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Health Essay Titles

Practice IELTS essay questions for the topic of health.

The prevention of health problems and illness is more important than treatment and medicine. Government funding should reflect this. To what extent do you agree?
The number of people who are at risk of serious health problems due to being overweight is increasing. What is the reason for the growth in overweight people in society? How can this problem be solved?
The amount of time spend on sport and exercise should be increased in schools in order to tackle the problem of overweight children? Do you think this the best way to deal with the problem? What other solutions can you suggest?
More and more people are suffering from health problems caused by a modern life style which cannot be treated with modern medicines. Some people think that a return to traditional medicine should be encouraged. To what extent do you agree?
Health care should not be provided for free regardless of a person’s income. The heath of a person is in their own hands and they should, therefore, be held accountable for that. Do you agree with this opinion?
The best way to improve health is to exercise daily. To what extent do you agree?
Some people think that public health is a the responsibility of the government while others think that people should be responsible for their own health. Discuss both sides and give your opinion.
Doctors should be responsible for educating their patients about how to improve their health. Do you agree with this?
Walking is known to be beneficial for health and yet fewer and fewer people are walking these days. What are the reasons for this? What can be done to tackle this problem?

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A Growing Number of People With Health Problems Are Trying Alternative Medicines And Treatments – IELTS Writing Task 2

Raajdeep Saha

10 min read

Updated On Feb 27, 2024

health problems essay ielts

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A Growing Number of People With Health Problems Are Trying Alternative Medicines And Treatments – IELTS Writing Task 2

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Table of Contents [ Show ]

  • Question- A Growing Number of People With Health Problems Are Trying Alternative Medicines And Treatments

Structural Breakdown

  • Band 7 Sample Answer For IELTS Writing Task 2
  • Band 8 Sample Answer For IELTS Writing Task 2
  • Band 9 Sample Answer For IELTS Writing Task 2

Connectors That’ll Improve Your Writing Task 2 Score For The Topic ‘A Growing Number of People With Health Problems Are Trying Alternative Medicines And Treatments’

IELTS Writing Task 2 requires test-takers to compose a coherent essay in response to a given prompt. In Advantages-Disadvantages essays, candidates express an overview of the whole topic providing benefits and drawbacks. Graded on a scale of 1 to 9, achieving a Band 7, 8, or 9, indicates varying levels of proficiency.

In this  IELTS Writing Task 2  Advantages-Disadvantages essay, we will challenge the notion that ‘A Growing Number of People With Health Problems Are Trying Alternative Medicines And Treatments.’ We will look into the history of medicine, exploring multifaceted perspectives, and real-world examples.

Type:  Advantage/Disadvantage Essay

Know How To Write With These 9 Expert Tips to Score a Band 8+ Now!

9 Tips for IELTS 2023 Writing Task 2 (Target BAND 8+)

Band 7 Sample Answer For IELTS Writing Task 2 – A Growing Number of People With Health Problems Are Trying Alternative Medicines And Treatments

The trend of individuals turning to alternative medicines and treatments rather than seeking conventional medical care has sparked considerable debate regarding its implications. While there are both positive and negative aspects to this phenomenon, the overall impact largely depends on various factors such as the specific health condition, the effectiveness of the alternative treatment, and the individual’s informed decision-making process.

On the positive side, alternative medicines often offer holistic approaches that focus on treating the root cause of ailments rather than merely addressing symptoms. Practices like acupuncture, herbal medicine, and chiropractic care have been reported to provide relief for certain conditions where conventional treatments may fall short. For instance, acupuncture has shown promising results in managing chronic pain and alleviating stress-related disorders.

Furthermore, alternative treatments can sometimes offer solutions for individuals who have not found success with traditional medical interventions. In cases of chronic illnesses or conditions with limited treatment options, exploring alternative therapies can provide hope and improve overall quality of life. This is particularly evident in conditions like autoimmune diseases, where lifestyle modifications and complementary therapies may complement conventional treatments.

However, there are also risks associated with relying solely on alternative medicines. One significant concern is the lack of regulation and standardized practices within the alternative medicine industry, which can lead to misinformation and ineffective treatments. Additionally, some alternative therapies may interact adversely with conventional medications or delay necessary medical interventions, posing potential health hazards.

In conclusion, while the growing popularity of alternative medicines reflects a desire for more personalized and holistic healthcare approaches, it also necessitates careful consideration and informed decision-making. Integrating alternative therapies with evidence-based conventional medicine under the guidance of qualified healthcare professionals can optimize health outcomes and ensure patient safety.

(Word Count: 286)

Band 7 Vocabulary

Meaning:  considering a person or thing as a whole, rather than as separate parts.

Example:  The holistic approach to healthcare emphasizes the importance of treating the mind, body, and spirit.

  • Interventions

Meaning:  actions taken to improve a situation, especially a medical disorder.

Example:  Early interventions in childhood development can have a significant impact on long-term outcomes.

  • Complementary 

Meaning:  serving to complete or enhance something else when combined.

Example:  Yoga can be a complementary therapy to traditional medical treatments for managing stress.

Meaning:  in a way that has a harmful or negative effect.

Example:  The medication reacted adversely with her existing condition, causing unexpected side effects.

  • Standardized

Meaning:  made to have the same features or qualities as other things of the same type.

Example:  The standardized testing procedure ensures fairness and consistency across all participants.

  • Misinformation

Meaning:  false or inaccurate information, especially that which is intended to deceive.

Example:  Social media platforms are often criticized for spreading misinformation about health-related topics.

  • Implications

Meaning:  the possible effects or results of an action, decision, or event.

Example:  The implications of climate change on global food security are profound and far-reaching.

  • Conventional

Meaning:  based on or in accordance with what is generally done or believed.

Example:  Conventional wisdom suggests that regular exercise is essential for maintaining good health.

Meaning:  a fact or situation that is observed to exist or happen, especially one whose cause or explanation is in question.

Example:  The rise of social media as a primary news source is a phenomenon of the digital age.

Meaning:  make the best or most effective use of (a situation, opportunity, or resource).

Example:  The new software is designed to optimize workflow efficiency in the office environment.

Band 8 Sample Answer For IELTS Writing Task 2 – A Growing Number of People With Health Problems Are Trying Alternative Medicines And Treatments

The increasing preference for alternative medicines and treatments over conventional medical care represents a multifaceted shift in healthcare dynamics. While this trend offers potential benefits in terms of personalized approaches and holistic healing, it also raises significant concerns regarding safety, efficacy, and the broader implications for public health.

One of the notable advantages of alternative medicines is their emphasis on personalized care and patient empowerment. Unlike conventional medicine, which often adopts a one-size-fits-all approach, alternative therapies recognize the uniqueness of each individual’s health journey. Practices such as naturopathy and traditional Chinese medicine prioritize understanding the patient’s lifestyle, dietary habits, and emotional well-being to tailor treatments accordingly. This personalized approach fosters a deeper connection between the practitioner and the patient, enhancing trust and facilitating more comprehensive healthcare delivery.

Furthermore, alternative treatments often integrate complementary modalities that address the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of health. For example, mindfulness-based interventions like meditation and yoga not only alleviate physical symptoms but also promote mental clarity and emotional resilience. Such holistic approaches resonate with individuals seeking comprehensive wellness solutions beyond symptom management.

However, the widespread adoption of alternative medicines also poses significant challenges. The lack of regulation and scientific scrutiny in the alternative healthcare sector raises concerns about treatment safety and efficacy. Without standardized protocols and rigorous research, patients may be vulnerable to misleading claims, unproven therapies, and potential adverse effects. Moreover, reliance on alternative treatments without proper medical oversight can delay or deter individuals from seeking timely conventional care, exacerbating health conditions and compromising outcomes.

In conclusion, the growing popularity of alternative medicines reflects a shift towards more patient-centered and holistic healthcare paradigms. While these approaches offer personalized solutions and integrative therapies, they also warrant cautious consideration due to safety and efficacy concerns. To navigate this evolving landscape effectively, it is imperative to promote evidence-based practices, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and prioritize patient education and informed decision-making.

(Word Count: 313)

Band 8 Vocabulary

  • Multifaceted

Meaning:  having many different aspects or facets.

Example:  The multifaceted nature of the problem requires a comprehensive approach to resolution.

  • Empowerment

Meaning:  the process of enabling individuals to gain control over their lives and make informed decisions.

Example:  Education plays a crucial role in the empowerment of marginalized communities.

  • Naturopathy

Meaning:  a system of alternative medicine based on the theory that diseases can be successfully treated or prevented without the use of drugs.

Example:  Naturopathy emphasizes natural remedies and lifestyle modifications to promote health and wellness.

Meaning:  extremely thorough, exhaustive, or accurate.

Example:  The research team conducted rigorous experiments to validate their findings.

Meaning:  susceptible to physical or emotional harm.

Example:  Children living in poverty are particularly vulnerable to malnutrition and illness.

Meaning:  giving the wrong idea or impression.

Example:  The advertisement was criticized for its misleading claims about the product’s effectiveness.

Meaning:  typical examples or patterns of something; a model or framework.

Example:  The discovery of DNA revolutionized the scientific paradigm of genetics.

Meaning:  the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.

Example:  The community demonstrated remarkable resilience in rebuilding after the natural disaster.

Meaning:  critical observation or examination.

Example:  The research findings are subject to close scrutiny by the scientific community.

  • Interdisciplinary

Meaning:  involving two or more academic, scientific, or professional disciplines.

Example:  The interdisciplinary approach to environmental studies combines knowledge from biology, chemistry, and sociology.

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Band 9 Sample Answer For IELTS Writing Task 2 – A Growing Number of People With Health Problems Are Trying Alternative Medicines And Treatments

The burgeoning trend of individuals opting for alternative medicines and therapies in lieu of conventional medical treatments reflects a paradigm shift in healthcare attitudes and practices. While this shift may be indicative of a desire for more personalized and holistic approaches to wellness, it also underscores a critical need for informed decision-making, evidence-based practices, and robust regulatory oversight to ensure patient safety and optimize health outcomes.

