Consider The Positive And Negative Impact Of Promoting Fast Food At School Level - IELTS TASK WRITING TASK 2

IELTS WRITING TASK 2 QUESTION

In some countries, fast food restaurants and companies give money to schools provided that the schools promote their products to school children.

What do you think are the positive and negative effects of this on the development of children?

Sample Answer

In several countries, fast-food restaurants and companies render money to schools to offer their goods for advertising purposes. They do not reckon that its consequences could lead to more negative effects than positive. 

However, some hidden benefits could also be considered when it comes to meals offered at school through fast food companies. The primary advantage is that they learn money management. Since students mostly bring cash to purchase food items, they start calculating how much they can spend or save for later use. Besides that, students also develop decision-making skills. Choosing among available food options, when parents are their financial support and their junk food cravings have to be managed with the money provided, makes them wise. They understand that they should pick the items that can satiate their hunger and through which they can also take advantage of additional items offered as a part of any scheme. Though these both are essential life skills, these could be taught using some more logical and valuable ways. 

Undoubtedly, providing unprocessed food at school through restaurants has innumerable negative consequences that hamper children's cognitive and physical development, and only promote consumerism. As fast foods are high in fat, salt and sugar quantity, they cause obesity and many other severe ailments. Next in line is its harmful impact on children's mental agility. For example, according to many psychological studies, if students consume more pizza, burgers or other processed food, they are likely to lose their mental agility gradually.  Lastly, the hidden agenda of Fast food Companies is to target parents through their children and increase their customers to mint money. So these practices only add a financial burden on the parents who can hardly afford school fees and struggle to arrange extra finances for low-quality food. 

To summrise, advertising fast food to children through educational channels is harmful to their health. Such promotions only add consumerism to the education system and are unnecessary expenses. Practising such promotions shows negligence towards the health of children, who are the future of the nation. This poses a threat to the nation's growth. Therefore, it is essential to refrain from promoting unhealthy food items to children.