Healthy Lifestyle Choices

The question

How to approach this problem and solution question

A problem and solution essay needs specific causes or problems first, then realistic solutions that match them.

1. Introduce the issue and why it matters.
2. Body 1: the main problems or causes, with examples.
3. Body 2: solutions that clearly link to each problem, saying who should act.
4. Conclude by summarising the best solution.

How to plan this answer

Structure

1. Introduction: paraphrase the statement about busy schedules and modern pressures, and outline the two parts of the question.
2. Body paragraph 1: identify the main obstacles, such as long working hours, cheap processed food and sedentary jobs.
3. Body paragraph 2: explain how these obstacles affect daily habits, using a specific everyday example such as a commute or a late dinner.
4. Body paragraph 3: propose realistic solutions for individuals, such as walking meetings or meal preparation on a weekend.
5. Conclusion: summarise the main obstacles and solutions, and stress that small, manageable changes are the most effective.

Idea bank

• Time: long working hours leave little time to cook a meal from scratch, so people buy convenient and less healthy food.
• Cost: processed food is often cheaper per portion than fresh produce, which affects families on tight budgets.
• Sedentary work: desk jobs mean many people sit for most of the day, with little movement built into their routine.
• Solutions: cycle-to-work schemes in the UK, subsidised gym memberships, or cooking classes at a local community centre.
• Workplace: employers can offer short exercise breaks, walking meetings and healthy canteen options.

Useful vocabulary

• sedentary lifestyle: A sedentary lifestyle is one of the main health risks for office workers.
• processed food: Processed food is often cheap and quick, but it can be high in salt and sugar.
• time-poor: Many people are time-poor and struggle to plan healthy meals during the working week.
• wellbeing: Regular exercise supports both physical and mental wellbeing.
• affordable: Affordable gym memberships can help people who would otherwise stay inactive.
• meal preparation: A short session of meal preparation at the weekend can make weekday cooking easier.
• build exercise into a daily routine: Walking to work is an easy way to build exercise into a daily routine.
• set realistic goals: People who set realistic goals are more likely to keep healthy habits.
• incentive: A subsidised cycle-to-work scheme provides a strong incentive to ride to the office.

Common mistakes

• Listing obstacles without linking them to the modern life pressures named in the prompt.
• Suggesting unrealistic solutions, such as 'everyone should go to the gym every day', which ignore the busy lives described.
• Mixing individual responsibility and government responsibility without making a clear distinction.
• Leaving out the everyday examples the prompt asks you to include.
• Writing an introduction that is too long and leaves little space for the solutions.

Examiner tip: Make every solution answer a specific obstacle you named, and keep suggestions realistic for people with busy working lives.