<p>It seems that CC people don't really like to answer essay prompt questions but I post it here anyways because I am in a rush; the SAT in gonna be on this Sat!</p>
<p>Here:</p>
<p>Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.</p>
<p>Our distant ancestors survived because they were physically active, hunting wild animals and gathering fruits and vegetables over large areas of land. Modern life, however, is characterized by physical inactivity. Given the resulting health problems and the tremendous cost of treating them, the government should work with schools and businesses to ensure that people eat the right foods and get enough exercise each day.</p>
<p>Assignment:</p>
<p>Should the government be responsible for making sure that people lead healthy lives? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. </p>
<p>frankly, I think CB is doling out much harder essay prompts every year!! :(</p>
<p>help this young lady... </p>
<p>the only reasons/examples I could come up with were:
1. Constitution stipulates that every citizen has a right to pursue happiness. Government involvement in ensuring people's lives were "healthy" would help realize this right that is legally supported. Plus, the government is for the people and made up of people; those who are sick are not the "happiest." With the government's effort in making people's lives healthy, the overall ambiance, or the national spirit, will not flag behind.</p>
<p>-*I need more specific examples; thanx in advance ! :D Buena suerte.</p>
<ol>
<li>Make up a fake story that involved your “friend”.</li>
<li>Japan has a new system where the employees are weighted, and if they are overweight the company has to pay a penalty (so its likely the company will fire the employee rather than pay the fee, unless he is golden). Just talk about how it doesn’t work, and don’t be afraid of making up statistics.</li>
</ol>
<p>hehe I think making up is harder than coming up with an example and elaborately using it… .
well I’ll just cross my fingers and hope that this type of prompt doesn’t come out… !</p>
<p>Gracias SAT100 and SirWanksalot, anyways.</p>
<p>@SAT100, so you’re saying that the government should not meddle in people’s health? You want to show how it’s an infringement of privacy and injustice (just as in your Japanese example)?- thanx, though it’s against my grain :)</p>
<p>@Jenny well depends… you can kind of take use that examples for both sides of the argument.</p>
<p>edit: Just make sure you write AT LEAST 1 and a half page, but hopefully you can write 2 pages. Also throw in some SAT words, I hear they love that.</p>
<p>I don’t know why they would use such a controversial prompt. There are politicians right now like Michelle Bachmann who are saying that government should have no role in this and Americans should be allowed to be fat.</p>
<p>But anyway, do you HAVE your own opinion on this? Government doesn’t have to be national; it can be state or local.</p>
<p>I am for government being responsible, and these are the points I would make:
The status quo/ free market doesn’t work in this case–corporations like McDonald’s are more concerned with profits than the health of their customers. Impoverished people often have no other choice than to eat from fast food chains that have no concern over their well being, in part leading to the obesity epidemic America currently faces.
Government has protected people’s health where no one else would step in–think Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, the creation of the FDA (mothers were getting a drug that cured morning sickness but led to miscarriages).
Things that have already been done–health education/phys ed requirements for public schools within most states, trans fats have been banned in New York restaurants, the food pyramid, etc.
Include something in the intro/conclusion about the Constitution: “for the people,” “to protect the general welfare,” “the pursuit of happiness” (like you said), etc.</p>
<p>I’m not sure if everything’s accurate, but it doesn’t matter anyway. I would prepare for the SAT by brushing up on current political issues.</p>