What is Weight Stigma

What is Weight Stigma Eating Disorders Awareness and Prevention Print What is Weight Stigma? By Lauren Muhlheim, PsyD, CEDS facebook twitter linkedin Lauren Muhlheim, PsyD, is a certified eating disorders expert and clinical psychologist who provides cognitive behavioral psychotherapy. Learn about our editorial policy Lauren Muhlheim, PsyD, CEDS Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on June 05, 2017 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on April 01, 2018 Christopher Futcher/Getty Images More in Eating Disorders Awareness and Prevention Symptoms Treatment Diagnosis Weight stigma  or  bias  generally refers to negative attitudes toward a person because they are overweight or obese. The assumption that larger individuals are lazy or lacking in willpower is pervasive in our society, and weight bias is observed in children as young as 3â€"that’s right,  3 years old. Larger individuals face discrimination in a plethora of domains. Stigma towards individuals of size harms people of all sizes. Weight stigma is a common form of discrimination in our society. Notice how it is rarely challenged?  The word “fat” has morphed from a simple description into a foul word. And research shows that weight discrimination is increasing. The war on obesity, which sometimes seems intended to scare and shame people into dieting, is partly to blame. The diet industry, which falsely suggests that one can choose one’s weight on the scale, also contributes. In fact, diets rarely work in the long-term. Weight is largely determined by genetic and additional factors that are outside of an individual’s control. Other factors contributing to weight stigma include our culture’s focus on the thin ideal and media portrayals of overweight individuals as objects of ridicule. In print media, larger weight individuals are often depicted eating junk food and with heads cut off, which reinforces the stereotype and dehumanizes them. Examples of Weight Stigma Research shows that larger individuals face discrimination in the workplace, barriers in education, and negative attitudes from healthcare professionals.  Below are some examples of weight stigma: Geoffrey Miller, a tenured psychology professor at the University of New Mexico and a visiting professor at New York University, sent out a fat-shaming tweet: Dear obese Ph.D. applicants: if you didn’t have the willpower to stop eating carbs, you won’t have the willpower to do a dissertation #truth.Project Harpoon appeared on Facebook with photos of larger bodied models and celebrities contrasted with photo-shopped images of them to show how they would appear slimmer.Young children commonly encounter weight-related teasing and bullying.  For example, one young child reported being called “fatty-pants” and “big, fat, elephant girl” in preschool.  Increasingly smaller airline seats do not accommodate larger passengers and airlines may require larger passengers to purchase an additional seat.  Television shows popular amongst children contain up to 14 instances of fat shaming per episode.  Usually, no one stands up to the shamer, and the teasing is often followed by laughter .Larger-bodied patients who go to see a medical doctor are commonly told that all of their symptoms are a result of being overweight; so their complaints are not fully investigated.   Shaming is not effective at getting individuals to lose weight.  In fact, it is dangerous. Research shows that weight stigma contributes to binge eating and weight gain, both of which can be harmful physically and emotionally. Weight stigma is also a contributor to shame and fuel for eating disorders.   Individuals who live in larger bodies regularly experience weight stigma.  Activities as basic as exercising, eating a meal, and shopping may all evoke teasing and/or the feeling that one’s body is not acceptable and thereby increasing feelings of shame and anxiety. Individuals in smaller bodies are affected by weight stigma, too.  Fear of being fat can drive some of the behaviors that cause eating disorders and make recovery more difficult.   To learn more about weight stigma and to help fight against it, follow along on Weight Stigma Awareness Week, run by the Binge Eating Disorder Association (BEDA).  The week will include webinars, tweet chats, and thought-provoking articles.   The UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity is a multi-disciplinary policy research center  and a leader in research and policy on weight stigma.  They have numerous resources, including Guidelines for Media Portrayals of Individuals Affected by Obesity and Toolkits for Healthcare Providers for Preventing Weight Bias.