At the heart of the appeal of alternative medicines lies their emphasis on holistic healing and individualized care. Unlike conventional medicine, which often focuses solely on alleviating symptoms, alternative therapies take into account the interconnectedness of the mind, body, and spirit in promoting overall well-being. Practices such as acupuncture, Ayurveda, and homeopathy not only address physical ailments but also consider factors such as emotional stress, dietary habits, and lifestyle choices in tailoring treatment plans. This holistic approach resonates with individuals seeking comprehensive solutions that address the underlying causes of their health issues rather than merely masking symptoms.

Moreover, the growing popularity of alternative medicines highlights a broader shift towards patient empowerment and active participation in healthcare decision-making. By exploring alternative therapies, individuals are taking proactive steps toward managing their health and exploring treatment options beyond conventional medical interventions. This empowerment fosters a sense of autonomy and responsibility for one’s own well-being, promoting a more collaborative relationship between patients and healthcare providers.

In conclusion, while the growing interest in alternative medicines reflects a commendable shift towards more holistic and patient-centered healthcare paradigms, it also underscores the importance of maintaining critical scrutiny, evidence-based practices, and interdisciplinary collaboration in healthcare delivery. By integrating the strengths of both conventional and alternative approaches while prioritizing patient safety and informed decision-making, healthcare systems can better meet the diverse needs and preferences of individuals seeking optimal health and wellness.

(Word Count: 298)

Band 9 Vocabulary

Meaning:  rapidly growing or expanding.

Example:  The burgeoning demand for renewable energy reflects increasing environmental consciousness.

  • Paradigm shift 

Meaning:  a fundamental change in approach or underlying assumptions.

Example:  The advent of the internet brought about a paradigm shift in communication and information dissemination.

Meaning:  the process of enabling individuals to gain control over their lives and make informed decisions.

Example:  Empowerment initiatives aim to give marginalized communities a voice and agency in decision-making processes.

Meaning:  the right or condition of self-government, self-determination, or independence.

Example:  Adolescents strive for autonomy as they transition from childhood to adulthood.

Meaning:  strong and healthy; vigorous.

Example:  The robust economy weathered the financial downturn with minimal impact.

  • Misdiagnosis

Meaning:  the incorrect diagnosis of a disease or condition.

Example:  Early intervention can prevent the consequences of misdiagnosis and ensure appropriate treatment.

  • Adverse reactions

Meaning:  unexpected or harmful effects resulting from exposure to a medication or treatment.

Example:  Some patients experience adverse reactions to chemotherapy, such as nausea and fatigue.

  • Therapeutic mismanagement 

Meaning:  improper or ineffective management of treatment.

Example:  Therapeutic mismanagement can lead to treatment failure and worsen patient outcomes.

Example:  The research findings underwent rigorous scrutiny by peer reviewers before publication.

Meaning:  involving or drawing on two or more branches of knowledge or fields of study.

Example:  The interdisciplinary approach to climate change research integrates insights from environmental science, economics, and sociology.

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Connectors  play a crucial role in linking ideas and creating a smooth flow of information within a text. Here is a list of common connectors that can be used in the provided answers:

  • Furthermore
  • In addition
  • On the other hand
  • Nevertheless
  • In contrast
  • To illustrate
  • Nonetheless
  • To conclude

Also Check:

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  • People these days watch TV. Films and Other Programmes Alone- IELTS Writing Task 2
  • People now have the Freedom to Work and live Anywhere in the World- IELTS Writing Task 2
  • In the Future all Cars, Buses and Trucks will be Driverless- IELTS Writing Task 2

Practice IELTS Writing Task 2 based on Essay types

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Raajdeep Saha

Raajdeep Saha

Raajdeep Saha, an MBA graduate in Marketing from IMT Ghaziabad and holder of a BCA degree from The Heritage Academy, boasts three years of experience as a Senior Content Marketing Specialist. His focus lies in crafting persuasive content for IELTS, CELPIP, and TOEFL. Simultaneously, he's an accomplished author and poet, with his published work, "OUSHQ," showcasing his literary prowess. He seamlessly marries his marketing acumen with creative storytelling, making him a versatile professional of both corporate and artistic distinction.

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April 28, 2024

The prevention of health problems and illness is more important than treatment and medicine.

“the prevention of health problems and illness is more important than treatment and medicine. government funding should reflect this. to what extent do you agree”, sample answer:.

I strongly agree that the prevention of health problems and illnesses should be a top priority, and government funding should reflect this. While treatment and medicine are important, preventing the occurrence of diseases in the first place is ultimately more cost-effective and beneficial for society as a whole.

Firstly, investing in prevention measures such as public health education, vaccination programs, and promoting healthy lifestyles can significantly reduce the burden on healthcare systems. By encouraging people to adopt healthier habits and providing access to preventive care, the incidence of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity can be reduced, ultimately leading to lower healthcare costs and improved overall well-being for the population.

Furthermore, focusing on prevention can also lead to a more productive workforce and a stronger economy. When individuals are healthy and free from illness, they are able to contribute to the workforce and society in a more meaningful way. This, in turn, leads to economic growth and stability, benefiting the entire nation.

In addition, prevention aligns with the principle of equity in healthcare. By investing in preventive measures, governments can ensure that all members of society have equal access to the resources and information needed to maintain good health. This can help to reduce health disparities and improve the overall health of the population, leading to a more just and equitable society.

In conclusion, while treatment and medicine are important, the prevention of health problems and illnesses should be a top priority for government funding. By investing in prevention, governments can reduce healthcare costs, improve overall well-being, and create a more equitable society. It is crucial that resources are allocated to preventive measures in order to achieve long-term health and prosperity for all.

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health problems essay ielts

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The Future of Health – IELTS Writing Task 2

Posted by David S. Wills | Jul 4, 2022 | Model Essays | 1

The Future of Health – IELTS Writing Task 2

In today’s lesson, I want to show you how to answer an agree or disagree question about health and the future. I will give you some useful language about the topic (health) and the necessary grammar (the future). I’ll also mention some important things about generating ideas and structuring essays.

Analysing the Question

Here’s our question for today:

The average standard of people’s health is likely to be lower in future than it is now. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the statement.

It’s taken from this list of IELTS writing questions , which I recommend to users of my writing correction service .

This question is pretty easy to understand. Basically, you choose whether you agree or disagree that people’s health will be worse in the future than it is now. You can either:

  • Strongly agree
  • Partially agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Partially disagree
  • Strongly disagree

Just make sure that your opinion is clear throughout the whole essay. Don’t forget to state your opinion clearly in the essay outline ! If you fail to do that, you will get a low score for Task Response.

Planning your Answer

Once you have chosen your opinion, you need to decide what ideas to include and how to include them – ie picking a structure.

Personally, I will agree with the statement and tell the reader why I think that health will be worse in the future. I will look at two ideas:

  • Eating habits.
  • Lifestyle choices.

Each of these will be given one paragraph and I will develop those with explanations. My essay will look something like this:

Note that I will expand all of these points with realistic detail and link them logically. You can see that in my sample band 9 answer below. I will be careful not to give too many ideas because that can make your essay more like a list. It is better to develop a few ideas logically.

Language about Health and the Future

I have written about health vocabulary here and there is a useful video here:

Those will give you lots of words and phrases you can use to talk about health in the IELTS writing test.

For this essay, your language will obviously relate to your choices in terms of answer. For me, I have decided to cover diet and lifestyle, so there are many words and phrases I might need to use. I should definitely know a broad range of health conditions:

  • Heart attack
  • Back problems

You can learn more vocabulary and even gain useful ideas by reading about health on reputable websites. Here is a guide to healthy living by the World Health Organization. And here is another from the UK’s National Health Service.

Here are two sentences I will include in my essay, which relate to the different issues I want to discuss:

  • All around the world, fewer people are dying of starvation , but more people are dying from obesity and diabetes due to their sugary and fatty diets.
  • Back problems and joint pain are becoming increasingly common, while the lack of physical mobility is exacerbating the obesity issues created by our unhealthy diets.

You can see that I have mentioned various health problems.

You may notice that I have used present tenses here because my arguments about the future are primarily based on the present. I want to show how our current problems are indicative of potential future ones.

What I will do is gather most of my evidence and put forth my case that our health is currently declining, then make it clear in the introduction and conclusion that this signals worse problems in the future:

  • This essay will agree with that statement and give reasons why human health will continue to decline.
  • This will probably continue in future due to our unhealthy diets and sedentary lifestyles.

I think this is more effective than offering vague speculation throughout the whole essay.

Sample Band 9 Answer

It has been argued that the level of people’s health in the future will be lower than it is at present. This essay will agree with that statement and give reasons why human health will continue to decline.

Although medical technology is improving at a rapid pace, human health in most developed countries peaked several decades ago and has been in decline. This is because abundance has paradoxically created a situation where people are exposed to vast quantities of unhealthy food. All around the world, fewer people are dying of starvation, but more people are dying from obesity and diabetes due to their sugary and fatty diets. In countries that have only recently acquired wealth, this change is even more profound, and so millions of people in countries like China are suffering from utterly preventable health problems. This situation gets worse year after year.

Another related issue is that of lifestyle. Humans evolved to roam the plains of Africa and then adapted to an active agricultural lifestyle, but in the modern era we are confined to office chairs and car seats. Our bodies are not used to this sedentary lifestyle, and so they suffer greatly. Back problems and joint pain are becoming increasingly common, while the lack of physical mobility is exacerbating the obesity issues created by our unhealthy diets. With the advent of mobile phones and other technologies, even children no longer go outside much and so this idle lifestyle has infected the youngest members of society, threatening the very future of our species.

