Health and Well-Being Essays

The following essays will provide you and your team with many ideas on the different facets of health and well-being. Read the following essays carefully and suggest to your team mates on how the essay can be improved to meet the CIE AS Level requirements for General Paper 8001.

At the same time, improve on the mind-map that you and your teammates are working on.

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Consider the view that the key to good health is not medicine, but lifestyle

"Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing, not merely an absence of disease or infirmity." - World Health Organization. 

This definition of health in its broadest sense implies that curing of physical diseases and abnormalities alone cannot earn us a good health. Can medicines go beyond curing diseases, to improve our health on the mental and social grounds? The medicines for the mental diseases, like depression, might improve our mental and social health to some extent; however, good health in its broadest sense can only be achieved through improved lifestyle. 

Lifestyle constitutes of our way of living in aggregate; the way we eat, sleep, and perform our daily duties. It also comprises of the more abstract and complex behaviours like our thinking patterns, beliefs, manners, social interaction, and so on. Thus, lifestyle comprises our culture, which we can improve to achieve a sound health. For example, rather than relying upon medicine after catching a disease, we can prevent most of the diseases through balanced diet, regular exercise and proper rest. Similarly, we can improve our social and mental life by maintaining a healthy social relationship with everyone. Therefore, lifestyle change can provide us a sound physical, mental and social health. 

Many people have some kind of addiction such as smoking, drinking alcohol and using drugs. Cigarettes, tobaccos, alcohols and drugs are harmful for the health of people. They affect the body organs of the people like lungs, liver, kidneys and so on. All these harmful effects cannot be stopped by using medicine. The only way to get rid of these harmful effects is to change owns’ lifestyle and stop using these substances.

One of the serious health problems in richer nations is obesity which is the result of intake of excessive calories of food. Obesity with the passage of time leads to serious health problems like high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, heart problems and so on. These problems have no permanent medical treatment. The only way that can help these people achieve a sound health is through exercise and cutting back on food consumption. Therefore, lifestyle plays a more important role in maintaining the good health of a person. 

On the contrary to the rich countries, people in poor nations are underfed. Moreover, they do not have a fixed schedule to eat because of poverty. They eat whenever they get food, and when they do not get food, they are bound to stay hungry. As a result of the uncertainty of food intake, they suffer from various gastrointestinal diseases like gastritis. Similarly, their growth and other normal functioning of body are hindered, thus causing various physical abnormalities. Solving these types of health problems is beyond the use of medicines. The only solution is to provide them with proper and timely nutrition and bring change in their lifestyle. 

The mental health and social health are closely related. The social life of a person has its impact upon the mental health and the mental health has its influence upon the social health. For example, a person who gets negative criticisms only from his friends and relatives is at a risk of developing mental abnormalities like depression. And a depressed person is likely to have a bad relation with his peers and social circles. Now, although medicines have been developed for curing mental problems such as depression, their use cannot improve the lives of people on social ground. However, improved lifestyle can ensure sound mental and social health at the same time. This is true because, a person with good lifestyle is likely to have good friends, than a person who is uncivilized. 

However, there are circumstances when medicines can be used for both prevention and cure of the health problems. For example, the use of polio or tuberculosis vaccines in a newly born child is one example of preventive function of medicine. There are many circumstances when the common health problems are treated through allopathic treatment. However, the worth noting thing is that these medicines aren’t perfect and moreover, requires a supportive immune system to cure the patients. The patients who have very weak immune system face the danger of not being cured. Therefore, a reliable solution is to adopt a healthy lifestyle. 

In conclusion, achieving a good health is not a function of single factor but a combination of many different variables. While medicine can be one important factor, lifestyle clearly can play a better role in providing a sound health to people on all three grounds: physical, mental, and social. Also, since the lifestyle solves the health problems from grassroots level, the solution are more long lasting than that of medicines. Therefore, it has rightly been said that the key to good health is not medicine, but lifestyle. 