Prenatal And Routine Postnatal Hiv Screening - 1820 Words

I. Introduction Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) diagnoses are increasing among women in the United States; as a result there is an increase in newborns born with HIV via vertical transmission, accounting for nearly all pediatric AIDS cases in the US. Between 1999 and 2000, about 370 HIV infected infants were born, 40% of which were born to mothers who were unaware of their HIV status before delivery. Without antiretroviral therapy or other forms of intervention, 25% of infected pregnant women will transmit the virus to their child during pregnancy, labor or delivery, or after delivery. In recent years, systematic reviews and peer reviewed studies have suggested that mandatory screening for HIV in pregnant women is a cost-effective†¦show more content†¦The study found that with the prenatal screening program, requiring pregnant women be screened for HIV, more women would be tested (about 1.1 million), identifying 527 HIV infected pregnant women and prevent 150 mother-infan t transmission of HIV annually. This program would increase life years by 3,311 among newborns and cost an estimated $8,900 per life year gained, or $195,700 per case of HIV avoided. The new born screening program, requiring all newborn infants be screened, would result in 3.9 million infants tested annually and would prevent 266 cases of newborn HIV infection. This method would identify 1,061 HIV infected women who gave birth and increase life years by 5,878. The annual cost of the program is an estimated $40.9 million, or $7,000 per life year gained, and $153,000 per prevented HIV cases. The benefits of the newborn screening program decrease if pregnant women agree to participate in the prenatal program; however, it is argued that newborn screening is a non-consensual method of screening pregnant women (Zaric, G., Bayoumi, A., Brandeau, M., Owens, D. 2000). Similar to Zaric’s study, Josephine A. Mauskopf conducted a study on the impact of HIV treatment in pregnant women an d their newborns. Cost was defined and estimated as Zaric defined cost and the conclusions were

