Health

What does a healthy way of life mean? How do you look after your health?

People nowadays are more health-conscious than they used to be. They

understand that good health is above wealth.

To be healthy we should avoid different bad habits that can affect

our health. In my opinion, smoking, and drinking too much alcohol,

are the worst ones. It’s common knowledge that smoking and drinking

can shorten our lives dramatically. Smoking, for example, ccauses a

number of heart and lung diseases, such as pneumonia, emphysema and

cancer. Besides, it makes your teeth yellow and skin unhealthy.

Fortunately, in recent years smoking has received a lot of bad

publicity, and fewer people smoke nowadays. Some companies don’t

employ people who are smokers. Smoking has been banned in most

public places because everyone agrees it does harm to our health. I

don’t smoke, because I don’t want to hhave unhealthy skin and teeth

and die young.

Smoking and drinking are joined by less dangerous habits, such as

skipping meals, eating unhealthy food, or even overeating. Of

course, they are not quite as deadly as ssmoking or drinking alcohol,

but they also affect our health.

If we eat too much, we’ll become obese, and obesity leads to serious

health problems. A lot of people like drinking coca-cola and coffee,

and enjoy pizzas and hamburgers. But what is tasty is not always

healthy. Fast food makes you fat, that is why Americans are the

fattest people in the world.

In recent years eating habits have undergone a change. People are

encouraged to eat less fat and more fibre. Fat is believed to be one

of the major causes of obesity and heart disease. High fibre and low

fat foods can now be found in all shops and ssupermarkets. Salads,

beans, and fruit have taken the place of steak and ice cream. The

fashion for health food is growing all the time.

Many people feel they are too fat, even if their doctors disagree.

And a lot of people try to improve their fitness. There are a lot of

ways to lose weight and avoid gaining it. Perhaps the most popular

of them is following a diet. If you want to lose weight, yyou should

cut out snacks and desserts, and cut down on fat. People have also

become more aware of calories, the energy value of food. Some people

count the number of calories they eat every day; so that they can

try to take in fewer calories and lose weight. This is called a

calorie-controlled diet. Manufacturers are increasingly producing

special foods with fewer calories for slimmers.

But excessive dieting may be dangerous, too. Some people refuse to

eat meat as they consider it harmful. They say a vegetarian diet

reduces the risk of cancer and vegetarians live longer than others.

I can’t agree with them, because meat is an excellent source of good

nutrition. In my opinion, it’s wrong to put down a food simply

because excessive amounts can cause health problems. Consumed in

moderate amounts, meat is perfectly good for our health.

To my mind, the only way to stay healthy and to keep fit is by going

in for sports. Among the benefits of regular exercise are a

healthier heart, stronger bones, quicker reaction times and more

resistance to various illnesses. Besides, yyou can eat and drink as

much as you want because you are burning it all off.

To be healthy, it is also very important to spend a lot of time in

the open air. It is useful to go for a walk before going to bed, or

to air the room.

I think it is very important to be fit and healthy, and it is

necessary to take care of your health. Being fat, in fact, can cause

real problems. It is harder for fat people to get a good job, or

even to make friends. If you want to do well, you must be thin.

That’s why I go in for sports on a regular basis. I have been doing

aerobics for three years and I feel great. I am not enthusiastic

about strict dieting, but I try to eat only low-fat food, and fruit

and vegetables which are rich in vitamins.

Personally I believe that regularity in life promotes our health.

Sleeping eight or nine hours, getting up early, regular meals, a

healthy diet and going in for sports is really a good way tto live.

Questions:

1. What good and bad health habits can people have?

2. In what way do bad habits affect people?

3. Are there any changes in health habits?

4. What is a healthy way of life?

5. What should you do to keep fit?

6. How does sport help you to stay healthy?

7. What are the most popular ways to avoid gaining weight?

8. What is a calorie-controlled diet?

9. What are your health habits?

10. What is your personal attitude towards health?

11. Do you have any health problems? Why do you think you have

them/you don’t have them?