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,
causes 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 have 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 smoking 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's 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
supermarkets. 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,
you 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, you 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 to
live.
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