I am very unhappy the US Supreme Court has struck down Biden’s plan for federal student loan forgiveness. With this ruling, millions of students will not see their debts decreased or erased. As an immigrant who came with a student visa and who received the generosity and kindness of Americans that close to $400,000 of my education tuition/fees were paid for, under fellowships and scholarships, this ruling is painful.

It is painful because a student with loans has limited options. In other words, if you have a student loan, upon graduation, paying that loan becomes what drives your career. Yes, that startup opportunity is muted because the first loan payment is due in 6 months and the startup cannot support the payment.

This loan forgiveness in the generous America would have liberated many young people to DREAM, untethered by the burdens of loans. Sure, I understand the argument that if you keep forgiving loans, schools will keep racking up fees and tuition knowing that governments will take the tab. (Of course, most states are not open to allowing those loans to go since the tax on the interest payments generate massive revenue to them. In other words, the student loans are sources of revenue for most states.)

But that misses the point: potential beneficiaries of these loans are largely poor and lower middle class families. Most of their schools do not charge much, even as their schools do not give them the ladder to earn really much as the top 20 ranked universities in the United States. Those schools, if you graduate from them, just the name alone will get you a nice job, and with that job, you can pay off student loans. Have you seen an unemployed Harvard graduate? Johns Hopkins? IMT? They’re not smarter but their schools give them opportunities. 

Without Johns Hopkins and Carnegie Mellon in my resume, many opportunities I have today will not be possible. At least you have a chance before they know how competent you are!

The University of California, one of the country’s largest university systems, comprising nine different campuses, just issued a statement calling today’s ruling a “disappointment.”

“This historic relief program would have made a significant impact on the lives of college graduates, particularly for those from low-income backgrounds who are more likely to take on debt to complete their education,” the statement reads. “It also harms society as a whole: Those with student loans are less likely to earn advanced degrees, purchase a home, start their own business or make other investments that benefit their communities.”

It is an irony: it is safer to borrow $400k to attend Harvard than $40k to one yoyo school. While the Harvard guy can easily pay back that $400k, the guy from that low quality school will struggle for decades to pay the $40k. The $40k guy is among those Biden was trying to help. This ruling, unfortunately, will severely impact Blacks and Latinos more, and the Supreme Court missed an opportunity to reset futures for many young people.

Of course, law is not about morality, and the Court may not care.

Bro U are a guest in somebody's country.

His people objected to d loans being scrapped.

You can't access monies 2 pay 4 school and then skip out of paying back the monies. That's just D fact.

If he wants 2 forgive debts he can as well forgive D debts of all Americans.

Logic!

— The real Mccoy (@samchiz) June 30, 2023

My Response: “Bro U are a guest in somebody’s country.” – I am not a guest. I pay taxes in America and unlike possibly Nigeria , the system is designed for everyone to have a voice. Elon Musk is not a guest. So, leave that line of thinking and focus on ideas. This is about debate.

A focus on Millennials and Gen Zs

My Interest

I never thought I know the standard definition of what it means to be Obese or Overweight until I developed an interest in researching this issue.

I aimed to first broaden my knowledge of Mental Health — and being someone very interested in the personal development of young people, I also wanted to examine the effects of obesity on the mental health of Millennials and Gen Zs.

With the optimism that I might be able to find non-medical ways but scientifically proven, that society and individuals can help young obese, or overweight people.

Introduction

According to World Health Organisation (WHO), being obese or overweight interprets a body mass index (BMI) of a person where over 25 BMI is considered overweight, and with over 30 BMI is obese.

Though the nontechnical meaning of being overweight or obese refers to an excessive or abnormal accumulation of fat in a manner that presents a health risk.

Mental Health refers to a person’s condition concerning their emotional and psychological well-being. In this WHO report, before the Covid_19 pandemic, 1 out of 8 persons worldwide suffered from a mental health condition. Furthermore, there is evidence of 10 years less life expectancy in individuals struggling with severe mental health issues than the general population.

Young people with mental health issues are identified to be a particularly vulnerable population group at risk for developing overweight and obesity conditions. This is because obesity causes depression and anxiety for most Millennials and Gen Zs.

Also, a mixture of severe mental health challenges and excess weight in young people may add to the disease burden and reduce self-esteem, social participation, and self-care behaviours like adhering to medication prescriptions while increasing stigmatisation.

