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IELTS essay, topic: Some argue that governments should create nutrition and food choice laws to improve public health (discuss + opinion)

IELTS Model Essay Sample Band 8 February 2023

This essay topic was seen in a recent IELTS test in Japan

Public health is becoming an urgent issue nowadays. Some argue that governments should create nutrition and food choice laws to improve public health, while others believe that it is a matter of personal choice and responsibility. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Sample Band 8 Essay

Public health has become an increasingly pressing issue in the modern world, with many populations facing rising rates of obesity, diabetes, and other diet-related diseases. This has led to a debate as to whether governments should establish nutrition and food choice laws for the betterment of public health or if it solely falls on individuals to make wise choices. In my view, everyone should take ownership of their diet and assume responsibility for their health because it is the right choice.

The argument for government-imposed nutrition and food choice laws is that they could help prevent people from making unhealthy choices which could lead to more serious illnesses down the line. For example, government regulations could limit the amount of sugar or fats allowed in food products, especially those marketed to children, and impose taxes on unhealthy snacks like chips and candy bars. This approach would also benefit those who lack the knowledge about healthy food, necessary to make informed decisions. By providing clear guidelines on what foods are healthy, and by taxing the unhealthy options higher, the government would steer individuals away from unhealthy options.

However, there are also some valid arguments against governmental intervention. These types of regulations infringe upon individuals’ right to choose what they put in their bodies. After all, everyone should be free to make lifestyle choices for themselves. Additionally, there may not be enough evidence to suggest that overly restrictive regulations would have beneficial effects on public health outcomes in the long run. Since people’s love of unhealthy food is often considered an addiction, it is unlikely that a higher price or other warnings would be enough to deter individuals from purchasing unhealthy food items.

In conclusion, while there can certainly be benefits associated with implementing nutrition and food choice laws at a governmental level, ultimately it should still come down to personal choice and responsibility as far as one’s diet is concerned. Governments should instead focus on providing citizens with better nutrition education, so that they can make better informed decisions about what they consume. This way, they can receive the information they need while still having autonomy over their own diets and lifestyles.

Teacher’s comment: The writer presented ideas and examples that are relevant and directly related to the topic. All parts of the question have been addressed and the arguments – sufficiently supported. The ideas have been presented in a logical way, with the writer’s opinion in the introduction paragraph, followed by the discussion of the two views and a conclusion. The paragraphs have been used correctly, each containing a well-developed idea. This essay has plenty of uncommon lexical items (terms related to this particular topic) which have been used appropriately and spelled correctly. There is a variety of complex sentence structures, the writer has good control of punctuation, and the majority of their sentences are error-free. This essay is likely to get Band 8 – 8.5 in IELTS.

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