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Oct/Nov 2014, Paper 12

6 To what extent is health and well-being the responsibility of the individual?

Keywords: ‘To what extent’ and ‘health’ and ‘well-being’ and ‘responsibility’ and ‘the individual’.

• Responsibility for diet – balanced
• Exercise routine
• Learn about health issues from leaflets/internet
• Visit doctor/hospital when necessary
• Travel insurance/immunisation
• Parents responsible for children’s health
• State/community care
• Keep public well informed of health issues
• Immunisation programme for everyone
• Medical access for all/warnings about drug use/alcohol/dangers of smoking
• What about the poor/vulnerable/those with mental health problems

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This model diet and health essay examines the extent to which individuals or governments should be responsible for health

This essay asks you to examine both sides of an issue and to give your opinion.

This means that you must look at both the arguments that are presented.

In this case, these are:

1. It is the responsibility of individuals to take care of their own health and diet.

2. Governments should make sure that their citizens have a healthy diet.

You must of course also give your opinion.

Some people believe that it is the responsibility of individuals to take care of their own health and diet. Others however believe that governments should make sure that their citizens have a healthy diet.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

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

An increasing concern for many governments around the world is the declining health of their citizens due to a poor diet.  While some people believe governments should be responsible for improving the health of their nation, others believe it is up to the individual. This essay will examine both sides of the argument. 

There is no doubt that individuals must take some responsibility for their diet and health. The argument to support this is the fact that adults have free will and make their own choices about what they eat and the exercise that they do. Children are also becoming less healthy. However, their parents are the ones who provide their evening meals so it is their responsibility to ensure these meals are nutritious and encourage them to avoid junk food and sugary snacks during the day.

Despite these arguments, there is also a case for advocating the intervention of the state. People these days often have little choice but to depend on fast food or ready meals that are high in sugar, salt and fat due to the pressures of work. Governments could regulate the ingredients of such food. Some governments also spend huge amounts of tax money on treating health problems of their citizens in hospitals. It would be logical to spend this on preventative measures such as campaigns to encourage exercise and a good diet. 

Having considered both sides of the issue, I would argue that although individuals must take ultimate responsibility for what they eat, governments also have a role to play as only they can regulate the food supply, which openly encourages a poor diet.  It is only through this combination that we can improve people’s health.

Comments

The diet and health essay has a number of good points.

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 which make the subject of each paragraph very clear:

There is no doubt that individuals must take some responsibility for their diet and health.

Despite these arguments, there is also a case for advocating the intervention of the state.

 Transitional phrases and words also guide the reader through the essay. For example:

The argument to support this is...

Children are also becoming less healthy.

However, their parents...

Despite these arguments, there is also...

Some governments also spend...

Having considered both sides of the issue,

The conclusion summarises the writers opinion very clearly. It is always important to make it very clear what your opinion is if it is an opinion essay (you could put your opinion in the introduction too if you wish).

The grammar and vocabulary are appropriate, with a mix of complex sentences and topic related vocabulary.

The content of the essay is also appropriate. It clearly addresses both opinions and provides a number of points to support each argument. The ideas are clearly explained and will not cause any misunderstanding for someone reading the essay.

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Recent research shows that the consumption of junk food is a major factor in poor diet and this is detrimental to health. Some people believe that better health education is the answer to this problem but others disagree. What is your opinion?

A serious concern nowadays is how our eating habits can affect our health. In particular, it has been demonstrated that eating too much junk food can lead to health issues later in life. One sensible suggestion for dealing with this is to improve the level of health education so that we eat better and live longer. My belief though is that this would not completely solve the problem.

One reason why focussing on health education is an appropriate measure is that it addresses one underlying cause of the problem. It is clear that there is a connection between what people know about nutrition and their eating habits. For example, children who have learned in school about the need to have a varied diet with plenty of vitamins tend to eat more healthily. In contrast, people who have not had this education still eat too much junk food and as a result suffer from diabetes and other diseases.