In conclusion, human health is on the decline in spite of developments in medicine. This will probably continue in future due to our unhealthy diets and sedentary lifestyles.

More on Band 9 Answers

Can you really learn from band 9 sample answers? I believe that you can, but you must be careful not to put too much trust in them. You should always use your own ideas and language. Here is a video about band 9 sample answers and how to get the most from them:

About The Author

David S. Wills

David S. Wills

David S. Wills is the author of Scientologist! William S. Burroughs and the 'Weird Cult' and the founder/editor of Beatdom literary journal. He lives and works in rural Cambodia and loves to travel. He has worked as an IELTS tutor since 2010, has completed both TEFL and CELTA courses, and has a certificate from Cambridge for Teaching Writing. David has worked in many different countries, and for several years designed a writing course for the University of Worcester. In 2018, he wrote the popular IELTS handbook, Grammar for IELTS Writing and he has since written two other books about IELTS. His other IELTS website is called IELTS Teaching.

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Alan

Very detailed and informative, thank you.

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Sample health topics for writing task 2

Home  »  IELTS writing task 2 questions  »  Sample health topics for writing task 2

In this article, you will get information about:

  • health essay IELTS topics
  • how to approach a health topic IELTS writing task 2 
  • plenty of examples of IELTS writing test questions
  • suitable vocabulary for your health-related essay for IELTS

There is a huge range of writing task 2 topics and students often ask how they can best prepare for writing task 2. It’s impossible to practice everything, but similar task 2 topics come up frequently and as experienced examiners and IELTS experts, we encourage all our students to practice at least one writing task 2 on health.

Here you’ll find a list of health vocabulary terms to help you write about the following task 2 essay topics. Any question for task 2 related to health will be quite flexible so these phrases will work for a range of task 2 health-related topics, from free health care in hospitals to declining birth rates to nutritious food and the ideal healthy diet.

Each health writing task 2 is going to be unique, but read it carefully and you’ll be fine. As you’ll see, agree /disagree essay on health questions are common but you’ll see the other 4 common essay types too – discuss both views, advantages/disadvantages, problems/solutions and two-part questions. The following topic list has you covered, whatever question you get in the IELTS test.

How to approach a writing task 2 related to health?

  • As with any task 2 essay, you need to summarise the question, set out a position (give your opinion if it is asked for and say what you are going to do.
  • You will need to set out key ideas (topic sentences) in your body paragraphs and support these with relevant examples from your own country or whatever you know about.
  • As with every IELTS writing task, you need a conclusion that summarises your topic sentences so that your essay ‘flows’ in a logical way.
  • Don’t ever make up statistics or numbers – and stay away from statements like ‘the majority of people suffer from health problems’ it is very challenging to prove – if you use ‘more people have diabetes’ and ‘fewer people are healthy weight’ this is more appropriate.

We have a list of health-related writing task 2 topics below – you’ll obviously not have time to write more than a few but it’s a good idea to spend a few minutes thinking about the main arguments and vocabulary you might use for each one. All these writing task 2 health-related topics have come from past IELTS papers and official material so will be the most useful for you to practice.

You absolutely do not need to be an expert on every serious health problem generally, the only issues mentioned specifically in IELTS exams are cancer, diabetes and obesity.

Sample health-related task 2 writing questions

  • In your own opinion, what do you think are the factors that contribute to longevity (living a long time)? List some examples and reasons to support your answer.
  • Some people think that keeping pets is good for children while others think it is dangerous and unhealthy. Which opinion do you agree with? Discuss both options and give examples.
  • Even when poor countries get help from rich countries, hunger is still an issue. Discuss probable causes and solutions. Support your answer with specific reasons and examples.
  • Compared to the past, more younger adults take medications for degenerative diseases. Provide specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
  • Today more countries import food from different parts of the world. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this trend. Provide specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
  • In some countries the population is ageing and the birth rate is declining. How will this affect society and how can it be prevented? Give specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
  • Some people say that it is better to promote healthy lifestyles and a healthy diet than spend so much money to treat obese people. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to support your position.
  • More people now have children later in life. Some think it is not a good development for the family and for the country. Compare these two views. Use specific reasons and examples to support your position.
  • Obesity is a serious problem in many countries, especially in rich countries. Discuss ways to solve the problem. Provide specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
  • More people are now trying out different varieties of food which results in the consumption of ingredients from different parts of the world. Do you think this is a positive or negative development? Provide specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
  • In some countries, health care and health education are only partially funded by the government. Which do you think is better in terms of quality: free public healthcare and education or privately paid healthcare and education? Provide specific reasons and examples to support your position.
  • Do you think that an ageing society will disappear? What are the advantages and disadvantages of having more old people in society?
  • Which is better: to have children earlier or later in a woman’s life? What are the possible reasons and effects of these two tendencies on a personal scale and for society in general? Support your answer with specific reasons and examples.
  • Some people, including medical workers, argue against using animals and humans for clinical tests while others think it is necessary. Which are you in favour of? Provide specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
  • Many people think that home-cooked food is healthy, but many people still prefer eating out. Why is this so? How much does unhealthy food affectthe public health of a country? Provide specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

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health problems essay ielts

IELTS Home Preparation | A Helpful Guide To IELTS

IELTS Essays About Health

Jump to: Opinion Essays , Discussion Essays , Discussion and Opinion Essays , or Situation Essays

Opinion Essays

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Everybody should become a vegetarian because eating meat can cause serious health problems. 

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

The recent trend towards people seeking out alternative medicine, rather than sticking to scientifically proven traditional forms of medicine will cause greater pain and suffering in the future.

To what extent do you agree with the statement?

Many people believe that popular, but unhealthy fizzy drink companies should not be allowed to advertise, while others believe that all companies should have the right to advertise.

What is your opinion?

Doctors should be responsible for educating their patients about how to improve their health and not just treat their symptoms.

Do you agree with this?

Hospitals should charge high prices for their services, and no one should receive free healthcare because individuals are responsible for looking after their own health.

Do you agree with this opinion?

Obesity in children is greatly increasing and this could lead health problems for them later in life, as well as health care costs.

Why do you think so many children are obese and what could be done to solve this problem.

Some people believe that public health is the responsibility of the government while others believe that individuals should be take responsibility for their own health.

Discuss both sides and give your opinion.

With more and more people consuming fast food, which if eaten too regularly can cause health issues. Some people believe that the only solution is to ban it entirely.

To what extent do you agree?

Due to the fast pace of modern life, increasing numbers of people are consuming fast food for their main meals.

Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

The prevention of health problems is more important than the development of new treatments, the government should therefore invest more in prevention. Government funding should reflect this.

Everyone should be made to follow a vegetarian diet as eating meat can lead to serious health issues.

Do you agree or disagree?

Discussion Essays

In western socieities childhood obesity has rapidly increased in recent years.

Discuss the causes and effects of this trend.

Over the last few years it is commonly accepted that the level of obesity amongst children has significantly increased. This essay shall explore some of the reasons for this and the impact they are having.

First of all, one of the main reasons for the surge in obesity is the increased consumption levels of fast food among children. Companies such as KFC and MacDonald's spend millions of pound per year on advertising that specifically targets the youth of a nation. The impact this has on them is that these targeted children are led to believe that fast food is part of a normal diet and can be eaten daily. Of course, with the food containing large amounts of sodium and fat, it should be no surprise that obesity in children which leads to fatty liver disease, high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes in the long term is now commonplace.

One other major contributing factor to the surge in obesity is the lack of exercise that children are doing. In the past children would walk to school, play outside until dark, or play football in the park. These days, however, children are more likely to found staring blankly at their smartphone reading the latest chatter on their preferred social network. This lack of exercise is causing children to not use up many of the calories they are consuming, hence the increase in body fat which is stored around their body. A recent study from the University of Virginia showed that in the last ten years, the average twelve year old child now uses approximately 3,000 less calories per week during their daily life than an equivalent child ten years ago and is at twice the risk of developing heart disease or diabetes..

Overall, the increase of sedentary lifestyles among children and the increased consumption of fast food have caused the surge in obesity. This has led directly to increased health related issues which the government should address as a matter of urgency.

Many people think that having one single fixed punishment for all crimes would be more effective.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a fixed punishment?

Discussion and Opinion Essays

Some people believe governments should introduce measures enforcing a healthy lifestyle on individuals and others believe it must be controlled by individuals themselves.

Some people blame the government for the increase in childhood obesity while others think it is the parents fault.

Situation Essays

In many developed countries stress is one of the biggest problems.

What are some of the factors that cause this stress and how can we reduce it?

The increase in the rate of obesity is leading to an increase in the number of people suffering from heart disease.

What is the reason for the growth in obese people and how can this problem be solved?

People are walking less and less these days even though walking provides many benefits to people’s health.

What are the reasons for this and what can be done to tackle the problem?

In some poorer areas of large cities people are too afraid to leave their houses at night time due to a fear of crime.

What are the causes of crime in those areas and what can be done to tackle those problems?

In order to reduce the problem of overweight children, the amount of time spent on sport and exercise should be increased in schools.

Do you think this is the best method of dealing with the problem and what are other solutions can you suggest?

health problems essay ielts

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IELTS Model Essay: Problems-Solutions Essay (weight and health)

welts-model-essay-problem-solution

Here is another of my IELTS model essays  for IELTS Writing Task 2 . It’s a problems-solutions essay question:

In some countries the average weight of people is increasing and their levels of health and fitness are decreasing. What do you think are the causes of these problems and what measures could be taken to solve them?

Cambridge IELTS 8 Test 4 (Academic)

This task is asking you to discuss the CAUSES of the problem – why are people gaining weight, and why they less fit and healthy? – and to suggest some SOLUTIONS.

Note: you must discuss the CAUSES of the problem, not the problem itself. If you discuss the problem of being overweight (e.g. you write about diabetes and heart disease), then your band score for Task Response will be limited, probably to Band 5.