Race Riots Advancement for African Americans in America Essay

Race riots in America is a story told so little, but a story that is key to the hard work and road laid for African Americans. In the 20th century in times where we knew African Americans fought persistently for Civil Rights, seldom is their the story about the early 20th century. In the beginnings of the 20th century Riots broke out across all of the United States, over eight issues which included the following: Prejudice, Economic Competition, Political Corruption and Exploitation of Negro Voters, Police Inefficiency, Newspaper Lies about Negro Crime, Unpunished Crimes Against Negroes, Housing, Reaction of Whites and Negroes from War. Over the course of a span of fifty years more than eight riots broke out, including Wilmington race†¦show more content†¦Meaning there was an over throw of the government, kicking out all African Americans out of their political offices. History tells us in brief that the race riot began from Alexander Manly’s response about interracial relations claims made by Rebecca L Felton. â€Å"â€Å"When there is not enough religion in the pulpit to organize a crusade against sin; nor justice in the court house to promptly punish crime; nor manhood enough in the nation to put a sheltering arm about innocence and virtue----if it needs lynching to protect woman’s dearest possession form the ravening human beasts----then I say lynch, a thousand times a week if necessary.† Meaning White men are making it easy for African Americans to rape white women while they work out in their fields. Manly, a paper editor and owner of the Wilmington Daily Record responded to these claims, which are to be expected since he is mulatto. Manly responded stating that African American men are not rapist and push for these relations. Realistically we know this is not the only cause. Wilmington was a city on the rise, having the ability to be the biggest, richest urban city in America; Today’s Atlanta. The population consisted of strong middle class, and professionals; contrary to many people thoughts, All African Americans were not enslaved, poor or illiterate. Many former slaves moved to Wilmington following the war; to make certain that they could remain, there was a Freedmen’s Bureau office set up.Show MoreRelatedAfrican Americans : Slavery And Oppression1602 Words   |  7 PagesThe story(ies) of African Americans today and how their story(ies) have been shaped by slavery and oppression In the mid-1500s, European mariners started bringing black Africans to America as slaves. The slave trade was not new to Europe or Africa. In the eighth century, Moorish merchants traded humans as merchandise throughout the mediterranean. In addition, many West African people kept slaves. West African slaves were usually prisoners of war, criminals, or the lowest-ranked members of casteRead MoreRacism : A Racially Segregated Chicago1550 Words   |  7 PagesChicago had experienced few race riots prior to 1919. However, between April 1919 and October 1919, race riots spanned the nation; this became known as the Red Summer. On July 27, 1919, Chicagoans started to express their emotions on racial issues, which turned into violence, lasting several days and resulting in the deaths, injuries, and displacement of hundreds of people. During this time, Chicagoans opinions regarding racism led to extreme chaos, leaving African Americans and whites fighting withRead MoreRace Relations During The Early Colonization Of America1608 Words   |  7 PagesRace Relations in America Race relations are the ways in which people of different races living together in the same community behave towards one another. through the centuries race relations have played key roles in shaping our nation from the early colonization of America till now. American race relations started in early 1600’s when the English settlers arrived. We see the English arrive in North America where they attempt to establish themselves. Unfortunately the continent was already inhabitedRead MoreSuffrage of African Americans in Red Summer written by Cameron McWhirter1113 Words   |  4 PagesCameron McWhirter, we learn about the suffrage of African Americans after World War 1. At this time, blacks had been searching for peace and equality. Historian Cameron McWhirter in his book says, â€Å"many people—including black families with returning soldiers—fervently hoped 1919 would usher in a new epoch of peace, prosperity, and freedom.