Many people think that the government has to make laws concerning people’s nutrition and food choice for improving public health. While others believe it is a matter of personal choice and responsibilities.

Practice this IELTS Writing Task 2 question on IELTSX. Many people think that the government has to make laws concerning people’s nutrition and food choice for improving public health. While others believe it is a matter of personal choice and responsibilities.

Government nutritional regulations versus personal choice for public health - IELTS Writing Task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Discuss both views and give your opinion

Write at least 250 words.

A student's answer to this task, and the feedback on it

Written by an IELTSX user under exam conditions and published unedited and anonymously. Band 8 · 362 words.

There has been considerable debate among members of society over whether the government has to introduce laws concerning people's nutrition and healthy food choices for improving public health. While some argue that people must take full control of their health choices, others assert that governments play a decisive role in maintaining good public health. In my view, although personal responsibility is crucial, governments bear the greater responsibility, as they shape the conditions in which health-related decisions are made.

First and foremost, those who support personal responsibility contend that health is largely determined by personal lifestyle choices: healthy nutrition, stress management, and physical activity. A striking example of this perspective is that individuals who maintain a balanced diet and exercise regularly are far less likely to suffer from health complications, particularly type 2 diabetes, hypertension, obesity, cardiovascular disorders, demonstrating that personal discipline plays a crucial role in maintaining good health. Furthermore, parental guidance is also required to reach desirable outcomes, owing to the fact that they play a key role in shaping their children's nutrition habits. Eating behaviour shaped during childhood often persist into adulthood, making early nutritional education more critical for preventing long-term health complications.

Admittedly, opponents of the former view point out that individual choices are strongly influenced by social and environmental factors beyond social control. Governments determine access to healthcare services, control pollution, regulate food quality and invest in public health infrastructure. For instance, vaccination programs, clean water systems, and air-quality regulations have dramatically reduced the level of infectious diseases. Without government interventions, impeding unhealthy choices, even health-conscious individuals might struggle to protect themselves from environmental and structural health risks. A clear example is tobacco control -- higher taxes, regularions, advertising bans, and public awareness campaigns have significantly seduced smoking rates in many countries, proving that policy interventions can share healthier behaviour without removing personal freedom.

All things considered, although individuals are responsible for their daily health-related choices, governments have a broader duty to safeguard public health. By creating health-promoting environments through regulations and preventive measures, governments enable people to take responsibility more effectively. Hence, I believe public health burden should be primarily a government responsibility, supported by individual actions.

Examiner feedback

This is an exceptionally strong essay that demonstrates a high level of English proficiency. It effectively balances both sides of the argument while maintaining a clear personal stance, supported by sophisticated vocabulary and a wide range of grammatical structures.

Task Response - 8

- Fully addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the individual and government perspectives. - Presents a clear and consistent position throughout the essay. - Ideas are well-extended and supported with relevant examples like tobacco control and childhood habits.

Coherence & Cohesion - 8

- Information is organized logically with a clear progression from personal responsibility to government intervention. - Each paragraph has a clear central topic supported by relevant examples. - Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'Admittedly', and 'Hence' are used effectively to link ideas, though some transitions are slightly mechanical.

Lexical Resource - 8

- Uses a wide range of vocabulary with natural and sophisticated control (e.g., 'decisive role', 'public health infrastructure', 'structural health risks'). - Demonstrates good awareness of collocation and style. - A minor spelling/word choice error ('seduced' for 'reduced') and a small typo ('regularions') are present but do not impede communication.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 8

- Demonstrates a wide range of structures with high accuracy; the majority of sentences are error-free. - Uses complex structures (e.g., 'owing to the fact that', 'making early nutritional education more critical') effectively. - Punctuation is generally accurate, though there is a minor typo ('seduced' instead of 'reduced') and a slight list punctuation error.

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