One potential problem with this task is there is a lot you could write about! But if you want a high band score, it’s better to write a few ideas in detail , rather than a lot of ideas briefly.

Note: in my plan I’ve clearly separated “increasing weight” from “decreasing health and fitness”, and I’ve developed one clear idea for each. The causes of these problems probably overlap, so you could write about the causes together…but if you get a mean IELTS examiner, they might think you haven’t covered all parts of the question. So to be safe, I’ve dealt with the causes separately.

  • too much carbohydrate in food, e.g. sugary drinks, junk food with rice and pasta
  • people take car everywhere, no walking
  • more people do seated work in offices than in past
  • Governments need to force food producers to reduce sugar content, e.g. with sugar tax
  • Increase fuel tax to make car travel more expensive
  • Personal resonsibility: walk more, watch what you eat

So that’s my plan. Now I know what to write. Here’s my essay.

Over the last few decades, rising obesity and a drop in people’s overall health and fitness have become a major concern in many countries, especially those in the developed world.

One of the main causes of increasing weight amongst the population is because so much food and drink contains large amounts of carbohydrates. Junk food, for example, tends to contain high quantities of cheap pasta and rice, while soft drinks often contain large amounts of sugar. If these carbohydrates are not burned up through exercise, they will simply be converted by the body into fat, leading to weight gain.

However, people are getting less exercise, which means that not only will they gain weight, they will also experience lower levels of health and fitness. One of the main reasons for this lack of exercise is our increasingly sedentary lifestyle. Whereas in the past, many people used to be engaged in manual labour such as factory work or farming, today they are more likely to be sat in an office hunched over a computer. Add to that the fact that people are more likely to commute to work by car, rather than walk or cycle, and we can see why people are getting fatter and less healthy.

There are some solutions to this problem that governments could provide, such as a sugar tax. In countries where this has been introduced, such as the U.K., this has led to drinks’ manufacturers reducing the amount of sugar in their products. I also feel that higher levels of tax on petrol might make car drivers think twice about whether they should really take the car out on the road. Ultimately, however, it is up to individuals to take more responsibility for their own health and fitness. They could make the effort to walk more and take the car less, and make better choices regarding their diet using information that is widely available on the Internet.

(321 words)

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Discover the 7 STEPS to BAND 7 in IELTS Writing Task 2

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IELTS Writing: problem and solution essay

In this lesson you’ll learn how to answer problems/solutions questions in IELTS Writing . This type of questions gives you an issue and asks you to describe some common problems associated with it and propose some possible solutions.

  • See problem-solution question sample
  • Learn how to generate ideas
  • Learn band 9 answering strategies
  • See full band 9 answer

Question sample

This is an example of problem-solution question in IELTS Writing:

Despite a large number of gyms, a sedentary lifestyle is gaining popularity in the contemporary world.

What problems are associated with this?

What solutions can you suggest?

How to answer the question?

Before starting to write your answer, you should think of 1-2 problems and 1-2 solutions, so you know what to write about. In our case:

Problems associated with sedentary lifestyle :

health problems essay ielts

  • problems with backbone (osteoporosis, scoliosis)

Solutions :

  • promote walking and cycling as safe and attractive alternatives to motorized transport
  • promote visiting gyms and doing exercises

Now, after we’ve generated some ideas for our essay, it’s time to use them in our writing .

Remember : it’s not enough to simply state these facts, you should also extend the ideas in your writing.

Band 9 answer structure

Although there are many possible ways to structure your essay, we’ll use this band 9 answer structure that has been approved by many IELTS examiners:

Band-9 essay structure:

  • Introduction
  • Body paragraph 1 - problems
  • Body paragraph 2 - effects

Let’s take a look at each of these sections in detail:

Introduction Write your introduction in two sentences:

  • Sentence 1 - paraphrase the statement (you can use ‘nowadays/today/these days’ to start):

These days a sedentary lifestyle is becoming more and more popular despite a big number of sport facilities.

  • Sentence 2 - say what you’ll write about in your essay:

This essay will discuss the main problems associated with this epidemic and propose some possible solutions to avoid them.

Body paragraph 1- problems

  • Sentence 1 - summarise the main problems of inactive lifestyle:

The main problems caused by inactive lifestyle are obesity and various spine disorders.

  • Sentences 2-3 - state and explain the first problem (you can also give an example). It’s very important to expand your opinion! Imagine that your examiner doesn’t know this subject at all and you have to explain everything in detail:

A growing number of body research shows that long periods of physical inactivity raise a risk of becoming overweight. This is because people burn fewer calories and easily gain weight.

  • Sentences 4-5 - describe the second problem (as usual, expand your opinion). You can give an example and use linking words ‘ moreover’ , ’ what’s more’ or ‘ also ’ to start:

What’s more, a lot of studies show that so-called ‘sitting disease’ often results in posture and backbone problems. Due to constant sitting, person loses muscle tissue and curves spine, developing numerous spinal diseases. For example, it has been proven that about 80% of people experience backache at least once a week.

Body paragraph 2 - solutions

  • Sentence 1 - briefly state the main solutions:

In my opinion, the best solution to this problem is promoting active lifestyle.

  • Sentences 2-3 - write the first solution and explain it:

Firstly, millions of people stay less active because they use cars instead of walking. Therefore, an effective way to make people more active is to advertise walking and cycling as safe and attractive alternatives to motorized transport.

Moreover, inactive lifestyle is gaining popularity because nowadays a lot of people prefer passive rest to workouts in the gym. And the best way to avoid the hazards of unhealthy living is to obtain a regular dose of physical activity. Thus, promoting gyms and regular exercising would increase the level of activity.

Write your conclusion in 2 sentences by summing up the problems and solutions you’ve written in your body paragraphs:

In conclusion, leading a sedentary lifestyle causes a lot of health problems, including obesity and spinal diseases. The most effective solution is to increase the level of fitness among the society by advertising physical activity.

Band 9 answer sample

These days a sedentary lifestyle is becoming more and more popular despite a big number of sport facilities. This essay will discuss the main problems associated with this epidemic and propose some possible solutions to avoid them.

The main problems caused by inactive lifestyle are obesity and various spine disorders. A growing number of body research shows that long periods of physical inactivity raise a risk of becoming overweight. This is because people burn fewer calories and easily gain weight. What’s more, a lot of studies show that so-called ‘sitting disease’ often results in posture and backbone problems. Due to constant sitting, person loses muscle tissue and curves spine, developing numerous spinal diseases. For example, it has been proven that about 80% of people experience backache at least once a week.

In my opinion, the best solution to these problems is promoting active lifestyle. Firstly, millions of people stay less active because they use cars instead of walking. Therefore, an effective way to make people more active is to advertise walking and cycling as safe and attractive alternatives to motorized transport. Moreover, inactive lifestyle is gaining popularity because nowadays a lot of people prefer passive rest to workouts in the gym. And the best way to avoid the hazards of unhealthy living is to obtain a regular dose of physical activity. Thus, promoting gyms and regular exercising would increase the level of activity.

(268 words)

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IELTS Writing Task 2/ Essay Topics with sample answer.

Ielts essay # 1433 - obesity is an increasing public health problem, ielts writing task 2/ ielts essay:, obesity is an increasing public health problem in some parts of the world., explain some possible reasons for this problem, and suggest some solutions..

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health problems essay ielts

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Vegetarianism Essay

This is a model  vegetarianism essay .

As I always stress, you should  read the question very carefully  before you answer it to make sure you are writing about the right thing.

Take a look at the question:

Every one of us should become a vegetarian because eating meat can cause serious health problems.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Staying on topic

If you rush to start writing and don't analyse the question and brainstorm some ideas you may include the wrong information.

There are religious or moral arguments for not eating meat, but if you discuss those you will be going off topic .

This question is specifically about the health problems connected to eating meat.

So you must discuss in your answer what some of these problems are and if you think there are real health risks or not.

Knowing about the topic

IELTS Vegetarianism Essay

And don't get worried that you do not know much about diet and health.

As part of your IELTS study it will help if you know the basics of most topics such as some health vocabulary in this case, but you are not expected to be an expert on nutrition.

Remember, you are being judged on your English ability and your ability to construct an argument in a coherent way, not to be an expert in the subject matter. So relax and work with

Organisation

In this vegetarianism essay, the candidate disagrees with the statement, and is thus arguing that everyone does not need to be a vegetarian.

The essay has been organised in the following way:

Body 1: Health issues connected with eating meat (i.e. arguments in support of being a vegetarian Body 2: Advantages of eating meat

Now take a look at the model answer.

Model Essay

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own experience or knowledge.

Write at least 250 words.

IELTS Vegetarianism Essay - Sample Answer

Vegetarianism is becoming more and more popular for many people, particularly because of the harm that some people believe meat can cause to the body. However, I strongly believe that it is not necessary for everybody to be a vegetarian.

Vegetarians believe that meat is unhealthy because of the diseases it has been connected with. There has been much research to suggest that red meat is particularly bad, for example, and that consumption should be limited to eating it just a few times a week to avoid such things as cancer. Meats can also be high in saturated fats so they have been linked to health problems such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

However, there are strong arguments for eating meat. The first reason is that as humans we are designed to eat meat, which suggests it is not unhealthy, and we have been eating meat for thousands of years. For example, cavemen made hunting implements so that they could kill animals and eat their meat. Secondly, meat is a rich source of protein which helps to build muscles and bones. Vegetarians often have to take supplements to get all the essential vitamins and minerals. Finally, it may be the case that too much meat is harmful, but we can easily limit the amount we have without having to cut it out of our diet completely.

To sum up, I do not agree that everyone should turn to a vegetarian diet. Although the overconsumption of meat could possibly be unhealthy, a balanced diet of meat and vegetables should result in a healthy body.

