This is an IELTS writing task 2 sample answer essay on the topic of fast food becoming cheaper and more available and the advantages/disadvantages.
IELTS Writing Task 2: Fast Food
In many countries, fast food is becoming cheaper and more widely available.
Do the disadvantages of this outweigh the advantages?
Many today are of the belief that the ubiquity of fast food provides enough enjoyment and economic positives to outweigh its impact on public health. In my opinion, the disadvantages related to health make this a negative development.
Those supporting the fast food industry typically point to the pleasure consumers derive and the employment it provides. There is little to argue about in terms of enjoyment. Fast food is affordable and tastes good. That explains its popularity and makes it accessible for people from even the lowest socioeconomic backgrounds. Moreover, there are obvious economic benefits. Companies like McDonald’s, Burger King, Baskin Robbins, and Domino’s Pizza are some of the largest employers globally. Their economic contributions extend beyond providing poorly paid jobs as they are taxed and thereby strengthen the federal budgets of both developing and developed nations.
Nonetheless, fast food has a huge impact in the health sector. Most tangibly, this concerns to obesity. Studies have shown that obesity rates soar in countries where fast food has become entrenched in the local market. The best known example of this is in the United States, where obesity is reaching epidemic proportions. Related and often symptomatic drawbacks include cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Foods high in fat, sugar, and overprocessed ingredients have been proven to exacerbate these conditions, with heart disease now the single greatest cause of death around the world. This cannot be blamed entirely on fast food but there are very few healthy options on most fast food menus and the majority of companies specialise in quintessentially unhealthy foods like deep fried chicken, cheeseburgers, pizzas, and tacos.
In conclusion, despite the boons for enjoyment and the economy, fast food is a negative taken as a whole given its impact on well-being. It is therefore important to regulate fast food companies to curb their influence.
Fast Food : Vocabulary
- of the belief believe
- ubiquity common
- enjoyment like a lot
- economic positives helps the economy
- outweigh stronger than
- public health wellness of most people
- related to concern
- supporting arguing for
- typically point to usually cite
- pleasure consumers derive joy people get from
- employment jobs
- provides create
- little to argue about not much to disagree about
- in terms of as it relates to
- affordable cheap
- explains a reason for
- accessible can get
- lowest socioeconomic backgrounds poor people
- are some of the are among the
- globally around the world
- economic contributions extend beyond money they generate also includes
- taxed pay money to the government
- strengthen make stronger
- federal budgets money the government has to spend
- developing poorer countries
- developed nations rich countries
- health sector health
- most tangibly most obviously and clearly
- concerns relate to
- obesity being very fat
- studies have shown research indicates
- obesity rates soar more people become fat
- entrenched become a strong part of
- local market economy
- the best known example of this is clearest instance is
- reaching epidemic proportions becoming an emergency
- symptomatic drawbacks resultant disadvantages
- cardiovascular disease heart disease
- diabetes a condition related to eating too much sugary food
- high blood pressure heart conditions
- foods high in fat food with a lot of fat in them
- overprocessed ingredients foods being manufactured repeatedly
- exacerbate make worse
- heart disease heart conditions
- single greatest cause of death around the world #1 killer
- blamed entirely 100% at fault for
- healthy options healthy alternatives
- specialise focus on
- quintessentially unhealthy definitively unhealthy
- boons advantages
- taken as a whole given considered overall considering
- well-being health
- regulate control
- curb limit
- influence effect
