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IELTS Writing Task 2/ IELTS Essay:

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Many manufactured food and drink products contain high levels of sugar, which causes many health problems. So, sugary products should be made more expensive to encourage people to consume less sugar.

Do you agree or disagree?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words. 

Model Answer 1: [Agreement]
Sugar is undoubtedly one of the most harmful food ingredients when consumed more than recommended potion - which is often the case in our daily diet. To reduce the sugar-rich food and drink intake, many recommend making them more expensive, and I believe that such sugar-packed products should be expensive to promote public health.

Despite the common myth of the health benefits of sugar, scientists and nutritionists suggest that they are addictive, and are slow poison. Fast foods and sugary foods and drinks like soft drinks, desserts, ice-creams, and sodas come cheap and are ready to be consumed without any effort. This is why they have become so popular, and from children to the elderly, everyone loves those sugary foods and drinks. But these are known to cause serious diseases like diabetes and heart disease and are connected to obesity. Since they are linked to so many unexpected health diseases and deaths, the authority should impose taxes, directly and indirectly, on those sugary items to make them unaffordable by mass people and in the process improve public health.

Moreover, people often opt for food and drinks that are cheap and easily available. And if we only look at the departmental stores around us, we can notice that we have sugary items all around us, and they are affordable. So to restrict sugar intake, their prices should be increased via direct and indirect taxes. If they are made more expensive, people will reduce their consumption and go for more healthy alternatives. For instance, if a healthy meal costs $5 while a sugary junk meal $10, most people will go for the cheaper and better option. It will gradually but surely improve public health and reduce medical care expenses both for the government and ordinary citizens.

To conclude, imposing higher taxes on sugary items will bring about many benefits and reduce the cost of healthcare. It is therefore expected that the authority will take steps to make sugar-packed items expensive.

Sample Answer 2: [Disagreement]
Sugary foods and drinks are detrimental to health, so many suggest increasing their price to dissuade many people from purchasing and intaking them. But, I will have to disagree with this opinion. This essay explains the reasons behind my opinion.

To begin with, even if the authority suddenly increases the prices of all sugary products, we will still notice that many people are still buying those products as usual. They will be buying them either because they are just too much “addicted” to those sugary products, or a high price does not really curtail their abilities to buy such expensive products. It will, however, negatively affect the prices of the necessary food items, and poor people will suffer to a great extent because it is not only “sugar” that is needed to make sugary products, but rather several other raw materials, such as flour, milk, egg, oil and etc. And that means that if the governments want to increase the price of sugary products, they will not only have to impose a higher tax exclusively on sugar but also on other raw materials. 

Another problem with taking such a decision is that some manufacturers of these sugary products would still try to sell them illegally to their existing customers at a lower price, through some “back channels” or secretly, in order to keep their businesses, because a higher price of their products would almost inevitably push many of their regular customers away from buying their products. 

A far better solution to this problem would be to make people aware of the consequences of eating and drinking sugary items. When mass people are aware of the issues, they would spontaneously reject sugary items without creating any pressure on the market. 

In conclusion, we need to run awareness campaigns to inform people about the negative aspects of eating and drinking sugary items. When they are made aware, it will bring positive results while price hikes on sugary items would make things only worse.

Sample Answer 3: [Agreement]
It is no secret that most processed foods and drinks contain excessive amounts of sugar, and this causes several health problems while also contributing to the growing obesity epidemic in many countries. In light of this, many argue that sugary products should be made more expensive in order to discourage consumption and encourage healthier alternatives. I completely agree with this viewpoint. 

One of the main reasons for the excessive consumption of sugary products and drinks is their low cost. Therefore, increasing the price of sugary products would be a proven method of reducing their overall consumption. A recent study conducted by the World Health Organization reveals that a 20% price increase in sugary drinks resulted in as much as a 15% decrease in their consumption in just six months. It is very logical that, when sugary products will be expensive, many people will be less likely to indulge in them as frequently, and will instead opt for healthier alternatives. This will be particularly beneficial for low-income individuals, who are disproportionately affected by obesity and related health problems due to their reliance on cheap, unhealthy food.

In addition, increasing the price of sugary products and imposing higher taxes on manufacturers of such products, can also serve as a deterrent for them to include excessive amounts of sugar in their products. This way, sellers will be incentivized to reduce the amount of sugar in their products in order to remain competitive in the market and make a profit.

In conclusion, increasing the cost of sugary products is an effective method of reducing sugar consumption and promoting healthier eating habits. It would not only discourage the excessive consumption of these products but also make healthier options more accessible and affordable for all.

Sample Answer 4: [Disagreement]
Processed food and most bottled drinks are packed with an excessive amount of sugar. Over-consumption of sugar is related to many deadly diseases and obesity, and this is why, many suggest that if those sugary products are made expensive, people, especially those with limited purchasing capacity, would consume less sugar and opt for healthy alternatives. I wholeheartedly disagree with this idea as I believe that this approach is not effective in curbing sugar intake.

To begin with, people do not consume sugary products only because they are cheap. Rather, they love those sugary foods and drinks because they find them tasty, satisfying and addictive. This is perhaps the reason many people in my country enjoy a bottle of soda more than they would enjoy a glass of fresh juice without any sugar in it. Furthermore, increasing the price of sugary items may lead to a situation where low-income people would opt for even lower-quality options. I believe that raising the price of sweet items in the market does not address the root cause of the issue because for many individuals sweet products are integrated with their eating habits. Some eat them as rewards, others as a coping mechanism for stress and depression.

I believe that instead of raising the price of sugary products and imposing a heavy tax on the manufacturers, a more effective approach would be to educate people about the harm of excessive intake of sugar and sugary items. The school curriculum and social campaigns should emphasize how eating healthy can make our life positive in many perspectives. Promoting healthier food options in schools, office canteens and public places, for example, could be a far better approach. 

In conclusion, increasing the price of sugary food for the betterment of public health may seem like a great option on the surface, but it is not impactful. A more effective way would be to educate people and promote healthier food to combat the negative trends of consuming excessive sugary foods and drinks.

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