Things to consider:
- There are a few easy topics you can always talk about in the question about health. These are doing sports and eating well. However, if you want to achieve a better score, I'd suggest narrowing down the topics a lot, as they are too simplistic and generalized.
- For instance, if you are discussing doing sports like basketball, you should focus on the key health benefits it brings (read about them) and talk about how it improves your - strength, durability, stamina, concentration, agility, and so on.
- I suggest reading about the health benefits of exercise and food, as that vocabulary is going to make you stand out and achieve a higher score. You can read about the nutritional value of vegetables, vitamins, and minerals they provide, what aspects of your health they can improve, and so on.
A Balanced Diet
One of the most common topics people think about when asked about their health is "eating well". This can also be called having a balanced diet. It is a very suitable idea for discussion in the speaking section as well as in the essay writing section when talking about health.
A balanced diet is simply not eating too much meat or carbs, and having larger portions of vegetables and fruit. This is explained in a very simple way, and of course, you can go deeper and give a lot of details on what food to avoid and what food to focus on.
You can use the infographic to see some examples of food and the amount a person should eat to achieve a balanced diet.
Part 2: Sample Answer
Ok, so generally speaking I am and have always been in good health. I’m not trying to brag but I rarely get ill from the common flu, and I do try to lead a healthy lifestyle, avoiding certain things like junk food or unhealthy drinks. However, because I’m quite tall, I have a really serious back and lower waist pain, that has been with me for over 5 years. Because of this reason, and to keep my general health in check, I’ve been going to the gym as much as possible.
I give a general idea about my health.
Me and the gym have a long history. Back in middle school and high school, I used to opt-in and out of the gym quite regularly. I lacked motivation at that time, and so I couldn’t achieve big progress. Most of the time I’d start for a month, together with a few friends, and as long as one of my friends stopped going, I’d follow his example and end it myself. This activity managed to keep me relatively slim and fit, but never strong or muscular.
I give a little history about me and going to the gym.
Later on in life, as I left college, I began having this waist pain. At first, it was relatively mild, and so I ignored it, but the more I entered real life and began working, sitting all day, the more that pain developed and started to show its teeth every now and then. Eventually, I decided that I had enough. I began researching and found out that I had to strengthen my lower back muscles, and in general work out regularly, to keep the pain away. And so I did exactly that. I began going to the gym every second day of the week. I read and saw many videos and guides on workout regimes, exercises, and health information and made a really solid personal workout that I’ve been following ever since.
I describe a health problem I had and the health solution I chose to do.
The key to overcoming the pain is consistency. I believe that I made the right call when I began going to the gym. Not only I was able to target specific muscle groups with the professional equipment, but I was able to build up lower back and waist muscles, which are essential for a tall person like me. Over time, I began enjoying working out, as it gave me this sort of stress relief, going there, lifting heavy weights, and pushing myself, without being burdened by the daily troubles of my life. It is a great, healthy pastime and I recommend it to everyone.
I finish with a summary of what I have achieved or how I improved myself with that health activity.
Idioms and Phrases
Sentence starters and Linking words
Vocabulary related to the topic
PART 3 QUESTIONS
In Part 3 we continue to talk about health. We will discuss different groups of people, the activities they like to do related to their health, and staying fit or active during the day.
Examiner: How do children and old people keep fit and healthy?
For Children
- Children lead a generally active lifestyle, running around all the time, and using all their energy throughout the day. Many of them join different activities from playing outside on the playground to biking and even joining some sports teams. They are very active and energetic, as a whole.
For the Old
- The older a person gets, the less likely is that he will exercise. That doesn't mean that they completely give up though. Many older people would take long walks around their neighborhood or park, use some of the outdoor training equipment and even try to do more housework, in order to stay active.
ANSWER:
Examiner: What do young people normally do to keep fit and healthy in your country?
A Positive View
- Generally, young people do the same as kids. They join some sports teams or make one with their buddies and play football, basketball, badminton and so on. Some would try to push even further and would sign up to a gym, where they would try to either keep fit or even build muscles and become a better version of themselves.
A Negative View
- By a large margin, younger people do not exercise that much. As they are overwhelmed with studying from school and college, addicted to gaming and social media on their mobile phones, and stressed trying to be competitive once they start working, very few would have the time, patience, or motivation to work out at all.
* You can answer positively, negatively, or mix both into one answer with an "on the one hand...on the other hand..." type of answer.
ANSWER:
Examiner: How can parents help and guide their kids to keep healthy?
Educate
- Parents are the first teacher to their kids. They should sit with them and spend time with them, reading useful materials related to health like encyclopedias, and stories, watch video documentaries, and more. Children are like sponges and will absorb the information, after a while, and that information will turn into good healthy habits.
Set an Example
- It is a well-known fact that children imitate and copy their parent's behavior. It is not certain, but often times if the parent smokes, kids will do the same if the parent is glued to his mobile phone, children will imitate the same, and so on. Parents should lead by their example, allowing their kids to imitate their healthy lifestyle choices and not the opposite.
ANSWER:
I believe that there are two important ways – through information and through a personal example. Information is key and I think parents should read and show videos or documentaries to their kids about health benefits and health issues that can be caused by poor health awareness. They should tell continuously to their kids of what is the meaning of a balanced diet and what is the meaning of healthy food, as well as the negatives that fast food brings. However, what is even more important is to set an example with your own actions. A parent is a role model to a point and so he or she should practice what they preach, so to say, in order to influence their kids effectively.
Examiner: Do you think it is good for the government to utilize popular celebrities to help build health awareness?
The Upside
- Celebrities have a large following on social media and other places. They are being seen and viewed, predominantly by younger people who still build their views about the world. These famous individuals have a moral obligation to promote and support health, health-related activities, and everything related to improving people's understanding of health.
Why Government?
- The government has the power to set the rules, restrict individuals, ban certain unhealthy practices, punish wrongdoing, and more. This means that they are responsible to control celebrities and not the other way around. It is absolutely ridiculous that the most viewed and followed famous individuals advertise fast food, alcohol, drugs, and many other unhealthy behaviors, and are not regulated at all.
ANSWER:
To be completely honest, I have no idea why they don’t do that all the time. Celebrities have a massive lifestyle impact on young people, and as they wield that type of “superpower”, there should be a moral and social obligation for them to do that. Famous people should be persuaded, by contract, to advertise and spread the word about health products and health benefits. It is absolutely insane to me that most celebrities advertise exactly the opposite – alcohol, fast food, cigarettes, and even drugs through scandals and their own poor behavior. I believe that there has to be very strict regulation on celebrities and that they should be completely forbidden to use their personal brand to promote junk food or unhealthy behavior. Well…one can only dream.