(264 words)

You should begin by intoducing the topi c. The introduction in this vegetarianism essay begins by mentioning vegetarians and the possible harm of eating meat .

It then goes on to the thesis statement , which makes it clear what the candidate's opinion is.

The first body paragraph has a topic sentence which makes it clear that the paragraph is going to address the possible health issues of eating meat.

Some reasons and examples are then given to support this.

The second body paragraph then has a topic sentence which makes it clear that the main idea is now about the arguments for eating meat .

The conclusion in this vegetarianism essay then repeats the opinion and gives the candidates final thoughts.

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  • Health Vocabulary

Questions on health and fitness come up regularly in the IELTS exam so it’s a good idea to learn some common health vocabulary.

You may be asked to talk about health issues or write about them, and health and fitness could also be the topic of your reading or listening tests.

Health vocabulary

To help you with this, I've included four things on this page:

  • A list of common health vocabulary  with definitions & sample sentences 
  • IELTS-style questions on the topic of health and fitness
  • Sample answers
  • Links to online reading and listening resources

You’ll find PDF downloads of both the questions and sample answers, and the health vocabulary list, at the bottom of the respective sections.

We’ll start with the questions and answers.

The questions relate to the Speaking test because this part of the exam offers the broadest range of possible questions on the topic of health and fitness. They give the best opportunity for me to demonstrate the vocabulary and for you to practise using it.

Below you will find IELTS-style questions and answers for all three parts of the Speaking test. I've highlighted key words and phrases in  bold .

You'll find these words and phrases, and many others, in the vocabulary list beneath. The list also includes explanations and sample sentences and there is an audio to listen to pronunciation.

The health vocabulary list contains words and phrases relevant to all parts of the IELTS exam.

Finally, at the bottom of the page I've added links to topical articles, short videos and podcasts that will help you to improve both your health vocabulary and your reading and listening skills.

Here’s something to think about as you work through this page:

Learning vocabulary for IELTS isn’t just about learning new words and phrases, but about  how you use vocabulary to develop good answers.

IELTS-Style Speaking Test Questions and Answers

Common health vocabulary is highlighted in  bold .

1)   What do you do to stay healthy?

I eat a  balanced diet  with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and take some form of exercise every day. I also make sure that I get enough sleep.

2)   Do you get ill very often?

Fortunately, I’m very healthy and rarely get ill, although I occasionally  catch a cold  in the winter.

3)   Is there anything you’d like to improve about your fitness?

I really want to take up yoga because I often feel stiff after exercise and I think it would help. It would also make me more flexible and less likely to get injured when I  work out .

4)   Are you careful about what you eat?

I try very hard to have a  healthy diet , even when I eat out at a restaurant. I rarely buy takeaways and when I go out with friends for fish and chips, I only have the fish with some peas.

5)   How important is a healthy lifestyle for you?

It’s one of the most important things for me because I want to feel good and to enjoy life. If you don’t have  good health  then everything else in life is a struggle.

health problems essay ielts

Describe a change you have made to improve your health and that you would recommend to others.

You should say:

  • why you decided to do it
  • how you have benefitted from it

and explain why you would recommend it to others.

I often make changes to my lifestyle to try and  look after my health  but the one I’d like to tell you about is cutting down on how much meat I eat.

There’s been a lot of stuff in the media about how  unhealthy  it is to eat too much meat, especially red meat and processed meat. I was already fairly healthy and ate a  balanced diet , but when I took up a new sport, which involved  vigorous exercise , I started to think that maybe I should try to cut down on it a little. I was particularly concerned about the increased risk of heart  disease  and of having a stroke. I know a  healthy diet  can help to  prevent  these.

I started by cutting out meat one day a week and making a vegetarian meal instead. This was easy so I started doing it twice a week and then for three days. Soon I began to look forward to my non-meat days as I was discovering many delicious foods that I’d never tried before. I also started to eat more fish which has many  health benefits .

Within two months I’d lost nearly half a stone in weight. Although I hadn’t actually had a weight problem, it was a nice surprise. Even better, my cholesterol level went down which I was especially pleased about. I certainly felt  as fit as a fiddle . Many of my friends who still eat lots of red meat suffer from high cholesterol and I’m sure there’s a connection.

Over time, I’ve found that the less meat I eat, the less I want to eat, and I’m now down to just cooking meat dishes at the weekends. Maintaining this diet is made easier by the fact that I live on my own so can cook and eat whatever I want to without being influenced by anyone else. If I had to cook a chicken casserole or steak pie for my family I don’t think I’d be strong enough to resist eating it myself.

I don’t think I’ll ever cut out meat altogether as I enjoy it too much. I can say, however, that going partly vegetarian has definitely saved me money as meat has gone steadily up in price over the past few years. For this reason, as well as all the others I’ve mentioned, I would definitely recommend cutting down on meat.

health problems essay ielts

1)   Do you think people have become more health-conscious in recent years?

In my opinion, many people are more concerned about living a  healthy lifestyle  than, say, ten years ago and understand how to stay fit and healthy. Lots of adults of all ages go to the gym, cycle to work, jog in their spare time or have taken up a sport. The shops seem to offer more healthy eating options every week so the demand is obviously there.

On the other hand, I heard on the news that over 70% of the population of my country is  overweight  so most people aren’t taking good care of their  health . There are lots of programmes on TV about  health problems  related to  obesity  and how to change your life and get healthier, so I have to conclude that people are more conscious of  health issues  these days but that many choose to do nothing to improve them.

2)   Why do some people choose to live unhealthy lives?

As someone who tries hard to live healthily, I find it hard to understand why many people chose  unhealthy lifestyles . Personally, I think they are in denial over the long-term damage to their  health  of eating and drinking too much and not taking enough exercise. In many cases, it’s just laziness.

However, I do believe that there are some people who really do want to lose weight and get fit but find it very difficult to change their  dietary habits  or find the motivation to exercise. I have a work colleague who was so overweight and  unfit   that he couldn’t play football with his children. He was so upset by this that he went on a  diet  and started to take  regular exercise . He lost over 40kg and is in really  good shape  now. More importantly, he can now run around with his kids and play football, which they really love.

Sometimes it takes a situation like this or a  health scare  for someone to make better  health  decisions.

3)   What are the health benefits of playing a sport?

In my view, there are many great  health benefits  to be gained from taking part in sports activities. Firstly, it helps you to stay physically fit and healthy, and to lose weight if that’s a problem.

Secondly, it’s good for your  mental health   as it can help to relieve stress and improve work-life balance. I find this myself. I can have a really difficult day at work but when I go out training on the river with my rowing crew in the evening, that stress disappears.

Finally, playing a sport is an excellent way of making new friends as you meet like-minded people who share your interest. Having good friends around you is also good for your  mental health . If you play a team sport, training with your teammates pushes you to get fitter, so that’s an added advantage, and it’s fun to  work out  together.

health problems essay ielts

Click this link to get a PDF download of these practise  questions & sample answers.

Download PDF now

*  Important

  • Do  not  try and learn this list of health vocabulary.
  • Identify the vocabulary you find useful for answering practise questions about health and fitness.
  • Record these in your vocabulary notebook and practise using them regularly.

I recommend that you create your own answers to the Speaking questions on this page. You will find many other IELTS-style practise questions by searching online. 

For help on how to learn vocabulary, what to learn and how to record it, visit these pages:

How to Learn Vocabulary for IELTS

Top 6 Types of IELTS Vocabulary & Topic Word Lists

Health Vocabulary – Common Words & Phrases

Key definitions:

health   –  the physical and mental condition of the body and the extent to which it is free from illness or injury

fitness  – the state of being physically fit and healthy.

Health Vocabulary Pronunciation

Health Vocabulary Set 1: Health

healthy diet  – mainly eating food that is nutritious and cutting down on sugar and fat.

- Eating a  healthy diet  can help prevent illness and disease.

health problems  (or  health issues ) – situations where the body is suffering from illness, injury or disease.

- An unhealthy lifestyle can lead to many  health problems  in old age.

- Smoking and drinking excess alcohol can lead to many serious  health issues .

health risk  – any factor that exposes a person to the increased chance of experiencing illness, injury or disease such as poor nutrition, alcohol or drug consumption, unsafe water, poor hygiene and sanitation, unsafe sex.

- Binge drinking is a significant  health risk  and can have many long and short-term consequences.

ill health  – suffering from some form of physical or mental illness or disease.

- He had been suffering from  ill health  for several months before he died.

poor health  – the general state of not being in a good condition of health.

- The refugees arrived in a state of  poor health  having had little food or water for many weeks.

unhealthy  – harmful to health or not having good health.

- Smoking is a really  unhealthy  habit.

- I read in a magazine article that it’s unhealthy to eat too much red meat.

health scare   – a state of alarm or anxiety caused by concern about the risk of developing or being diagnosed with a particular illness or condition.

-  Suffering chest pains while playing in the park with his kids was a real  health scare  and prompted him to lose weight and get fitter.

good health  – the general state of being in a good condition of health.

- Despite celebrating his 90 th  birthday, Peter had no medical problems and was in remarkably  good health .

healthy lifestyle  (or  unhealthy lifestyle )  – a way of living that contributes to good health and well-being.

- Regular exercise is an important part of a  healthy lifestyle .

- His excessive weight and the fact that he gasped for breath when he walked were clues to his  unhealthy  lifestyle.

health care  – the services provided by governments or organisations for the treatment of illness, injury, disease and to maintain well-being.

- Many governments cannot afford to provide free  health care  for their people.

health education   – education that promotes an understanding of how to maintain personal health.

- Basic health education  is vital if child mortality in rural African communities is to be reduced.

health-conscious   – to be concerned about how your diet and lifestyle are affecting your health and take an active interest in maintaining good health.

- After his sister died young of heart disease, Bill became far more  health-conscious  and made changes to his lifestyle and diet.

health benefit  – the positive effect on a person's health gained from food, activity, medical treatment or therapy.

