by government. Only within this century, indeed, within just the past few decades, have government payments for the elderly and others in need become widespread in most countries. However, many societies in times past were rural and lived off the land. Usually, families took care of their own elderly folks, and friends would help. But with the onset of the industrial age, workers left the farms by the millions and crowded into cities, where the factories were located. Especially was this the case in Europe and North America. In the cities families and relatives tended not to be as close as before. Friendships were more difficult to cultivate. So relatives and friends were not as likely, or able, to help to care for the needs of the elderly as when they all lived as closer-knit units in a rural society. But as the industrial labor force grew in strength, it was able to bargain for more benefits. Gradually governments were pressured to help. Among the first industrial nations to put into operation some sort of social security arrangement was Germany. Accident insurance was introduced there in 1883, and health insurance the next year. Compulsory social security assistance came in 1891. The need for government help became far more apparent after the Great Depression of the 1930’s. Then millions of people we re thrown out of work in all the industrial lands. For instance, the book Social Security in Canada says of that land: â€Å"The widespread unemployment during the depression of the 1930’s forced the development of a number of unemployment assistance measures.† In the United States, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law in 1935. At first, only retirement benefits were provided. Later, survivor benefits were added. Then the program was broadened to include disability and unemployment benefits. In 1975 more than thirty million individual Americans received regular monthly cash payments from the government for the old age, disability and survivors provisions of the act. More than ten million received unemployment benefits in the recent recession, and millions of others got help for medical bills, for dependent children and for other reasons. But in most lands the largest element in social security payments are those made to elderly retired people. Usually, the retirement age is about sixty-five, with reduced benefits if one chooses to collect earlier, for instance, in the United States, at the age of sixty-two. The Future The problems of social security, as the system is now arranged, are expected to increase greatly before long. Last year, in the United States, social security payments exceeded taxes collected for that purpose by about three billion dollars. This trend is picking up speed, as the number of elderly who are retiring increases. The amounts that will have to be paid out in the future to workers who are now contributing to social security are staggering. Some economists believe that those benefits never will be paid. The Wall Street Journal noted that these obligations now already contracted, without considering increases in payments to offset inflation, will amount to at least a ‘2.5 trillion (2,500 billion dollars) projected deficit in the Social Security System.’ It added: â€Å"As liberals like to argue, the nation owes this debt to itself, and it will be paid off by raising taxes in the future. Of course this is nonsense. Increasing future taxes by these magnitudes can only disintegrate the tax base.† What is wrong? For one thing, those who set up the social security program felt that an ever-growing population would supply an ever-larger number of young workers who would pay the taxes and take care of the elderly who were retiring. But that is not how things have worked out. Population trends in the United States are down, not up, as families are having fewer children. Thus the huge flood of new workers to pay taxes has not materialized. Instead, there is a growing tide of older retired people that must be supported by proportionately fewer workers. In Vital Speeches of the Day, corporation official William Cotter, who was part of a group appointed by the government to look into the problem, said this: â€Å"Since current retirees will now receive their benefits from current workers, the number of workers per retiree becomes an important calculation. â€Å"When the system was instituted, there were 7 workers providing taxes for each retiree receiving benefits. At the present time, there are just 3 workers for every retiree. And that ratio is declining. â€Å"Our task force, using Bureau of the Census population extrapolations, estimated that by the end of the century, there will be but 3 workers for every two retirees.† Obviously that will mean an impossible tax burden to bear. This is why some experts feel that the program is headed toward certain bankruptcy, or, at the very least, radical change. They say that since the system cannot pay for itself even now, there is no way it can do so when far heavier burdens are placed upon it in the future. Thus, a special investment bulletin from the American Institute for Economic Research declared: â€Å"That benefits for those entitled to receive them under the Social Security Act and numerous private pension plans are in jeopardy is readily apparent. â€Å"The old age pension aspect of Social Security has become a self-destruct mechanism tending to impoverish those who must pay Social Security taxes in the years ahead and to increase the risk that those entitled to benefits may not receive them.† Can the government come to the rescue? That is what some hope. But as The Wall Street Journal points out: â€Å"The federal government, believe it or not, is in the same boat.† The government of the United States, as is the case with many others, is having the same difficulty—expenses keep growing faster than income. The deficit in the government’s budget for fiscal 1975 was about $43 billion. The deficit for fiscal 1976 is expected to be about $70 billion. These are the largest deficits in peacetime history. And the national debt is approaching $600 billion. Since government debts are so huge already, any hope that the vast future payments of social security can be made by government funds is unrealistic, many economists feel. Conclusion Thus, Dr. Robert N. Butler, author of the book Why Survive?, stated: â€Å"In truth, it is easier to manage the problem of death than the problem of living as an old person† on a low pension in an expensive society. He noted that â€Å"some 30 per cent of the housing of older people had no inside flush toilets, some 40 per cent had no bath or shower with hot water, and some 54 per cent minimal heat in winter.† Obviously, then, for a large number of old people, â€Å"social security† provides very little real security. Unless one has other income, or is cared for by one’s family, he or she will be in a desperate condition although living in a relatively rich country. This is the particular reason why it has been an utmost concern for the American government to hold the issue of privatizing the social funds through investing them as stock shares in the international trade as the strongest way by which social security funds could be held strongly for future d evelopments.