IELTS Writing Task 2 19/07/2014

Brainstorming và bài viết của IELTS cho đề thi IELTS ngày 19/7/2014 tại Việt Nam.

"Some people suggest that the government should do more for their citizens to have a healthy diet but others claim that it is a responsibility of individuals. Discuss both views and give your opinions."

Brainstorming

Government
• Requires extensive coverage on mass media => nobody is in better position to do that than the government.
• Many health agencies are also being formed to better promote the benefits of healthy diet => yielded good result so far

Individual
• Impossible for governments to constantly remind each person to live up a healthy lifestyle. Promotion of healthy lifestyle is one thing but the decision to live it is personal one.
• The question remains whether people are willing to give up on those delicious foods healthy for bland one => hectic lifestyle, fast food has risen to serve the needs for time and convenience => makes it even harder for people to resist the temptation to opt for a hamburger or fried chickens instead of authentic cooking or lean meals.

ESSAY:

In the era of increasing number of people being diagnosed with intractable diseases due to unhealthy diets, some people think it should be the responsibility of government to promote the benefits of lean eating to its citizens; while others say it is the individual’s effort that truly counts. Each view has its own rationale that is worth discussing before drawing my own personal opinion upon the issue.

It is true that in order to raise the health awareness of the public, extensive coverage on mass media need to be run. This means that nobody is in a better position to execute those activities than the government. Nowadays, besides supporting many physical activity campaigns, governments in some countries have also formed health agencies as part of a comprehensive strategy to better increase health awareness amongst the society. All of these activities have ultimately resulted in higher health awareness in the public in a recent survey. This can only be done with the power and instructions from the governments, thus their role in this issue is indeed substantial.

However, even if the government has succeeded in popularizing the concept of healthy diet, it is merely impossible for them to constantly remind each person to live up to it since the decision is eventually a personal one. In the age of hectic lifestyles and mushrooming fast food chains across the globe, the question remains whether it is possible for people to resist the temptation of a hamburger or fried chickens after a long working day. Of course, this would not have been a problem if eating fast food had also been coupled with frequent exercises. Sadly, in reality, people are far less willing to do so despite their being conscious of the health impacts their actions may bring.

In conclusion, it is clear that both sides have legitimate reasons to prove their view. I believe that governments alone cannot make miracles happen unless each person is also responsible for their own way of eating and living, thus the responsibility should be shared between the two parties in promoting and maintaining a healthy diet.