† Instead of getting what they wish ed for however, there was a series of violence such as lynchings and anti-black riots that swept around the country. World War 1Read MoreThey Say: Ida B. Wells and the Reconstruction of Race, by James W. Davidson. Ida B. Wells as a parallel to African Americans trying to gain empowerment in post-emancipation America1409 Words   |  6 PagesRECONSTRUCTION OF RACE By James West Davidson Ida B. Wells, an African-American woman, and feminist, shaped the image of empowerment and citizenship during post-reconstruction times. The essays, books, and newspaper articles she wrote, instigated the dialogue of race struggles between whites and blacks, while her personal narratives, including two diaries, a travel journal, and an autobiography, recorded the personal struggle of a woman to define womanhood during post-emancipation America. The novel,Read MoreThe National Association For The Advancement Of Colored People1627 Words   |  7 PagesThe National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) states its mission as: â€Å"The NAACP insures the political, educational, social and economic equality of minority groups and citizens; achieves equality of rights and eliminates race prejudice among the citizens of the United States; removes all barriers of racial discrimination through the democratic processes; seeks to enact and enforce federal, state, and local laws securing civil rights; informs the public of the adverse effectsRead MoreThe War For Equality During The 20th Century1218 Words   |  5 Pagesand Chinese out of America itself. In 1896 The Supreme Court case, Plessy v. Ferguson, determined separate public facilities were constitutional as long they were equal, allowing segregation of racial minorities. Segregated facilities rarely proved equal. While the Supreme Court ruling kept blacks out of white facilities, the Chinese Exclusion Act kept the Chinese out of America. The Chinese Exclusion Act, renewed in 1902, made it increasingly difficult for Chinese to enter America, while also makingRead MoreRace Issues from 1877 to Present991 Words   |  4 PagesCorinne Cowan Professor Cox US History 16 December 2011 Race issues from 1877 to present There are five themes that persist throughout American history. The five themes are mission, manifest destiny, industrialization, imperialism, and race. Racism has been an issue throughout American history. Only in recent years has the problem been resolved, but even now there is still some issues. Some private groups are still against some races. Even though slavery was abolished in 1865 by the thirteenthRead MoreThe Freedom Of Struggles By Adriane Lentz Smith1250 Words   |  5 PagesAdriane had studied history and African American studies. She was successful in everything Adriane did, she had many goals to achieve. One of the goals were to get across one point about how war world 1 and African Americans goes to Europe with American expeditionary forces in World War 1. How the story was a critical movement in the book â€Å"freedom of struggles†. Adriane was an aggressive and powerful writer and wanted everyone to hear her story on African Americans going to war, how back in timeRead MoreNational Association For The Advancement Of Colored People1042 Words   |  5 PagesNational Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) The mission of the NAACP is to protect and provide the political, educational, social, and economic equality rights of minority groups and citizens; attain equal opportunity of rights and excludes race discrimination between the citizens of the United States. The objectives of this mission are to inform the public of the adverse effects of racial discrimination and to seek its elimination, to seek enactment and enforcement of federal

