ASSIGNMENT 2: RESEARCH ON A SUBJECT AND JOURNAL REVIEWSIt is widely known and accepted throughout the world that being overweight poses a huge risk to the health of the individual. If the overweight person is on the severe end of the spectrum, they are classified as obese and are therefore considered to have a health problem. Depending on how overweight the individual is, sometimes exercise and a good diet are not enough to eliminate the fat needed to regain good health. In these cases, their obesity becomes a serious medical problem – sometimes requiring surgical weight loss treatments – rather than a temporary setback in weight management. It is also common knowledge that people's diet and the nutrients they get from their meals are responsible for over 60% of the work put into losing weight, building muscle, or something as simple as weight maintenance (T. Wu, 2009). The foundations of how we consume food and exercise are instilled in us during the first years of life and are a strong indicator of our future relationship with food and exercise. The primary goal of our research project is to identify the dietary trends, if any, of twenty Santa Monica College students so that we can gain insight into the dietary trends of Santa Monica College's largest student population. What we eat is essential to our well-being and this is where most of the work happens in terms of weight management. Part of the tactics for preventing overweight and obesity is education in addition to good nutrition and physical exercise at all stages of life. It has been reported that these measures are most effective when implemented during adolescence and early adulthood, reflecting the expected population... middle of article...... Health outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. " European Journal Of Clinical Nutrition 66.7 (2012): 780-788. Academic Search Premier. April 2, 2014. Stellefson, Michael, Wang Zhongmiao, and William Klein “Effects of cognitive dissonance on intentions to change diet and activity physics of students. " American Journal Of Health Studies 21.3/4 (2006): 219-227. Academic Search Premier. Web. April 6, 2014. T., Wu, et al. "Long-term effectiveness of diet and exercise interventions versus diet-only interventions for weight loss: a meta-analysis." Obesity Reviews 10.3 (2009): 313-323. Academic Search Premier. Web. April 6, 2014. Vella-Zarb, Rachel A. and Frank J. Elgar. “The ‘Freshman 5’: A meta-analysis of weight gain during the first year of college.” Journal Of American College Health 58.2 (2009): 161-166 Web.. 2014.