Portfolio task 3

A balanced diet is the key to a healthy life.

There is a lot of truth in this statement. Eating too much food of a certain type can lead to obesity which can be life-threatening. There are, however, other factors which contribute to a healthy life.

First, let us look at why a balanced diet is so important. Too much food that is high in fat or sugar content can lead to obesity which can be hazardous to health. On the other hand, avoiding entirely food which is often associated with high fat content, such as red meat, will deprive us of important ingredients, for example iron, which are essential for a healthy life. Salt is a good example: we need salt but not to excess. The answer is to find the right balance.

A balanced diet is thus vital. But there are other factors which lead to healthy living. Regular exercise, for example, contributes hugely to physical and mental well-being. A clean and healthy environment also adds to the quality of life, as does mental stimulation. A balanced diet is important but is not everything, and there is a danger in becoming a slave to food fads.

Recent research in the UK suggested that eating red meat increases the chances of developing certain cancers; but, in moderation, most doctors would say red meat should be part of a balanced diet. Two front-page headlines in US magazine Time in the 1980s are instructive. One labelled salt as the great killer; another, some time later, said salt was a vital ingredient of a balanced diet. Neither headline was wrong. The trick is finding the right balance. Other factors mentioned above, such as regular exercise, also contribute to a healthy life.

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