Most known attempts to curb the rise of obesity in this population globally focus on food intake or nutrition monitoring and physical activity levels and exercises.

Five Psychosocial Ways Society Can Help With The Effects of Obesity On Individuals’ Mental Health

Outside the scope bracket of controlling obesity and overweight through (dieting and physical activities), I find that there are other ways society, families, and individuals can help.

I summarise my findings under five headings. While focusing on essential items to make this post relatable and valuable for readers.

• We should minimise the focus on weight alone

I find that the current focus on the body weight of an individual by society and the constant talks on social media could be impacting and adding up psychological or psychosocial discontent for Millennials and Gen Zs who are struggling with body issues, increasing BMI, or eating problems/disorders.

Instead, an overall general healthy lifestyle should be promoted. Behaviours that promote a healthy lifestyle are not only needful for obese or overweight Millennials and Gen Z but for the whole demographic population irrespective of body weight condition.

• We should intervene with weight bias and stigmatisation.

In every society, there is a culturally motivated beauty standard difference between males and females.

An article by Sachi, uncovers how there is a cultural beauty and weight acceptance difference between males and females in Japan — Why Japanese are Skinny? Are Those Genetics or Actually Have Great Nutrition? I have lived in the West for a couple of years now and it is the same. Also, in Africa!

So, there is a need to intervene in weight bias.

• We should embrace healthy body status promotion.

Millennials and Gen Zs with body weight are more concerned about body weight than their healthy-weight counterparts.

An early focus on identifying and preventing body weight and shape image concerns could potentially minimise the negative psychological impacts of obesity on millennials and Gen-Zs.

This promotion is equally crucial to target triggers and develops prevention treatments.

• We should target older generational role models.

Conceptions from older generations and weight — bias attitudes contribute to general societal weight bias.

As a society, all individuals of all age demographics similar to the idea of minimising the focus on weight alone should be educated in promoting healthy lifestyles and shift from judging weight and shape from the spectrum of models of health in the media.

• The need for further research

One of the things I enjoy about academic research, which I have carried on with me to even my leisure research for writing or out of interest in a subject area or simply to be informed as an individual, is a section where the researcher suggests the need for further research and how and the area to be researched.

So, therefore, I will suggest further research in these areas — instead of studies that compare obese versus healthy-weight individuals, researchers should focus on understanding those factors that put most obese or overweight individuals at psychological risk.

The recurring gender differences on some of the impacts of obesity on mental health equally present the need to investigate why that exists and how to help both genders on differential levels if need be.

And finally, keep researching the prevalent mechanisms that contribute underlyingly to this abnormal weight gain like the roles of genetics and neuroendocrine processes, lifestyle and psychiatric medications, and lastly environmental factors.

Reference

Shelly, R.-M., Gail, M., Angela, B. & Alana, I., (2012). Mental Health, Wellness, and Childhood Overweight/Obesity. Journal of Obesity, 1(1), pp. 1-10.

Stewart, S. & Ogden, J., (2022). Motivating or stigmatising? The public health and media messaging surrounding COVID-19 and obesity: a qualitative think aloud study. Health Education, 122(4), pp. 374-386.

We will open registration for the next edition of Tekedia Mini-MBA tomorrow . It will be the best edition yet. A new revamped essay+video on Nigeria will be made available to registered learners. Yes, besides the current supporting books – The Dangote System: Techniques for Building Conglomerates, and Africa’s Sankofa Innovation – a new one will be added: “The Nigeria’s Post-Petroleum Era”. All come at no extra cost; they’re written as business manuals to help our learners.

In this essay+video work, I provide perspectives on Nigeria and the current economic redesign  in the nation.  We will also increase prices to account for operating realities in Nigeria, and beyond, after years we have resisted that. So, the next edition of Tekedia Mini-MBA will cost a little more.

We’re launching an Affiliate program which will enable people and companies to promote, market and close deals on Tekedia Mini-MBA, Tekedia Startup Masterclass, etc and earn commissions up to 25%. The Affiliate site will open on Monday, July 3; everyone is invited. Yes, you can build a business selling our products to potential learners. We have more learners than most universities.

As always, we appreciate the opportunity you give us to serve you in our companies. I always promote my companies and products because as a good global citizen, not making you aware of them, will be unfair to you and humanity, because they’re the #best! Thrive with Tekedia.