The Flowers Free Essays

†The Flowers† by Alice Walker Summary: â€Å"The Flowers† 1973 is written by Alice Walker who is an Afro-American author. â€Å"The Flowers† is a short story about a girl named Myop. Myop is a black 10-yeard old girl who lives on a farm with her poor sharecropper family in the countryside. We will write a custom essay sample on The Flowers or any similar topic only for you Order Now She staggers around and plays with animals and discovers beautiful nature in her pleasuring never-ending childhood. But while exploring the land she lives near with flowers in her hands she accidently discovers a horrible crime. The remains of a hanged man reveals in the soil. She lays down her flowers and the summer was over. Analysis: When the ignorance of an innocent child collides with the harsh reality of the miserable slave-history, will the idyllic life, flourishing hopes and dreams of the little ones, soon be gone and forgotten. But this loss of innocence is likely to be replaced by maturity, which makes a clear distinction between child and adult. The story is written as a 3rd person omniscient narrator. The harvesting of corn, cotton, peanuts and squash indicates that the story takes place in the Southern states since these crops were commonly harvested there. Myop and her family live in sharecropper cabin with rusty boards that could indicate that they are poor. Therefore it’s likely that the story is taking place in the 20th century where racial discrimination was at its peak. In the beginning of the story there is dominating use of positive phraseology and the environment is described idyllically. â€Å"†¦ Made each day a golden s urprise that caused excited little tremors to run up her jaws. †3 This idyllic description is also equivalent to how peaceful Myop is enjoying her childhood. She seems to be unaware about her presence in the American society where there was an explicit difference between the black and white. The author tries to describe this racial problem symbolically when she mentions how â€Å"tiny white bubbles disrupt the thin black scale of soil†¦ † But the idyllic setting drastically changes at line 18 when Myop finds herself more than a mile away from home. She is walking further away from her secure surroundings. Now the there is negative use of phraseology such as; Strangeness, not pleasant, gloomy, cove, damp air, silence, close and deep etc. She is no longer secure. When trying to escape the strangeness she steps on her history and reality and she is forced to face the suppression for her first time, this is the symbolic meaning of the corpse she steps on. The man is obviously black since he has been lying there rotten and totally forgotten. His blue denim overall cloths also indicates that he was a black poor farmer or slave. Back in the 1960’s the Ku Kux Klan (KKK) executed a lot of executions where they hang black people in the woods. She tries to ignore this ‘reality and suppression’ when reaching out for a pink flower that she associates with her secure childhood. When she notices the hanging noose spinning restlessly in the breeze she lays down the flowers – laying down the flowers symbolizes Myop letting go of her innocence and secure surroundings. â€Å"And the summer was over† means that her childhood is over and she is entering the life as an adult. T Note 1: Line 1 Note 2: Line 2-3 Note 3: Line 2-3 Note 4: Line 10-11 How to cite The Flowers, Papers

Physician Assisted Suicide Essays (2173 words) - Medical Ethics

Physician Assisted Suicide The mission of this hospital is rooted in our emphasis on the individual, and directed toward providing the highest level of autonomy, beneficance, comfort, healing, privacy and respect for the dignity of the patient. With these as our guiding principles, we evaluated Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS) as a possible treatment option at this institution. We have concluded that PAS can be a viable treatment option after making the following considerations: 1. Defing the elements of justified PAS, 2. Consideration of moral justifications, 3. Why personal autonomy is important, 4. Informed consent, and 5. The benefits of the approach of causitry to issues of biomedical ethics. The elements of PAS are an agreement between a physician and the patient on the treatment option after consideration of all other options, (informed consent) conditions consistant with the Oregon state law and the asurance of the agent choosing this course of action in an autonymous nature. Moral arguements question the validity of PAS as an option. We make the determination that PAS can indeed be considered equivelent to other medical decisions regarding whether or not continue treatment in cases where the prognosis is immenent death, or prolonged intense suffering followed by death. If for example, a patient with a terminal illness such as lung cancer has a choice between hospice care, and being made comfortable, or PAS, we can not say that the two approaches are inconsistant with eachother. A patient who refuses treatment and accepts death as a consequence has the right self determination by law. If this action is acceptable under law, it is not unfair to consider PAS as an equivelent means to the same end. Therefore, there will be cases where PAS is most certainly a valid option for the patient. To reach our decision, it is important to understand our view of personal autonomy. We will elaborate on it's relevance and worth in addressing PAS. Finally, criteria for PAS candidates is intricate, and established. Though we justify PAS as a viable treatment option, we do not take issue with the legal criertia established by the state of Oregon. Personal Autonomy Personal autonomy can be characterized as self-determination or the the extent to which an individual actively participates in in how his or her life is lived. Autonomy, therefore, requires some elements of control and choice. Defining autonomy in a being that is both rational and passionate can prove complex and problematic. A differentiation of first and second order volitions will help us conclude the what the exact nature of what defines autonomy. First-order desires are those passions to which the agent is subject to as a living being. The desire to live, procreate, feel secure and content are some examples of these desires. While they are certainly expressions of human passions, they do not account for man's rational capacity, a fundemental facet of human nature. Second-order desires are wants about wants, or the desire to have certain desires. We will focus, however, on second order volitions, which differ from second order desires. Second order volitions involve the wish of an individual that certain first-order desires will motivate him to action. It is the rational choice of the agent which characterizes this, and therefore we will conclude that second-order volitions represent contemplation of a choice by the agent, which leads to a choice that by virtue of this process, is an indication of his true-self. Therefore, it is through these second-order volitions that we exercise autonymous action.1 The expression of rational choice in relation to a first-order desire is what we will define as the main component of an autonymous action. There are those who would oppose this view in lieu of other moral considerations. If the agent has a lack information, or choices, the action in relation to the first-order desire is then no longer autonymous. Therefore, we will require that another dimension to autonomy is the range of options availible to the agent. In order to promote autonomy, it is absolutely essential that informed consent is a focal point of treatment. It is the concept of autonomy which is our guiding force in our formulation of a policy on PAS. PAS as a treatment option has no universal application. In Oregon, where it is legal, two patients with the same doctor, the same illness and the same prognosis can make opposite decisions regarding treatment. If one patient simply chooses to wait for death to occur after stopping treatment, and the other chooses PAS, both of these autonymous actions are therefore equal. They have the same end, and

