IELTS Writing Task 2 — Rising Obesity Rates: a Band 9 sample answer

Across much of the world, waistlines have expanded dramatically over the past few decades, straining health systems and shortening lives. In my view this trend stems chiefly from cheap, calorie-dense food and increasingly sedentary routines, and reversing it will require both smarter regulation and changes to how communities are built.

Two causes stand out. First, ultra-processed food engineered to be irresistible is now cheaper and more available than a home-cooked meal, so the path of least resistance leads straight to it. A family on a tight budget can feed itself for less on fast food than on fresh vegetables, which is a damning indictment of how the market is priced. Second, daily life has quietly stripped out movement: desk jobs, screen-based leisure and car-dependent suburbs mean many people now sit for most of their waking hours.

Addressing these causes calls for measures aimed squarely at each. To tackle diet, governments could tax sugary drinks and use the revenue to subsidise fruit and vegetables, tilting prices towards healthier choices, as several countries have done with measurable success. To rebuild movement into ordinary life, planners should design neighbourhoods with safe cycle lanes, walkable shops and accessible parks, so that exercise becomes incidental rather than a chore squeezed into a busy schedule.

In short, obesity has risen because unhealthy options have become the easy, default ones. The remedy is therefore to make the healthy choice the easy choice too, through targeted pricing and better-designed surroundings. No single policy will be enough, but together these steps could gradually shift the balance back.