- Eating fruit and vegetables has many  health benefits .

mental health   – the state of a person’s emotional and  psychological  well-being. The health of the mind.

- Stress or bullying at work can lead to serious  mental health  problems.

to look after your health   /  to take care of your health  – to eat well, drink alcohol sensibly and take exercise.

- I believe I’m still able to enjoy an active life in my 80’s because I have always  looked after my health .

to regain your health  – to recover from illness or injury.

- Sunita was very ill with the flu but is gradually  regaining her health .

Health Vocabulary Pronunciation 

Health Vocabulary  Set 2: Fitness

regular exercise  – to engage in physical activity often and consistently.

-  Taking  regular   exercise  helps to keep the body healthy.

vigorous exercise  – intense exercise that causes sweating, heavy breathing and increased heart rate.

-  Vigorous exercise  helps to keep the heart healthy.

to be unfit   – when the body   not being in good physical condition, generally due to a lack of regular exercise.

- I gave up going to the gym six months ago and I’ve become very  unfit .

prevent  –  To stop something from happening.

- Keeping fit can  prevent  a wide range of health problems from developing.

- Governments could contribute to the  prevention  of health problems by banning the advertising of unhealthy products such as fast food, alcohol and cigarettes.

in good shape  – in good physical condition.

- My parents are both in their 70’s but are still in pretty  good shape .

stay in shape   – to take action to maintain good health and fitness.

- Eating healthily and taking regular exercise helps me to  stay in shape .

out of shape  – not in good physical condition.

- I got very lazy over the holidays and am really feeling  out of shape .

get back into shape  – to take action to improve your physical condition.

- I’ve taken up swimming to help me  get back into shape  after breaking my leg.

work out  – to exercise in order to improve physical fitness and increase strength.

- Sally  works out  at the gym three times a week to help her stay fit and healthy.

Health Vocabulary  Set 3: Food & Eating

diet  –  the type of food and drink a person usually eats and drinks.

- In many Asian countries, the staple  diet  includes lots of rice and vegetables.

diet   – an eating plan where someone eats less and/or changes what they eat to lose weight and to become healthier.

- I’m going on a diet because I’m too fat to fit into my favourite dress.

​ balanced diet  – a combination of healthy types and amounts of food.

- Eating a  balanced diet  is important for staying healthy.

dietary habit  – eating similar things regularly.

-  Dietary habits  are hard to change, especially for people addicted to junk food.

dietary requirement   – the correct types and amounts of food to maintain health which may vary from person to person depending on age and lifestyle.

- In many poor communities, people can’t grow or buy enough food to meet their basic  dietary requirements  and so they get ill.

comfort food  – types of food that provide a feeling of well-being. They are typically sweet and high in calories.

- I always feel happier after eating a slice of chocolate; it’s such a great  comfort food .

portion  – the amount of food served to a person

- When I visited the US I was shocked at the oversized  portions  served in the restaurants. No wonder obesity is such a big problem over there.

additive   – A substance which is added to food in order to improve its taste or appearance or to preserve it.

- I try to avoid food that is full of  additives  because I think they are bad for your health.

nutrients   –   a substance that provides the essential elements needed for living things to survive and to grow.

- Most fast food contains very few  nutrients . I like to eat cook my own meals so that I can be sure they are  nutritious .

binge drinking  – drinking an excessive amount of alcohol in a short period of time or drinking to get drunk.

- There’s a worrying increase in  binge drinking  among young people in many societies today.

Food & eating idiom

you are what you eat   – makes a connection between the food someone eats and the state of their health.

- I feel so much better and have lots more energy since I cut out junk food and started eating more healthily. I guess it’s true that “ you are what you eat ”.

Health Vocabulary  Set 4: Health issues

overweight   – to weigh more than is considered desirable or healthy.

- According to recent statistics, nearly 70% of the population of the UK is overweight.

obesity  – the state of being extremely overweight.

- Obesity is now considered to be the most serious health issue facing the developed world.

- Being obese can contribute to developing type 2 diabetes.

diabetes  –  A serious medical condition in which the body cannot control the level of sugar in the blood.

- My father used to suffer from  diabetes,  but after following medical advice to cut sugar out of his diet, he is no longer  diabetic .

overeating   – eating more than your body needs.

- Overeating  can lead to many serious health issues such as heart disease, high blood pressure and cancer.

allergy   – a condition where a person becomes ill or develops skin or breathing problems due to eating certain foods or being near certain substances.

- Food  allergies  seem to be becoming more common and many people have developed an  allergic reaction  to nut, which can be fatal.

disease  – an illness caused by infection or poor health.

- Chickenpox is a very common childhood  disease .

addiction   – the inability to stop doing or taking something that is harmful.

-  Drug  addiction  destroys lives and contributes to soaring crime rates.

fall ill  –  to become sick or ill.

Chandra  fell ill  while on holiday but receive excellent care in the local hospital.

come down with   (something)   - to become ill, to catch a virus.

- My best friend  came down with  a heavy cold and didn’t feel well enough to come to my birthday party.

get over   (when related to health)   – to recover from being illness or injury.

- I was off work for three days last week with a chest infection but I’m  getting over  it now.

Health idioms

to be under the weather   – to feel unwell.

- I was so looking forward to the new club’s opening night but didn’t really enjoy it as I was feeling  under the weather .

back on your feet   – to be healthy again after a period of illness or injury.

- It took my gran a while to get over the effects of her fall but she’s  back on her feet  again now.

to be on the mend   – to be recovering after ill health.

- I suffered from depression after my brother was killed in an accident last year but I’m  on the mend  now and beginning to enjoy life again.

to make a speedy recovery   – to  recover quickly from an ill health.

- The doctors said that it was because he was so fit and healthy that he  made a speedy recovery  from the operation on his fractured shoulder.

road to recovery   – the process of becoming healthy again.

- They didn’t think she’d survive the bout of pneumonia with her weak chest but she’s finally on the  road to recovery .

clean bill of health   – a decision by a doctor that a person is healthy.

- Tony changed his lifestyle after suffering from heart problems and has now been given a  clean bill of health  by his doctor.

fit as a fiddle  – to be in very good health.

- I was fed up with feeling tired, full of aches and pains and always getting colds so I changed my diet and took up running. Now I’m as  fit as a fiddle .

to feel washed out  – to not have much energy after an illness.

I’m much better than I was but I’m still  feeling washed out .

Health Vocabulary  Set 5: Health Care

GP   – general practitioner (family doctor).

- My  GP  said that I am in great shape for my age.

to make an appointment  – to arrange a time to see the doctor.

- I’ve  made you an appointment  with the doctor for 3.30 pm on Thursday.

a check-up   –   a physical examination by a doctor.

- Now that I’m over 50, I get a free annual  check-up  from my   doctor.

prescription   – written authorisation from a medical practitioner for a patient to be issued with a medicine or treatment.

- The doctor gave her a  prescription  for antibiotics to help clear up her chest infection.

phone in sick   – to call your workplace to explain that you won’t be attending work due to illness.

- He was so ill after eating the prawn curry for dinner that he had to  phone in sick  the following morning.

medical cover /   medical insurance  – insurance for the cost of medical treatment

- I was reluctant to pay for  medical cover  but was so glad I had when I fell ill with malaria after a holiday in the tropics.

immunisation  - the process of making a person or resistant to an infectious disease, typically by the administration of a vaccine.

- Mass  immunisation  programmes are highly effective in eradicating many common infectious diseases.

vaccine   – a preparation of organisms administered to stimulate the body's own immune system to protect the person against infection or disease.

- Modern flu  vaccines  are so effective that thousands of lives are saved every year in the UK and free  vaccination  is offered to everyone over the age of 65.

surgery   – the process of cutting open the body and removing or repairing damaged parts.

- Sanchez had to undergo emergency  surgery  after suffering a heart attack.

operation  – the act of surgery performed on a patient.

- My ankle fracture was so bad that I had to have an  operation  to repair it.

cure   – to eradicate a disease or medical condition.

- Millions of children in the developing world die of common illnesses for which there are simple  cures .

Health Vocabulary  Set 6: Minor health problems and symptoms

symptom  – a physical or mental change to the body that is caused by illness.

- Yang Li had many of the typical  symptoms  of flu including aching muscles and a high fever.

to catch a cold   –   to get a cold.

- There were lots of people coughing and sneezing on the tube this week so it’s hardly surprising that I’ve  caught a cold .

a chesty cough   –   a cough caused by mucus in the lungs.

- Whenever I get a cold it nearly always develops into a  chesty cough .

a runny nose   –   a nose that has mucus coming out of it.

- I hope that my  runny nose  is due to the cold weather and not a sign that I’m coming down with a cold.

a blocked nose   –   when the nose has excess fluid due to a cold.

- A  blocked nose  is one of the worse symptoms of a cold as it can make it difficult to breathe.

a sore throat   – when the throat is   inflamed causing pain when swallowing.

- I find that a drink of honey and lemon helps to soothe a  sore throat .

high temperature  – when body temperature is high than the average body temperature ranges of 97°F (36.1°C) to 99°F (37.2°C); often a symptom of illness.

- When I was young, my mother only believed my story of feeling ill and not going being well enough to go to school if I had a  high temperature .

to be sick / to vomit / to throw up   – when the contents of the stomach are expelled through the mouth.

- Camilla’s two-year-old son ate six pieces of cake when she wasn’t looking and as then  sick  all over the kitchen floor.

- Jared drank far too much at the party and  threw up  on the way home.

diarrhoea   – a condition where the body’s solid waste matter becomes more liquid than normal and is discharged from the body more often.

-  Diarrhoea  is considered a minor complaint in the developed world but in the developing world, around 1.5 million children a year dies of it mainly due to unsafe drinking water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene.

splitting  headache  –   a continuous   severe pain in the head.

