This article provides the answers to the "A Weighty Issue" reading passage, along with detailed explanations, location of the answers within the text, and essential vocabulary analysis.
"Exactly," Aris replied, pointing to a graph. "The text we often study highlights that our ancestors were designed for scarcity. Now, we live in a world of 'passive consumption.' We sit at desks, we drive to work, and high-energy food is cheaper than a head of lettuce."
In the field of public health, few topics generate as much debate as the global rise in obesity. Once considered a problem exclusive to affluent nations, excessive body weight has now become a pandemic, affecting developing countries at an alarming rate. This 'weighty issue' extends beyond individual health, imposing significant economic burdens on healthcare systems and reducing workforce productivity.
Historically, carrying extra weight was a sign of prosperity. However, the modern conundrum stems from an 'obesogenic environment'—one that encourages high-calorie intake and sedentary behaviour. Urbanisation has reduced physical activity, while the mass production of processed foods has made sugar and fat cheap and readily available.
The passage "A Weighty Issue" typically deals with the global obesity epidemic. It explores the causes of rising obesity rates, the medical implications of being overweight, and societal shifts regarding diet and exercise. It often contrasts the historical view of weight (where being overweight was a sign of wealth) with the modern view (where it is often associated with health risks and lower socioeconomic status in developed nations).
If the question asks: "Sugar taxes have reduced obesity in every country where they were tried." The passage might say: "Sugar taxes in Mexico and the UK showed modest reductions in sugary drink sales."
4. A (Paragraph 1: "encourages high-calorie intake and sedentary behaviour") 5. B (Paragraph 2: "unfairly penalise lower-income groups") 6. D (Paragraph 3: "their widespread application remains cost-prohibitive")
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