Task2：The government has the duty to ensure its citizens have a healthy diet, while others believe it is individuals’ responsibility.Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Old IELTS writing task for reference:

2008年3月29日
Some people think that it is the responsibility of the government of a country to ensure a healthy lifestyle for its people, while others believe that individuals should be free to make decisions for their lifestyles. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

2008年3月13日
People should look after their health as a duty to the society they live in rather than only for their own personal benefit. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

在今年已过去的26场话题作文考试中，社会类话题已经出现13次，相比往年教育类话题占首位（今年教育类考了6次），今年的趋势是明显不同了。对于政府职责类的考题，建议接下来参考的朋友准备关于政府职能方面的公共素材(例如政府在法律法规制定，资金调用等等方面的优势)，以便进行拆迁组合到考题中，在写作反预测的大背景下尤其适用。

饮食问题，这属于社会类话题中的生活与健康子话题下面的一个小分枝，不知道Amy这么说把大家绕进去了木有。In a nutshell, 雅思写作命题会灵活变化，就如给大家参考的上面两道题目，看上去是不是很相似很面熟？但仔细读题，又会发现今天题目中key words还是略有不同。a healthy lifestyle 不单单是吃得健康a healthy diet，对吧？

所以，这里Amy想告诉大家的是，研究真题绝对有用，那些话题的范围就在那儿。但雅思命题者也不傻，至少会在老题上做稍许改动，而这一来，实际上是对烤鸭们的要求更高了－－需要你认真审查每一道题的题眼从而做出该有的反应。在我看来，这是一件好事，能真正考查出应试者的写作水平（在我看来这近乎与你的整体英文水平），考试的客观性和科学性就体现出来了。感谢雅思，希望未来的改革是向着更科学的方向，相信参加这门考试会让我们对天道酬勤理解得更深刻。

雅思写作，不再是临阵磨枪就可以侥幸通过，你，需要沉下心实实在在地学习这门语言。这是一种态度，一如你对人生，对工作的态度。

这，就是我，一个从一线教学岗走下来的人，还在持续关注这门考试的原因。祝来这里的朋友都学有所获！

Sample Answer by Amy

With people's living standard increasing rapidly, the benefits of a healthy diet are gradually recognized among the public. Some people insist that the governments should take the responsibility to encourage people to eat healthy, while others hold that it is individuals' duty to look after their diet.

It is evident that a balanced dietcontributes to a good health for an individual, which is fundamental to the well being of a society; so ensuring a healthy diet should be the top priorities of the governments' agenda. Besides, many people do not have enough knowledge about a scientific diet and some of them just follow advertisements or unreliable consultants who offer inappropriate guidance. If the governments can promote healthy eating habits by educating people on healthy food, the risk of diet-related diseases such as diabetes can be significantly reduced. Also, it is generally acknowledged that the government's' intervention is justified when the market fails to provide the optimum amount of a good for society's well being. For example, by subsidizing fruit and vegetable growers, the governments can make more healthy foods affordable for citizens.

Some opponents may point out that there are too many issues for the governments to deal with and individuals should be responsible for their own health. First, being physically fit is crucial for an individual to carry out his job duties. Therefore it is essential for an individual to take care of his diet if a healthy body is desired. Besides, a nutritious and balanced eating plan makes a person happy and healthy, which will greatly improve one's work efficiency. However, this does not mean that everyone can stick to a healthy eating habit even when they clearly understand the close link between a healthy diet and their overall health. (A teenager, for instance, may not be able to resist the temptation of a greasy pizza despite of his knowledge about the risks of high-calorie foods from school.)-PS: Examples like this can be omitted if you are in a rush finishing the tasks in the exam.

In conclusion, I think a health diet is extremely important for both individual's health and the society's development. Therefore, the governments have an indispensable role to play in advocating a scientific diet and developing a healthy society. (By Amy)