Writing Task 2 Sample 7

Writing Task 2 - Sample 7: Place and Health (Band 8.5)

Topic: Living in big cities is bad for people's health. To what extent do you
agree or disagree?
Even though cities have become epicentre of human development, there is a
genuine concern that city lifestyles and the pressures of modern living are resulting
in negative consequences both mentally and physically. These thoughts are not
unfounded; nonetheless, it is important to look at the matter from both sides.
Numerous research studying the effect of urban lifestyle on the mental function
and health have been conducted. It is argued that statistically there is a greater
chance for a city dweller to suffer from some kind of mental disorder compared to
people living in rural areas. There are some of factors that are suggested to be the
cause of this, namely over-crowding and as a consequence, a greater amount of
stress caused by traffic congestion and noise pollution on urban dwellers. Social
disconnection and isolation are other issues for people living in city areas without a
strong sense of community. As a result of these factors, people it can be seen can
tend to become much more easily agitated, distressed and depressed, which may
trigger more underlying problems related to behaviour and mood.
Physical health is another issue that needs to be discussed in this context. Pollution
here is the main concern as well as a lack of sufficient physical exercise. People
living in cities spend much more time indoors as well, which deprives the body of
important vitamins received from sunlight such a vitamin E. Although health
awareness is increasing among the city population, the environment and lifestyle
is, on the whole, fairly discouraging to physical health.
All in all, there are both benefits and downsides to dwelling in the city. Although
the impact may vary from person to person, from city to city and from one suburb


to another, that being said, the conditions in the city can have an overwhelming
negative impact on people’s wellbeing, and this needs to be recognised.