21
The pie charts provide a breakdown of populations of Yemen
and Italy in three
age ranges in the year 2000 and estimated figures for 2050.
Overall, it is expected that populations of Yemen aged 15-59 are likely to have
outnumbered the younger and older age groups by 2050, whereas their figure
is going to
decline in Italy, albeit still with the largest share.
Looking at the percentages in Yemen first, a half of its population fell into the
age bracket of 0-14 in 2000, while 46.3% of population were aged 15-59, and
the rest tiny percentage went for the elderly, at their sixties or more. It is
predicted that a possible increase in middle age category to almost three-fifths
will mean the share for the youngest
age range will decrease, to 37% to be
exact, with those aged 60+ enjoying a mere rise.
Regarding the proportions of Italy, a whopping two thirds of populations were
between 15 and 59 in 2000, and there was a gap of 10% between the youngest
and oldest age groups. While the middle age category is foreseen to see a drop
to 46%, it is expected the figure for 60-year-olds will reach more than two-fifths.
Word count: 200
#18 | May 10
22
There is no doubt sport plays a crucial role in keeping fit. While some believe
making sports facilities widely available is the
key to improve public health, I
would argue that this approach may not produce expected results, and other
more effective ways can be suggested.
On the one hand, building more sport facilities
can be a feasible method of
improving overall well-being of communities. The reason could be easy access
to them. That is, if there was a chance to attend gyms and fitness centers in
locality, individuals would use them more frequently as what matters is not a
distance or travel cost, but only some dedication and effort. This is also more
appealing in terms of admission charge and quality of sport equipment. Given
that there are a number of sport facilities offered in an area, competition among
them may be encouraged, leading to reduced competitive price along with well-
equipped centers. As a result, many people are attracted to attend sport centers
and maintain health and fitness levels.
Having said that, I believe this would not benefit everyone in society. The elderly
and young children often fail to visit sport facilities because of their physical
strength, while many employees are now leading a hectic lifestyle, which leaves
no much room to engage in sport in special centers. A more effective way could
be the promotion of a healthy diet and active way of life. In fact, many diseases,
including obesity, now stem from the consumption
of unhealthy food and
sedentary lifestyle. With the government launching campaigns to encourage
citizens to eat healthily and to become physically active, for example by cycling
or walking
instead of relying on vehicles, individuals across almost all age
ranges would have better health levels.
To sum up, easy access and relatively cheaper
admission fee could make
increased number of sport facilities a good option in improving public health.
However, the old and children may not benefit from this approach. Only when
the government steps in promoting nutritional content and active lifestyle, may
the situation be improved.
Word count: 343
19# | May 10