American obesity problem

PALABRAS CLAVE: disease, overweight, current, weight, lead, vending machines, meals, unhealthy, healthy

The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that about six out of ten Americans were Esther overweight or obese. Furthermore, the prevalence of obesity almost doubled from about 15 percent in 1980 to 27 percent in 1999. Dr. J. McGinnis said the current weight statistics predict future problems. "Obesity now will lead to a higher number of deaths from diabetes, heart disease, stroke and certain types of cancer, and increased prevalence of osteoarthritis." The CDC noted that most schools have vending machines or snack bars including foods that are largely nutrientpoor and calorie-rich. People are also less likely to cook for themselves these days. Roughly half of all meals are consumed outside the home and many of these are from fast foods. ?We have become year-by-year an increasingly sedentary society," McGinnis said. "People used to enjoy walking a halfmile or a quarter-mile but now they take the car to go across the street. And instead of walking or playing sports during free time, children sit in front of the TV or computer. These are unhealthy habits because their muscles are not moving and transportation has become so easy that children are driven everywhere." So educating the public about healthy nutrition and exercise is essential, the experts said. Healthy foods and more intense physical activity in schools are also important. Are the following statements TRUE or FALSE? Copy the evidence from the text. No marks are given for only TRUE or FALSE. (?) More than half of the American population has overweight problems There is a tendency to avoid cooking nowadays Most meals are consumed outside the home According to the experts, the physical activity program in American schools is appropriate for the obesity problem Explicacin: Para la primera afirmacin el prrafo relevante es: "The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that about six out of ten Americans were either overweight or obese..." La afirmacin es verdadera ya que segn el Centro Americano de Control y Prevencin de Enfermedades, seis de cada diez americanos tienen sobrepeso o bien estn obesos. Esto es, ms de la mitad de la poblacin tiene problemas de sobrepeso. Mientras que para la segunda es: "People are also less likely to cook for themselves these days" Una de las causas de la mala nutricin de los americanos segn el texto es que las familias suelen hacer menos comidas caseras y salir ms a cenar fuera. Y para la tercera: "Roughly half of all meals are consumed outside the home and many of these are from fast foods" Segn el CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) aprximadamente (roughly) la mitad de las comidas se hacen fuera de casa, y no la mayora como se afirma aqu. Y para la cuarta: "Healthy foods and more intense physical activity in schools are also important"

El actual programa de actividad fsica en las escuelas americanas no es apropiado ni suficiente ya que el texto afirma que es importante aumentar la actividad fsica en los colegios para acabar con el sedentarismo.

In your own words and based on the ideas in the text, answer the following questions. (?) a) What bad habits cause obesity? (Name two) According to the text, obesity is caused by mainly two reasons: bad nutrition and lack of exercise. Nowadays, people do not eat as healthily as they should, and there is an increasing tendency in having meals outside the home, especially at fast food restaurants. In addition, people hardly do any exercise and use transportation to move everywhere. Ayuda: en esta respuesta resumimos el contenido principal del texto: la obesidad y sus causas. Una mala alimentacin y la falta de ejercicio son las causas principales de la obesidad. Vocabulario: according to: segn; mainly: principalmente; healthily: de forma sana; lack: falta. b) Why have people become more sedentary? (Give two reasons) Society has become more sedentary because people tend to take the car to go everywhere, instead of walking even a short distance. In addition, children prefer watching TV and playing computer games to playing sports in their free time. Ayuda: Una de las causas de la obesidad es el sedentarismo, que se refleja en el cambio de una sociedad que prefiere comer fuera de casa y que usa el transporte para moverse a todas partes, a la vez que los nios prefieren ver la televisin y jugar al ordenador que hacer deporte en su tiempo libre. Vocabulario: tend: tender a; instead: en vez de; free time: tiempo libre.

Compulsive shopping - True or False

PALABRAS CLAVE: illness, disorder, senseless, purchase, items, overspend, harm, survey, consumerism, ads, disease, drag, researchers, rocket, reluctant, improve, focus, relentless, behaviour, encourage

A new illness, the Compulsive Buying Disorder, has been diagnosed. Its symptoms are frequent thoughts of shopping, experiencing senseless impulses to purchase unneeded items, and overspending to the extent that it harms relationships or job performance. A recent survey has found that one in twenty American adults buy things they may not even want or need. In today?s world of consumerism, where we are constantly bombarded by ads, this is perhaps not unusual. But more surprising is a further finding that runs counter to the conventional and rather stereotyped view that compulsive buying is very much a "woman's disease": men are just as likely as women to suffer from compulsive buying. Gone seem to be the days when women dragged their bored men around shopping malls. Researchers say that the number of men who indulge in unnecessary shopping has rocketed. Experts claim that past trends and figures may have been unfairly distorted as male obsessive shoppers used to be more reluctant than women to recognize that they have a problem, admit it, and seek help. While women buy more clothing and products that improve appearance, men tend to focus more on gadgets and technical items and can become compulsive collectors. And help seems to be exactly what the doctor orders for any compulsive shopper who is usually not made any happier by his or her relentless buying. Doctors have concluded that this behaviour is a way for people to try to complete themselves. For some people, being complete is being impeccably dressed or having something new. Instead, medical practitioners encourage those seeking treatment to cultivate non-materialistic aspects of their lives.

Are these statements TRUE or FALSE? Justify your answers with the precise words or phrases from the text. (?) According to the survey, women are more compulsive shoppers than men Experts believe that buying is a form of self-realization for compulsive shoppers Explicacin: Para la primera afirmacin el prrafo relevante es: "... men are just as likely as women to suffer from compulsive buying." La respuesta la encontramos en el primer prrafo, que nos explica que, al contrario que la creencia popular, las compras compulsivas no son exclusivamente cosa de mujeres, sino que los hombres padecen igual que ellas de este trastorno. Mientras que para la segunda es: "Doctors have concluded that this behaviour is a way for people to try to complete themselves" El ltimo prrafo est dedicado a la opinin de los expertos respecto a este tema. En l, se explica que los mdicos afirman que este tipo de conducta (comprar de manera compulsiva) es un modo de realizarse a s mismos para algunas personas. In your own words and based on the ideas in the text, answer the following questions. (?) a) How does the text describe a compulsive consumer? Compulsive consumers are people who often think about buying items that they do not really need and they spend so much money in them that it can affect their relationships or even their job performance. In addition, doctors claim that compulsive consumers do not usually find happiness in their shopping binges. Ayuda: La respuesta la encontramos principalmente en el primer prrafo pero debemos sintetizar el contenido del texto para describir con precisin a los compradores compulsivos. stos son personas que a menudo piensan en comprar, incluso artculos que no necesitan, y gastan grandes cantidades de dinero en ellos, hasta el punto de que puede afectar sus relaciones personales o su trabajo. Vocabulario: items: artculos; spend: gastar; performance: rendimiento; binges: atracones. b) What are the differences between male and female compulsive buyers? According to the text, the difference between male and female compulsive shoppers is the type of items that they spend their money on. Women spend their money mainly on clothes and products that improve their appearance, while men buy gadgets and technical items that they do not really need. Ayuda: La respuesta la encontramos en el segundo prrafo que afirma que segn los estudios, las mujeres dedican la mayora de sus compras a productos que ayuden a mejorar su apariencia fsica y a ropa, mientras que los hombres compran herramientas y artculos tcnicos. Vocabulario: mainly: principalmente; improve: mejorar; while: mientras; gadgets: herramientas..