- After a day of intense meetings with the boss and senior managers, Brigit went home with a splitting headache .

to pull a muscle   – to overstretch or tear a muscle causing pain.

- Anatoly was favourite to win the 100 metres but fell to the ground in pain after  pulling a muscle  before reaching the finish line.

cuts and bruises   –   minor injuries. With cuts, the skin is torn but with bruises, it is not.

- Lucy got knocked off her bike cycling to work today and was lucky to get away with just  cuts and bruises .

Click this link to get a PDF download of this list of health vocabulary .

Other useful health vocabulary

Although this list is not exhaustive, this common health vocabulary will enable you to answer most IELTS questions on this topic.

However, if you work in the medical profession, it would be a good idea to learn a small range of specific medical vocabulary that’s relevant to your job, as work is a common Speaking topic.

Also, if you or someone close to you has suffered from a particular illness or medical condition, health vocabulary related to this might also come in useful.

Ways to Improve Your Health Vocabulary

One of the best ways to improve your vocabulary is through reading. Watching topic related YouTube videos and listening to podcasts is also hugely beneficial.

Here are some online resources I recommend.

Health Articles

BBC News – Health

New Scientist 

Live Science

The Scientist   – these  articles have a useful list of keywords at the bottom.

I love TED Talks. They are short, have a powerful message and are generally very interesting. They’re ideal for improving your vocabulary and give valuable listening skills practise.

Search ‘ YouTube TED Talks Health ’ to help you improve your health vocabulary.

All Topic Vocabulary

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Shots - Health News

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Why writing by hand beats typing for thinking and learning

Jonathan Lambert

A close-up of a woman's hand writing in a notebook.

If you're like many digitally savvy Americans, it has likely been a while since you've spent much time writing by hand.

The laborious process of tracing out our thoughts, letter by letter, on the page is becoming a relic of the past in our screen-dominated world, where text messages and thumb-typed grocery lists have replaced handwritten letters and sticky notes. Electronic keyboards offer obvious efficiency benefits that have undoubtedly boosted our productivity — imagine having to write all your emails longhand.

To keep up, many schools are introducing computers as early as preschool, meaning some kids may learn the basics of typing before writing by hand.

But giving up this slower, more tactile way of expressing ourselves may come at a significant cost, according to a growing body of research that's uncovering the surprising cognitive benefits of taking pen to paper, or even stylus to iPad — for both children and adults.

Is this some kind of joke? A school facing shortages starts teaching standup comedy

In kids, studies show that tracing out ABCs, as opposed to typing them, leads to better and longer-lasting recognition and understanding of letters. Writing by hand also improves memory and recall of words, laying down the foundations of literacy and learning. In adults, taking notes by hand during a lecture, instead of typing, can lead to better conceptual understanding of material.

"There's actually some very important things going on during the embodied experience of writing by hand," says Ramesh Balasubramaniam , a neuroscientist at the University of California, Merced. "It has important cognitive benefits."

While those benefits have long been recognized by some (for instance, many authors, including Jennifer Egan and Neil Gaiman , draft their stories by hand to stoke creativity), scientists have only recently started investigating why writing by hand has these effects.

A slew of recent brain imaging research suggests handwriting's power stems from the relative complexity of the process and how it forces different brain systems to work together to reproduce the shapes of letters in our heads onto the page.

Your brain on handwriting

Both handwriting and typing involve moving our hands and fingers to create words on a page. But handwriting, it turns out, requires a lot more fine-tuned coordination between the motor and visual systems. This seems to more deeply engage the brain in ways that support learning.

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Feeling artsy here's how making art helps your brain.

"Handwriting is probably among the most complex motor skills that the brain is capable of," says Marieke Longcamp , a cognitive neuroscientist at Aix-Marseille Université.

Gripping a pen nimbly enough to write is a complicated task, as it requires your brain to continuously monitor the pressure that each finger exerts on the pen. Then, your motor system has to delicately modify that pressure to re-create each letter of the words in your head on the page.

"Your fingers have to each do something different to produce a recognizable letter," says Sophia Vinci-Booher , an educational neuroscientist at Vanderbilt University. Adding to the complexity, your visual system must continuously process that letter as it's formed. With each stroke, your brain compares the unfolding script with mental models of the letters and words, making adjustments to fingers in real time to create the letters' shapes, says Vinci-Booher.

That's not true for typing.

To type "tap" your fingers don't have to trace out the form of the letters — they just make three relatively simple and uniform movements. In comparison, it takes a lot more brainpower, as well as cross-talk between brain areas, to write than type.

Recent brain imaging studies bolster this idea. A study published in January found that when students write by hand, brain areas involved in motor and visual information processing " sync up " with areas crucial to memory formation, firing at frequencies associated with learning.

"We don't see that [synchronized activity] in typewriting at all," says Audrey van der Meer , a psychologist and study co-author at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. She suggests that writing by hand is a neurobiologically richer process and that this richness may confer some cognitive benefits.

Other experts agree. "There seems to be something fundamental about engaging your body to produce these shapes," says Robert Wiley , a cognitive psychologist at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. "It lets you make associations between your body and what you're seeing and hearing," he says, which might give the mind more footholds for accessing a given concept or idea.

Those extra footholds are especially important for learning in kids, but they may give adults a leg up too. Wiley and others worry that ditching handwriting for typing could have serious consequences for how we all learn and think.

What might be lost as handwriting wanes

The clearest consequence of screens and keyboards replacing pen and paper might be on kids' ability to learn the building blocks of literacy — letters.

"Letter recognition in early childhood is actually one of the best predictors of later reading and math attainment," says Vinci-Booher. Her work suggests the process of learning to write letters by hand is crucial for learning to read them.

"When kids write letters, they're just messy," she says. As kids practice writing "A," each iteration is different, and that variability helps solidify their conceptual understanding of the letter.

Research suggests kids learn to recognize letters better when seeing variable handwritten examples, compared with uniform typed examples.

This helps develop areas of the brain used during reading in older children and adults, Vinci-Booher found.

"This could be one of the ways that early experiences actually translate to long-term life outcomes," she says. "These visually demanding, fine motor actions bake in neural communication patterns that are really important for learning later on."

Ditching handwriting instruction could mean that those skills don't get developed as well, which could impair kids' ability to learn down the road.

"If young children are not receiving any handwriting training, which is very good brain stimulation, then their brains simply won't reach their full potential," says van der Meer. "It's scary to think of the potential consequences."

Many states are trying to avoid these risks by mandating cursive instruction. This year, California started requiring elementary school students to learn cursive , and similar bills are moving through state legislatures in several states, including Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina and Wisconsin. (So far, evidence suggests that it's the writing by hand that matters, not whether it's print or cursive.)

Slowing down and processing information

For adults, one of the main benefits of writing by hand is that it simply forces us to slow down.

During a meeting or lecture, it's possible to type what you're hearing verbatim. But often, "you're not actually processing that information — you're just typing in the blind," says van der Meer. "If you take notes by hand, you can't write everything down," she says.

The relative slowness of the medium forces you to process the information, writing key words or phrases and using drawing or arrows to work through ideas, she says. "You make the information your own," she says, which helps it stick in the brain.

Such connections and integration are still possible when typing, but they need to be made more intentionally. And sometimes, efficiency wins out. "When you're writing a long essay, it's obviously much more practical to use a keyboard," says van der Meer.

Still, given our long history of using our hands to mark meaning in the world, some scientists worry about the more diffuse consequences of offloading our thinking to computers.

"We're foisting a lot of our knowledge, extending our cognition, to other devices, so it's only natural that we've started using these other agents to do our writing for us," says Balasubramaniam.

It's possible that this might free up our minds to do other kinds of hard thinking, he says. Or we might be sacrificing a fundamental process that's crucial for the kinds of immersive cognitive experiences that enable us to learn and think at our full potential.

Balasubramaniam stresses, however, that we don't have to ditch digital tools to harness the power of handwriting. So far, research suggests that scribbling with a stylus on a screen activates the same brain pathways as etching ink on paper. It's the movement that counts, he says, not its final form.

Jonathan Lambert is a Washington, D.C.-based freelance journalist who covers science, health and policy.

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There’s a New Covid Variant. What Will That Mean for Spring and Summer?

Experts are closely watching KP.2, now the leading variant.

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A man wearing a mask coughs into his hand on a subway train.

By Dani Blum

For most of this year, the JN.1 variant of the coronavirus accounted for an overwhelming majority of Covid cases . But now, an offshoot variant called KP.2 is taking off. The variant, which made up just one percent of cases in the United States in mid-March, now makes up over a quarter.

KP.2 belongs to a subset of Covid variants that scientists have cheekily nicknamed “FLiRT,” drawn from the letters in the names of their mutations. They are descendants of JN.1, and KP.2 is “very, very close” to JN.1, said Dr. David Ho, a virologist at Columbia University. But Dr. Ho has conducted early lab tests in cells that suggest that slight differences in KP.2’s spike protein might make it better at evading our immune defenses and slightly more infectious than JN.1.

While cases currently don’t appear to be on the rise, researchers and physicians are closely watching whether the variant will drive a summer surge.

“I don’t think anybody’s expecting things to change abruptly, necessarily,” said Dr. Marc Sala, co-director of the Northwestern Medicine Comprehensive Covid-19 Center in Chicago. But KP.2 will most likely “be our new norm,’” he said. Here’s what to know.

The current spread of Covid

Experts said it would take several weeks to see whether KP.2 might lead to a rise in Covid cases, and noted that we have only a limited understanding of how the virus is spreading. Since the public health emergency ended , there is less robust data available on cases, and doctors said fewer people were using Covid tests.

But what we do know is reassuring: Despite the shift in variants, data from the C.D.C. suggests there are only “minimal ” levels of the virus circulating in wastewater nationally, and emergency department visits and hospitalizations fell between early March and late April.

