Obesity in Children/ Child obesity – IELTS Writing Task 2 Topic 13

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

In many countries, people are concerned about the number of children who are overweight. What do you think are the causes of this? What solutions can you suggest?

Write at least 250 words.

Model Essay 01 :

Gaining weight, especially in young teenagers, is a major concern in many countries. Children become fat because of modernization and technology advancement. This essay will discuss the problems of obesity in young people and the responsibilities of the government, society, and parents in this regard.

The major causes giving rise to this problem are the change in our lifestyle due to the remarkable advances in technology, which has a considerable impact on our daily life and health. Children consume junk foods at any time, and it makes matters worse. These foods, which are easily available, often contain ingredients that are high in calorie, cholesterol, and fat, while lacking necessary vitamins, minerals, and proteins. These factors are taking a toll on their health. In addition, teenagers spend most of the on their computers rather than playing outside. As a result, teenagers are lacking exercise and becoming overweight.

In my opinion, teachers, parents, and the government as a whole should consider this issue and take the necessary steps. For instance, parents should keep an eye on the eating habits of their children and ensure that they eat healthy food and reduce their intake of junk food. The government could limit junk food advertising to prevent children from falling prey to bad eating habits.

Model Essay 02 :

In some countries, including the USA and Britain, a large number of children are overweight. This is due to a combination of poor diet and lack of exercise.

Children tend to be attracted to food that is high in sugar and fat, such as various forms of fast food. They also tend to be ignorant of what constitutes a healthy diet. Although parents may try to guide their children, they cannot be present always. As a result, children are influenced by other factors, such as advertising by fast-food companies.

On top of that, children are much less active than they used to be. While in the past young people took part in activities that burned a considerable amount of energy, children today spend their time indoors, sitting at computers or playing video games. They have no opportunity to burn the calories they are taking in, leading to obesity.

There are a number of steps that need to be taken to solve this problem. The first is to educate children about nutrition. Schools should organize compulsory lessons to explain the main elements of a healthy diet and teach the pupil how to prepare simple but healthy meals. The government should also place restrictions on the type of advertising allowed during children’s TV programs.

Children also need to be encouraged to participate in sports. Again, schools have a large role to play in this, by offering a wide range of outdoor activities. Investment in local sports clubs by the government would also help in alleviating the problem.

Model Essay 03 :

There is plenty of evidence to show that children are overweight. According to the medical experts, the situation is getting worse. I feel there are a number of reasons for this.

Some people blame the fact that we are surrounded by shops selling unhealthy, fatty foods such as chips and fried chicken, at low prices. This has created a  generation of adults who never cooked a meal for themselves. If there were fewer of these restaurants, then children would not be tempted to buy take-away food.

There is another argument that blames the parents for allowing their children to become overweight. I tend to agree with this view, because good eating habits begin early in life, long before children start to visit fast food outlets. If children are given chips, ice creams and chocolate rather than nourishing food or are always allowed to choose what they eat, they will go for sweet and salty foods every time, and this will carry on throughout their lives. If parents try to make their kids understand that fast foods are not good for their health and draw a restriction on how much their kids are allowed to eat then the problem can be solved partially.

There is a third factor, however, that contributes to the situation. Children these days do very little exercise. They do not walk to school. When they get home, they sit in front of the television or their computers and play video games. Not only is this an unhealthy pastime, but it also gives them time to eat more junk food. They need to go out and play active games or sport.

The two views discussed play equal roles in contributing to the problem, but I think we have to encourage young people to be more active, as well as steer them away from fast food outlets and bad eating habits. We need to have a balanced approach.

Model Essay 04 :

All around the world the living standards are becoming higher and almost similar to the western society. This change in everyday life also brings in, its benefits and drawbacks, like the rapid increase in the number of overweight people.

A lot of people think the cause of such a problem is the exponentially growing number of fast food outlets in developed countries. Fast foods have also become the easiest and cheapest solution to have lunch all over the world. Consequently, millions of families prefer to eat fast foods as the food is appealing and the cost is reasonable. Therefore, parents bring their children to fast food outlets, where food isn’t hygienic at all and the dimensions of a meal are completely over-proportioned.

However, parents are responsible for their children’s diet and have to look after them in order to avoid them becoming overweight or even obese. Parents have to find time to prepare healthy food for children, for example, fresh vegetables or meat, that doesn’t require more than half an hour of cooking.

In conclusion, both fast foods and lack of parental control are causes of the increasing number of overweight children.

Model Essay 05 :

It is true that there is a growing trend of obese children in industrialized nations in recent years. While this issue is being attributed to the  growing number fast food restaurants, I would argue that parents should take some responsibility as well.

To begin with, the expansion of convenient food stores may not be the cause of overweight children. Although some of the foods served in these restaurants may contain high saturated fat items, there are other factors that could also result in gaining weight as well. Firstly, if children consumed an excessive amount of unhealthy snacks, sugary soda drinks, or prepackaged foods, they could also become obese. Secondly, even if the family did visit the fast food outlets for meals, parents could still substitute unhealthy items with a healthier menu, such as having French fries replaced with vegetables or salad.

In addition, parents certainly play a vital role in providing a healthy diet for their children. With the invention of the Internet, it is possible to obtain information about food ingredients, daily nutrient proportion needed in each food category and healthy recipes within minutes. Therefore, learning how to prepare nutritious meals has never been easier. I believe supplying healthy snacks for children during school days and preparing a healthy balanced meal in the evening in routine could lead to a healthy body.

However, it must not be forgotten that ensuring children have an adequate amount of physical exercise is also a critical factor to contribute to their good health.
In conclusion, I believe that parents are the ones who play a vital role in upbringing their children in a healthy environment.