Better health education, however, is not a complete answer as it ignores the wider social factors that cause people to eat unhealthily. For instance, many people eat fast food because they have a lifestyle that means they do not have time to sit down to a proper meal. Again, other people might eat burgers and pizzas because they are seen to be cool and they want to impress their peers.

There would not appear to be any simple way to deal with these social factors.  A difficulty is that it is very hard for governments to make a difference to the individual choices people make. It might help, however, to ban advertisements for unhealthy foods on television and to require companies to provide proper meal facilities for their employees.

My conclusion is that the government certainly ought to introduce measures to improve the level of health education. However, this probably would not be a  perfect solution as it would also be necessary to deal with the other social factors that cause unhealthy eating.

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Dieting can change a person's life for the better or ruin one's health completely.

In today's modernized era, many people are facing with a pressing difficulty such as obesity. Overweight is a serious issue that needs to be addressed and individuals are of the view that limit to the amount of food eaten is able to change a person's life for the positive sight and it is the best way of resolving such a fundamental problem.

By and large, there are numerous drawbacks of dieting. Good illustrations of them are anemia, anorexia and gastritis. It is obvious when looking at this examples, that dieting is not the best way to solve the issue of being out of condition. Fitness programmed like brisk walk, jogging and strenuous exercises better tackle with obesity. But there is also something else to consider, doing physical exercises take more time than dieting.

On the other hand, dieting has various benefits, too. Evidence for this is provided by loosing the weight quickly. Being on the diet helps to get into shape faster than any kind of sports facilities.

Nowadays, there are different types of dieting. The important thing is to choose one of them that fits you better and will not harm your organism. You can be either vegetarian or lacto-vegetarian. Choosing the type of dieting fully depends on you. Also, you may just not to eat after 6 p.m. as many people do. This type of limit to amount of food eaten will not cause any damages to body.

To sum up, if you look at both sides of the argument, it is obvious, that dieting can change people's life for the better and keeps fit the body, so that person could feel himself/herself confident without ruining someone's health.

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In many countries today, the eating habits and lifestyles of children are different from those of previous generations.

Some people say this has had a negative effect on their health.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

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

Changes in lifestyle and eating habits are quite normal between generations. Many children nowadays eat food that their parents or grandparents did not. They also do many activities that are different. The view that these changes are not positive for children is widely held, but there is also solid evidence that the general health of children has been influenced, although this is generally not seen until later in life.

While the normal everyday diet of children nowadays may include many items which their grandparents consumed, such as frozen foods, prepackaged foods and other imported foodstuffs, they are not all necessarily unhealthy. Certainly, most children now eat less food which is bought and prepared freshly, some would say this is a direct result of everyone leading a much busier life than in the past, including children.

Another lifestyle factor which can’t be ignored is that of physical activity, or lack of it. Nowadays, many children are not as active as children in the past. Many people blame this on computer and video games and the growth of TV culture. While some people may not consider children playing outside or participating in sports to be very important, there are various health benefits from such activities which carry through to adult life and their health in the future.

A combination of fast-food and lack of physical activity in the early years of life does not bode well for a person’s health in the future. There is now evidence of the consequences of this combination in countries such as the USA where obesity and other conditions related to being overweight and not having a healthy, balanced diet are becoming a burden on the health services, some say even outweighing that of smoking related conditions in terms of the health resources being used to combat such cases.

Personally, I agree with the view that a more sedentary lifestyle and worse eating habits generally produces less healthy children, and subsequently adults. However, not all children are inactive nor consume vast amounts of junk food, however, it has become common enough to impact health services and worry governments. 

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– Scientific research into health and diet is unreliable as it so often contradicts itself. 

Is this a fair comment ? [SPECIAL KEY WORD]

– How far should medical resources be used to extend life expectancy ? (2011) [SHOULD]

– The key to good health is lifestyle rather than medicine. How far do you agree ? (2010) [COMPARISON] [SPECIAL KEY WORD] [FUNCTIONS] [PROS & CONS]

– Should medical science always seek to prolong life ? [SHOULD] [SPECIAL KEY WORD] [FUNCTIONS] [PROS & CONS]