Sample TOEFL Multiple Choice Essay – How to Stay Healthy

The Question

Everyone wants to be as healthy as possible. Fortunately, in modern society there are many things that people can do to improve their physical condition. What do you think is the best way to stay healthy?

• Getting exercise on a regular basis
• Eating healthy food every day
• Visiting a doctor for regular examinations

Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

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The Sample Essay

          Maintaining our health is one of the most effective ways of guaranteeing that we live a long and prosperous life.  I do many things in order to stay fit, but the most important is maintaining a healthy diet. There are two reasons why I think this is critically important, which I will explore in the following essay.

         To begin with, eating healthy food prevents obesity, which is the cause of many very serious illnesses.  Obesity is debilitating all by itself, but it also leads to a variety of other diseases, including diabetes, arthritis and cancer.  If we are not aware of this connection when making decisions about the food which we eat, we will suffer serious consequences. My eldest cousin is a compelling example of this.  While my cousin maintained a healthy weight throughout high school and university (despite eating a lot of unhealthy snacks and junk food), when he entered adulthood his metabolism changed and he began to rapidly gain weight.  My cousin is not a particularly self-conscious individual and was never bothered by how his weight gain affected his appearance, so he continued on this course for many years. However, he was eventually diagnosed with diabetes, which has had a profound effect on his quality of life.  As a result, he regrets not being more careful about his dietary choices.

         Secondly, maintaining a nutritious diet gives us a lot of energy, which makes it easier to succeed in our personal and professional pursuits.  It is no secret that people who lack certain vitamins and nutrients do not have the energy necessary to complete even simple tasks. For instance, when I was a university student I often skipped meals because I was extremely busy completing my academic work.  As a result of not eating proper meals, I started to suffer from fatigue and lethargy. My grades began to drop because when it came time to write my tests I could barely keep my eyes open long enough to answer the questions. Moreover, my assignments were poorly done because my fatigue made me unable to keep up with deadlines.  The following year, though, I was a bit more diligent about making intelligent food choices and my grades quickly recovered.

         In conclusion, the most important thing we can do to stay healthy is to maintain a nutritious diet.  This is because eating the right food prevents obesity and related diseases, and because it gives us the energy to keep up with our academic and professional obligations. (414 words)

Note:

This is a sample TOEFL essay written by a native speaker.  It follows our TOEFL Writing templates for independent essays.  If it is useful, please remember that we have many more sample essays for you to read!