IELTS Book 8 Test 4 Task 2 Writing Band 9 pdf1

IELTS  8  Writing Model Essay (Free sample)

Test 4 Task 2 Question

Test 4 Task 2 Model Essay by an Expert One

In the Western world, the average weight of people is the highest it has ever been and is always increasing. Some statistics suggest that over half of Americans are overweight, and an increasing number are dangerously obese. In this essay I will explore some ways in which people have sought to solve this problem, and discuss whether or not these ways tackle the causes that are at the root.

In the United Kingdom, the celebrity chef Jamie Oliver introduced a school-lunch program which is now followed in every school in England. He realized that most students bought their food from the school cafeteria, and the food they bought was often deep-fried, fatty, and low in nutrients. Also, when students had a choice between healthier options and high-fat options, they often chose the latter. Oliver convinced the government to make it mandatory to serve only freshly-cooked healthy meals in schools. From one angle, though this is a positive change that addresses the problem, it does not seem to be enough. Outside of school students are still able to purchase fast food and salty snacks, and so these measures really replaced only one small part of the food consumption. But this solution can be seen another way: when these meals are healthy and above all tasty, students might learn to develop an appetite for food that makes them feel better and that tastes good. Developing a taste for proper nutrition in schools has larger effects than meet the eye.

But when governments encourage their citizens to eat better and exercise more, then often don’t see the causes of the problem correctly. Many people live a long way from work, and need to commute – often in cars. Many people also work at a desk in an office, and so must remain sitting during their working day. Even more, most people choose types of entertainment in the evening which involve sitting still, like watching television. All this adds up to unhealthy lifestyles. To really tackle the problem of obesity at its root, people must find different ways of living. More and more, people are getting fed up with the need to commute to work in their cars. They are choosing to live closer to cities, and to walk to where they need to go. To solve the problem of obesity, this type of large change must take place. To provide another example, most busy trains in the UK allow you to take your bicycle. This means that cars can be left at home and people can change the way they get to work to include exercise. It still means that you have to structure your life differently, and choose to live near rail stations as well as work in places accessible by bicycle, but these changes are manageable for many.

To solve the problem of obesity, we must first look at the causes more fully. It is not simply that people eat unhealthily and are lazy. We must look at the whole lifestyle, and look for ways of changing people’s tastes and the way they go about their day.

(515 words)