How to Create a Reaction Paper

How to Create a Reaction Paper How to Write a Response Paper The reaction paper is a critical review containing a critical analysis of the analysis and evaluation of a dissertation, a monograph, a scientific article, or any other scientific work. The review is a secondary text, the result of the processing of information contained in the original text. It performs informative and evaluation functions, that is, provides for informing, acquaintance with scientific work, assessment, and reflection in a scientific society of certain knowledge. The feature of this document is the ability to communicate, conduct a dialogue (often imaginary) between the reviewer and the author of the work, the reviewer and the readers. The author of the review can show his or her personal values, he or she acts as an analyst or polemicist, who, with knowledge of the case, evaluates the original document, submits comments, gives advice and recommendations, and initiates a scientific dialogue. Writing such an essay requires study of reaction papers for improving writing skills, as well as the analysis of a scientific article, assessing its strengths and weaknesses, advantages and disadvantages, determining the relevance of the topic and the scientific novelty of the research results. The Essence of Critical Analysis Critical analysis is an important part of the modern scientific process. For the progress of science, it is critical that the research methods and results are studied in detail in order to decide on the best direction for the development of the future research. If the study was reviewed and accepted for publication, scientists and readers could be sure that the article meets certain standards and the research can be trusted. (Modern science is based mainly on publications in scientific periodicals; therefore, if a scientist publishes an inferior study or makes a mistake in calculations, experiments, or conclusions, it may lead to errors in further research by other scientists). In the process of analyzing the article can become:More reliable. Reviewers may indicate gaps in the authors work, which require more detailed explanation or additional experiments. Easier for perception. If some moments in the work of the author are difficult for the reader to perceive, reviewers may ask to correct them. More useful. Reviewers examine the authors research on the subject matter of their subject area.The Main Stages of Writing a Paper To achieve a successful result, the following steps are required when writing the reaction paper rubrics. Find out which scientific problem the author tries to solve. Keep in mind that a scientific problem is a form of knowledge whose content is something that is not yet known by man. In other words, the scientific problem is the knowledge about ignorance, a question that arises in the process of knowledge and requires an answer. The issue as knowledge of ignorance reflects the negative moment of the problem situation, which indicates the limited cognitive and practical capabilities of the subject in a certain stage of development of cognition. However, it is also a means and method of finding new knowledge. Problems themselves arise either as a result of a collision of the theory with observation, with practical activity or as a result of contradictions in a certain theory. Understand the purpose of the article and set the task of the researcher. Does it answer a scientific problem? Can the author solve it completely or in some aspects? What scientific methods are used by the researcher and for what aspects of research? Is the use of these methods justified; are they suitable for solving a scientific problem? Evaluate the reliability of the sources, the feasibility of their use, and the degree of independence of the provisions caught by the author of the study. In this stage, you will have to work out the bibliographic list of the article, find out the degree of scientific development of the problem and evaluate the contribution of the actor of the article. Write about what is your opinion about the value of the research. Can its results be used in practice? How? Can the findings of the author be the basis for further research? Can the publication be useful to students? Can it be interesting for a wide range of readers? Rules of Reaction Papers Creation After you have received motivated answers to all your questions, start writing a reaction paper. Remember that writing a review requires time. This is a thoughtful review of the text after reading and re-reading several times. First, you should read the text, note the most important moments, re-read it, and then start considering its content and your impressions again. As a special type of text, the reaction paper has certain features. First, like all other scientific papers, it has a specific format. Second, the review contains assessments, positive or negative, but evaluations must be substantiated. Given that the reaction paper contains ratings, they should be submitted in accordance with the rules of communication. Negative evaluations are not allowed to be expressed in a sharp form, without certain evidence. It is not allowed to express negative evaluations to the authors of scientific work but only to the material of the statement. The volume of the reaction paper should be about 700-800 words. The work must contain the title of the document, the authors surname and initials, the publication year, the pages on which the article is posted, the text, which should be presented in an arbitrary form, an analysis and evaluation of the article, a general opinion on the peer-reviewed text, date and surname and initials of the reviewer. Critical Approaches In the process of critical analysis of a scientific article, it is useful to think from the point of view of three different groups of people.Authors. The scientist needs to review the article in the way that he or she would like other reviewers to analyze his or her own work. Suppose the authors do their best to write good quality work, but they need an objective view from the side, help in identifying problems with methods, analyzing, or submitting the material itself. Editor of the scientific journal. For the editor of the magazine, the critically important are the comments on the relevance and scientific novelty of work, which the scientist is reviewing. Editors want to publish only high-quality documents in their magazine. When selecting such documents, the editor needs expert help to determine if research is at an appropriate level within the subject area. Reviewers help editors improve the quality of a publication before they are published in the journal. Readers. The scientist needs to identify places that require clarification or more detailed description so that readers can easily understand the work. As a reviewer, a scientist can save readers time by removing insignificant parts of the article or by correcting mistakes in research.There are several questions to answer before starting work on reaction paper: Is the scientists qualification sufficient? Does the author have enough time to correct the article? It should be remembered that reviewing is an important contribution to science, along with research and teaching, so it is worth devoting enough time and effort to this process. Are there any potential conflicts of interest? The scientist should evaluate the work as clearly and objectively as possible. Potential conflicts of interest include:The reviewer or the author may suffer financially (developing a reviewer is a competing product). The reviewer has strong personal feelings (positive or negative) to one of the authors (for example, a former teacher of the writer). The scientist published articles with one of the authors of the article.Knowing these rules and recommendations, you can create a good critical article (a reaction paper). Your writing skills will improve; it will contribute to your success in college. Try your hand at writing an essay and you will see that this is an interesting and cognitive activity.

