Building more sports facilities is the best way to improve public health | IELTS essay sample

Essay topic

Some people say that the best way to improve public health is to increase the number of sports facilities. Others, however, say that this would have little effect on public health and that other measures are required.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Sample essay

Whether building more sport facilities and gyms is the best way to improve public health is debatable. In my opinion, it is important to build more sports centers but the government needs to take other measures too.

There is no denying the fact that playing sports and games improves one’s physical and mental health. When we engage ourselves in a sport, the circulation of blood through our body improves ensuring that every cell gets adequate oxygen. Sports and games also improve our mental health and intellectual skills. According to a famous Persian proverb, wisdom can only be found in a healthy body. Obviously if the body is not healthy, the mind cannot be healthy either. Lack of adequate facilities is one of the reasons that prevent people from playing sports. By building more sports facilities in towns and villages we can encourage more and more people to get physically active.

On the flip side, there is very little we can achieve by simply increasing the number of sports clubs and gyms. Nutrition is as important as physical activity. If people do not eat right they will not be healthy even if they spend hours in the gym. Studies after studies have shown that unhealthy eating habits are on the rise among young people. There are also lots of people who cannot afford healthy food. They will not gain much from building more sports facilities. I am not saying that the government should not build more gyms or sports centers. However, in my opinion, ensuring that everyone can afford healthy food and creating awareness about the importance of eating right are more important.

To conclude, while it is true that sports centers play an important role in improving public health, claiming that building more of them is the best way to achieve public health is a mistake. I am not against the government building more sports facilities; however, in my opinion, authorities must also ensure that everyone can afford nutritious food.