IELTS Essay: Kids today are not as fit as they were in the past

IELTS essay topic seen in Australia

The following essay topic was asked in IELTS writing tests held in Australia in March 2013.

Children today are not as fit and healthy as they were in the past. Discuss the causes for this situation and suggest some possible solutions.

Sample essay

There are many reasons why our kids are not as healthy and as fit as we were in our childhood. Children today lead a sedentary lifestyle. They spend a great deal of time watching TV and playing video games. They also have to deal with tremendous academic pressure. Many of them attend private coaching classes after regular school hours. The truth is that most children do not get an opportunity or time to engage in physical activities.

Being physically active is absolutely essential for being fit. Now most households have computers and internet connection. Children as young as three or four spend hours playing games on their parents’ computers and smartphones. At an age when they should be running all over the place, they become couch potatoes. This stunts their physical growth.

Another reason for the health problems among young children is the excessive consumption of junk food. In many families both parents work. They don’t get enough time to cook proper meals for their children. To compensate for that, they stuff their fridge with junk items. Excessive consumption of junk food leads to obesity which in turn will further reduce their inclination to play. What’s more junk food is not nutritive. It merely provides energy. If children do not eat nutritious food, they will not grow into healthy adults.

Providing ample opportunities for engaging in outdoor activities is absolutely essential to solve this problem. Parents should make sure that children do not spend more than one or two hours a day in front of the TV or computer. Schools, too, have an important role to play. They must make physical activity an important part of the curriculum. Marks should be awarded to students who perform well in sports and games.