Myths About Spanish and the People Who Speak It

Myths About Spanish and the People Who Speak It When many people, especially those in the United States, think of Spanish, they tend to think of mariachis, their favorite Mexican actor and Mexican immigrants. But the Spanish language and its people are far more diverse than the stereotypes suggest. Here we debunk 10 myths about Spanish and the people who speak it: More People Grow up Speaking English Than Speaking Spanish Because English has become a worldwide lingua franca for science, tourism, and business, its easy to forget that English is far surpassed by two other languages in terms of numbers of native speakers. Easily ranking No. 1 is Mandarin Chinese with 897 million native speakers, according to the Ethnologue database. Spanish comes in a distant second with 427 million, but thats well ahead of English with 339 million. One reason English seems more prominent is that its regularly spoken in 106 countries, compared with just 31 countries for Spanish. And English does rank ahead of Spanish when non-native speakers are counted as it is the worlds most common second language. Spanish Is the Language of Latin America The term Latin America traditionally is applied to any of the countries of the Americas where a Romance language is the dominant language. So the most populous country of Latin America - Brazil with more than 200 million residents - has Portuguese, not Spanish, as its official language. Even French-and Creole-speaking Haiti is considered part of Latin American, as is French Guiana. But countries such as Belize (formerly British Honduras, where English is the national language) and Suriname (Dutch) are not. Neither is French-speaking Canada. Even in countries where Spanish is the official language, other languages are common. Indigenous languages such as Quechua and Guarani are widely used in large swaths of South America, and the latter is co-official in Paraguay, where it is spoken even by many who arent of Amerindian heritage. Nearly two dozen languages are spoken in Guatemala, and in Mexico, about 6 percent of people dont speak Spanish as their first language. Native Spanish Speakers Talk Like Speedy Gonzales The Spanish of the cartoon character Speedy Gonzales is an exaggeration of Mexican Spanish, of course, but the truth is that a minority of Spanish speakers have a Mexican accent. The Spanish of Spain and Argentina, to take two examples, doesnt sound like Mexican Spanish- just as U.S. English speakers dont sound like their counterparts in Great Britain or South Africa. Although much of the regional variations in English tend to be with the vowels, in Spanish the variation is in the consonants: In the Caribbean, for example, speakers may tend to distinguish little between the r and the l. In Spain, most people pronounce the soft c with the tongue against the upper teeth rather than the front of the palate. There are substantial variations as well in the rhythm of speech from region to region. The Spanish 'R' Is Difficult to Pronounce Yes, it does take practice to get the trilled r to come naturally, but millions learn it every year. But not all Rs are trilled: You can pronounce the common word pero close to correctly just by sounding out peddo, and mero sounds very much like meadow. In any case, its undoubtedly easier for native English speakers to pronounce the Spanish r than for native Spanish speakers to pronounce the English r. People Who Speak Spanish Are Spanish As a nationality, Spanish refers to people from Spain and only Spain. People who are from Mexico are, well, Mexican; people from Guatemala are Guatemalan; and so on. I wont try to settle here any controversy over how to use terms such as Hispanic and Latino. Suffice it to say that traditionally in Spanish, hispano is used to refer to someone from the Iberian Peninsula, while latino can refer to anyone from a country that speaks a Latin-derived language - and sometimes specifically to people from the Lazio region of Italy. Native Spanish Speakers Have Brown Skin, Brown Eyes and Black Hair In their totality, Spain and the Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America are every bit the melting pot of races and ethnicities that the United States is. The societies of Spanish-speaking Latin America descend not only from Spaniards and indigenous Amerindians but also from peoples of Africa, Asia, and non-Spanish Europe. Most of the Spanish-speaking countries of the Americas have a population that is majority mestizo (mixed race). Four countries (Argentina, Chile, Cuba, and Paraguay) are majority white. In Central America, many blacks, usually descendants of slaves, live along the Atlantic coast. Cuba, Venezuela, Colombia, and Nicaragua each have a black population of around 10 percent. Peru especially has a large population of Asian ancestry. About 1 million are of Chinese heritage, and thus the abundance of chifas, as Chinese restaurants are known there. One of the former presidents of Peru, Alberto Fujimori, is of Japanese heritage. You Can Form Spanish Nouns Just by Adding 'O' to the English Word This works sometimes: A car in much of Latin America is a carro, a telephone is a telà ©fono, an insect is an insecto, and a secret is a secreto. But try this often and most of the time youll just end up with gibberish. Besides, an a works sometimes too: A jar is a jarra, music is mà ºsica, a family is a familia, and a pirate is a pirata. And, please, dont say No problemo for No problem. Its No hay problema. People Who Speak Spanish Eat Tacos (or Maybe Paella) Yes, tacos are common in Mexico, although it should tell you something that Taco Bell markets itself as U.S.-style fast food in Mexico, not as a Mexican-style chain. And paella is indeed eaten in Spain, although even there its considered something of a regional dish. But these foods arent found everywhere that Spanish is spoken. The fact is every region of the Spanish-speaking world has its own culinary favorites, and not all have crossed international boundaries. Not even the names are the same: Ask for a tortilla in Mexico or Central America, and youre likely to get a sort of pancake or bread made from cornmeal, while in Spain youre likelier to receive an egg omelet, possibly prepared with potatoes and onions. Go to Costa Rica and ask for a casado, and youll get a simple if tasty four-course meal. Ask for the same in Chile, and theyll just wonder why youd want a married man. Spanish Will Take Over English in the United States While the number of native Spanish speakers in the United States is projected to increase to around 40 million by 2020 - up from 10 million in 1980 - studies consistently show that their children will grow up bilingual and that their grandchildren are likely to speak English exclusively. In other words, the level of Spanish speaking is tied more closely to current immigration rates than it is to use of Spanish by those born in the U.S. The descendants of Spanish speakers switch to English as they assimilate just as did those who came to America speaking German, Italian and Chinese. Spanish Is an Official Language in Just Spain and Latin America Of the African territories that were once part of the Spanish Empire, one independent country still uses Spanish. Thats Equatorial Guinea, which gained independence in 1968. One of the smallest countries in Africa, it has around 750,000 residents. About two-thirds of them speak Spanish, while French, Portuguese and indigenous languages also are used.