Band 6+: Research shows that some activities are good for health and others are bad. Despite knowing that, millions of people engage in unhealthy activities. What is the cause of this? What can be done?

In today’s rapidly evolving world, there is an ongoing debate about activities, with some arguing that some activities can contribute significantly to individuals’ well-being, whereas some others have detrimental impact on people’s lives. However, many people continue to unhealthy activities worldwide, despite considering their disadvantages. I firmly believe that poor public facilities and people’s financial problems are the primary drivers of this issue, and cooperation of policymakers and people is required.

One major contributing factor to this issue is that a lack of efficient public amenities such as parks and sports centres force people to allocate long hours to screens, which reduce their physical activity and bring about various health problems, resulting in reduced living standards. Another significant reason is that financial problems compel people to work extended hours, which leaves them with limited opportunities to take part in healthy activities such as going to the gym and socializing with others, consequently reducing the quality of life. For instance, in developing countries such as Iran, people work long hours daily, which limits their time to interact with their friends and family, and participate in exercising. Thus, these reasons can given rise to the popularity of unhealthy activities such as scrolling through social media.

To tackle this issue, governments and people should share a responsibility. Lawmakers should invest more money in constructing more sport centres and support healthcare campaigns. These measures increase access to sport clubs and people’s awareness about unhealthy activities. Moreover, people should adopt a balanced approach regarding activities and try to participate in activities that help them become more healthier, consequently improving the quality of life and enhancing people’s productivity. As an example, in developing countries such as Iran, there are campaigns that encourage individuals to engage in general sports such as walking. These sports bring about positive outcomes, including improved participants’ fitness and communication skills, resulting in interpersonal and social development.

To sum up, from my perspective, economic hardship and a scarcity of public amenities play a vital role in growing unhealthy activities. To resolve this problem, people’s and lawmakers should take effective measures to achieve sustainable development worldwide.