1111 Feeling good

(Writing ) Essay
..........
-,,.:m-.-.--.------
---- 1 C:> Look at the following chart showing statistics for obesity. Which countries have
the highest and lowest rates of obesity? Why do you think these countries suffer/don't
suffer from this crisis?

iJ Overweight • Obesity

c 35
0
]! 30 -
:J
Cl.
g_ 25
Q)
g' 20 -
cQ)
15
Q)
0... 10

2 Read the following Part 1 task and a student's answer (ignoring the gaps). Has the
student resp onded to all parts of the task?
Your class has recently attended a lecture on what methods governments should use to
tackle obesity in schoolchildren. You have made the notes below:

Methods governments I
should use to .--'-- - -- - - -- - - - - - - - -- -------.
tackle obesity in Some opinions expressed in the lecture:
schoolchildren
'If parents don't provide healthy meals, there's not
• lessons on nutrition much schools can do.'
• sports facilities 'Schoolkids should be getting more exercise.'
• legislation 'We need new laws so that people are less likely to
buy junk food.'

Write an essay for your tutor discussing two of the m ethods in your notes. You should
explain which method you think is more important for governments to consider,
giving reasons in support of your answer.
You may, if you wish, make use of the opinions expressed in the discussion, but you
should use you r own words as far as possible.

Obesity: how do we tackle it?

Obesity has become a major issue for many developed countries. (1) does
it affect the quality of life of millions of people, but it has serious consequences for
a country's economy and health services. It is evident, (2) , that this is a
problem that demands urgent action . There ar e many practical steps that governments
could take to tackle it, but the following two would probably be the most effective.
Firstly, governments need to impose stricter laws (3) _ _ _ _ the sale and marketing
of fast food to young children. Fast food chains should ( 4) be allowed to

94
 Feeling good

operate near schools nor advertise at times when children are likely to be watching
television. Food companies, cafes and restaurants should also be required to show the
calorie content of meals on labels or menus. (5) , parents would be better able
to make an informed choice about their children's diet.
Secondly, it is a sad fact that many children are not getting the kind of exercise that
older generations benefited from. Many urban families live in environments which
provide no opportunity for outdoor activity. For (6) , governments need to
make sure that schools have the kind of facilities that allow children to exercise and
keep fit. They should also be ensuring that school timetables include regular sessions of
physical education.
In the 21st century, it is ironic that for many children, it is overeating that is responsible
for bad health, not starvation. If governments continue to ignore this crisis, the long-
term consequences may be worse than we can imagine.

3 When you write your essay, it is important to use linking words and phrases to connect
your ideas. Put the words/phrases in the box into gaps 1-6 in the model answer.

with regards to that reason in this way not only neither therefore

4 The model contains some strong adjective + noun collocations that you could use for
similar essays. In the table below, add the missing nouns to the extracts from the model.
Then add a synonym for each noun.

from the model synonym

1 has become a major
2 that demands urgent
3 impose stricter
4 make an informed
5 has serious
6 take practical

5 Read the Essay task below and write your answer in 220-260 words in an appropriate
style.
Your class has recently watched a documentary on what methods governments should
use to tackle cyberbullying amongst schoolchildren. You have made the notes below:

Methods governments
should use to tackle
I
cyberbullying amongst Some opinions expressed in the documentary:
schoolchildren 'If parents don't monitor their kid's online activity,
• school campaigns there's not much schools can do.'
• social media regulation 'Social media sites should do more to stop
cyberbullies.'
• punishment
'The government should introduce tougher penalties
for this kind of bullying.'

Write an essay for your tutor discussing two of the methods in your notes. You should
explain which method you think is more important for governments to consider,
giving reasons in support of your answer.
You may, if you wish, make use of the opinions expressed in the documentary, but you
should use your own words as far as possible.

95