“I don’t want to say that we already know everything about KP.2,” said Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, the chief of research and development at the Veterans Affairs St. Louis Healthcare System. “But at this time, I’m not seeing any major indications of anything ominous.”

Protection from vaccines and past infections

Experts said that even if you had JN.1, you may still get reinfected with KP.2 — particularly if it’s been several months or longer since your last bout of Covid.

KP.2 could infect even people who got the most updated vaccine, Dr. Ho said, since that shot targets XBB.1.5, a variant that is notably different from JN.1 and its descendants. An early version of a paper released in April by researchers in Japan suggested that KP.2 might be more adept than JN.1 at infecting people who received the most recent Covid vaccine. (The research has not yet been peer-reviewed or published.) A spokesperson for the C.D.C. said the agency was continuing to monitor how vaccines perform against KP.2.

Still, the shot does provide some protection, especially against severe disease, doctors said, as do previous infections. At this point, there isn’t reason to believe that KP.2 would cause more severe illness than other strains, the C.D.C. spokesperson said. But people who are 65 and older, pregnant or immunocompromised remain at higher risk of serious complications from Covid.

Those groups, in particular, may want to get the updated vaccine if they haven’t yet, said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco. The C.D.C. has recommended t hat people 65 and older who already received one dose of the updated vaccine get an additional shot at least four months later.

“Even though it’s the lowest level of deaths and hospitalizations we’ve seen, I’m still taking care of sick people with Covid,” he said. “And they all have one unifying theme, which is that they’re older and they didn’t get the latest shot.”

The latest on symptoms and long Covid

Doctors said that the symptoms of both KP.2 and JN.1 — which now makes up around 16 percent of cases — are most likely similar to those seen with other variants . These include sore throat, runny nose, coughing, head and body aches, fever, congestion, fatigue and in severe cases, shortness of breath. Fewer people lose their sense of taste and smell now than did at the start of the pandemic, but some people will still experience those symptoms.

Dr. Chin-Hong said that patients were often surprised that diarrhea, nausea and vomiting could be Covid symptoms as well, and that they sometimes confused those issues as signs that they had norovirus .

For many people who’ve already had Covid, a reinfection is often as mild or milder than their first case. While new cases of long Covid are less common now than they were at the start of the pandemic, repeat infections do raise the risk of developing long Covid, said Fikadu Tafesse, a virologist at Oregon Health & Science University. But researchers are still trying to determine by how much — one of many issues scientists are trying to untangle as the pandemic continues to evolve.

“That’s the nature of the virus,” Dr. Tafesse said. “It keeps mutating.”

Dani Blum is a health reporter for The Times. More about Dani Blum

IMAGES

  1. IELTS Writing Task2 Health Problems Prevention Topic

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  2. IELTS Cause/Effect Essay Sample 2

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  3. Essay on Health

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  4. IELTS Writing Task 2 Discursive Essay of Band 8.0

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  5. IELTS Cambridge 17 Essay: Health Problems

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  6. How To Write A Problem And Solution Essay

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  1. 4 Tips For IELTS Essay Writing

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  1. IELTS Cambridge 17 Essay: Health Problems

    This is an IELTS writing task 2 sample answer essay from the new Cambridge IELTS 17 book of past test papers on the topic of health problems and alternative medicines and treatments. Check out my exclusive IELTS EBooks here on Patreon. You can read essays and guides for the other IELTS Cambridge books, including Cambridge 17, here:

  2. Health Essay Titles

    Practice IELTS essay questions for the topic of health. The prevention of health problems and illness is more important than treatment and medicine. Government funding should reflect this. ... More and more people are suffering from health problems caused by a modern life style which cannot be treated with modern medicines. Some people think ...

  3. 50 Latest Health IELTS Topics

    50 Latest Health IELTS Topics. Get a band score and detailed report instantly. Check your IELTS essays right now! Read more ». Opinion. Some people say that the government should ensure that people lead to a healthy life, while others believe that individuals should have their own choices. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

  4. IELTS essay Health

    Contemporary ways of living significantly contribute to the prevalence of risks to our well-being. This essay explores the reasons for these health issues and suggests potential remedies. The roots of modern lifestyle diseases can primarily be traced back to two main factors. The main cause is the sedentary nature of contemporary work and ...

  5. A Growing Number of People With Health Problems Are Trying Alternative

    In this IELTS Writing Task 2 Advantages-Disadvantages essay, we will challenge the notion that 'A Growing Number of People With Health Problems Are Trying Alternative Medicines And Treatments.' We will look into the history of medicine, exploring multifaceted perspectives, and real-world examples.

  6. IELTS Writing task 2: Health questions with answer samples

    Health writing task 2 questions for IELTS. < Back to the list of topics. Here you can find common IELTS essay questions for "Health" topic. High job demands, stress and sense of commitment are among the main reasons people go to work when they are ill. This way they accomplish important tasks, but may infect others or get some serious health ...

  7. The prevention of health problems and illness is more important than

    In conclusion, while treatment and medicine are important, the prevention of health problems and illnesses should be a top priority for government funding. By investing in prevention, governments can reduce healthcare costs, improve overall well-being, and create a more equitable society.

  8. Diet and Health Essay

    Comments. The IELTS diet and health essay has a number of good points which would means it would score highly in the test.. The introduction clearly introduces the topic and sets out both sides of the issue. There is then a clear thesis statement to explain what the essay will do:. This essay will examine both sides of the argument. Coherence and cohesion are evident from the topic sentences ...

  9. IELTS Essay Sample # 104

    Model Answer 2: (Agreement) It goes without saying that prevention is better than cure. That is why, in recent years, there has been a growing body of opinion in favour of putting more resources into health education and preventive measures. The argument is that ignorance of, for example, basic hygiene or the dangers of an unhealthy diet or ...

  10. Essay On Health For IELTS

    Download IELTS Guide. Your IELTS essay on health should be written with some basic principles in mind. While appearing for the language proficiency test, you will have to complete the assignment in forty minutes. Ensure that you keep the minimum word count at 250. Thirdly, make sure that you present your argument logically and clearly.

  11. The Future of Health

    In 2018, he wrote the popular IELTS handbook, Grammar for IELTS Writing and he has since written two other books about IELTS. His other IELTS website is called IELTS Teaching. In IELTS writing task 2, you could be asked to write an essay about health and the future. Here is my advice and sample answer.

  12. Sample health topics for writing task 2

    Each health writing task 2 is going to be unique, but read it carefully and you'll be fine. As you'll see, agree /disagree essay on health questions are common but you'll see the other 4 common essay types too - discuss both views, advantages/disadvantages, problems/solutions and two-part questions.

  13. IELTS Essays About Health

    Some people believe that public health is the responsibility of the government while others believe that individuals should be take responsibility for their own health. Discuss both sides and give your opinion. With more and more people consuming fast food, which if eaten too regularly can cause health issues.

  14. IELTS Model Essay: Problems-Solutions Essay (weight and health)

    Here is another of my IELTS model essays for IELTS Writing Task 2. It's a problems-solutions essay question: In some countries the average weight of people is increasing and their levels of health and fitness are decreasing. What do you think are the causes of these problems and what measures could be taken to solve them? Cambridge IELTS 8 ...

  15. PDF Problems and Solutions essays

    Procedure: introduce the focus of the lesson: Academic Writing Task 2 - Problems and Solutions essays. elicit environmental problems in general or show the class some pictures related to overfishing and elicit the topic. give students a copy of Worksheet 1 and draw attention to the essay question. elicit keywords from the question to identify ...

  16. Problem/solution essay in IELTS writing

    Learn how to write a BAND 9 problem-solution essay for IELTS Writing. You will see a problem/solution question sample, band 9 writing srategies, model essay etc. ... In conclusion, leading a sedentary lifestyle causes a lot of health problems, including obesity and spinal diseases. The most effective solution is to increase the level of fitness ...

  17. IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample 1081

    You should write at least 250 words. Sample Essay: It is sometimes argued that more money should be spent on preventive measures than treatments, as they are of greater importance. However, I would argue that cure and prevention are equally important when it comes to spending money in these areas. There are several reasons why it can be argued ...

  18. IELTS Writing Task 2/ Essay Topics with sample answer.

    Nowadays, the numbers of people who face health problems have increased rapidly due to modern lifestyles. There are various reasons which have caused the situation, and the following essay will discuss the issue and how to address it. For a number of reasons, many people are facing serious health issues due to the modern lifestyle.

  19. IELTS Essay # 1433

    Model Answer: Obesity has emerged as a formidable public health challenge, afflicting individuals and communities across the globe. While its causes are multifaceted, two prominent factors - dietary trends and sedentary lifestyles - significantly contribute to the burgeoning epidemic. Tackling these root causes necessitates a multi-pronged ...

  20. IELTS Vegetarianism Essay: Should we all be vegetarian to be healthy?

    Organisation. In this vegetarianism essay, the candidate disagrees with the statement, and is thus arguing that everyone does not need to be a vegetarian. The essay has been organised in the following way: Body 1: Health issues connected with eating meat (i.e. arguments in support of being a vegetarian. Body 2: Advantages of eating meat.

  21. Health Vocabulary for IELTS

    Health Vocabulary Set 1: Health. healthy diet - mainly eating food that is nutritious and cutting down on sugar and fat. - Eating a healthy diet can help prevent illness and disease. health problems (or health issues) - situations where the body is suffering from illness, injury or disease.

  22. As schools reconsider cursive, research homes in on handwriting's ...

    Researchers are learning that handwriting engages the brain in ways typing can't match, raising questions about the costs of ditching this age-old practice, especially for kids.

  23. What to Know About New Covid Variants, 'FLiRT': Symptoms, Vaccines and

    Doctors said that the symptoms of both KP.2 and JN.1 — which now makes up around 16 percent of cases — are most likely similar to those seen with other variants. These include sore throat ...