Chapter 7: Selecting Summary Information (2)

18: Obesity

ob- completely, -edere, -esum to eat , obesity

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Selecting Summary Information
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Obesity has reached epidemic proportions and current levels are reducing lives
by four to nine months. If child and adolescent obesity continues to increase, life
expectancy will be reduced by further two to five years in the coming decades and in no
distant future this will dramatically decrease life expectancy. Today two-thirds of
American adults are obese or overweight, as are a quarter to a third of American children.
This adds up to a 3.3-fold increase in childhood obesity, mostly due to lifestyles and fast
food.

1.
-Obesity has reached epidemic proportions.
2.
-be reduced by: ~
-in no distant future = in the near future:
- , 2/3 two-thirds, 1/3 one-third .
3.
-adolescent
-obesity
-life expectancy

Obesity has become a serious social problem affecting both developed and
developing countries. The disease knows no bounds and has no preference for age,

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social class or color. According to WHO, in 1995, there were an estimated 200 million
obese adults worldwide and another 18 million children under five years old that were
regarded as overweight. More recently, the number of obese adults has increased to over
300 million and the obesity epidemic is spreading to developing countries where it is
estimated there are 115 million sufferers from obesity-related problems.

1.
-Obesity has become a serious social problem.
2.
- both A and B
-were regarded as = were considered as
-the number of +
(cf.) a number of +
-it is estimated (that) there are 115 million sufferers ~
3.
-affect
-estimated

The causes of the epidemic are simple; food supply has changed along with the
changes in lifestyle. The more people depend on processed foods and chemicals, the
easier it is for people to gain weight. The chemicals used in food taste good, but most
consumers often overlook the fact that some of the chemicals are carcinogenic.

1.
-Food supply has changed along with the changes in lifestyle.
2.
-the + , the + : ~ ~
-the fact + that:
3.
-epidemic
-processed

While men may have higher rates of being overweight, women have higher rates
of obesity. For both, obesity poses a major risk for serious diseases, including

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cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and certain forms of cancer. Its health consequences
vary from reduced life expectancy to serious chronic conditions that reduce the overall
quality of life.

1.
-For both, obesity poses a major risk for serious diseases.
2.
-while: ~
-vary from A to B: A B
3.
-chronic
-overall

Traditional ways of preventing and treating weight gain and obesity put emphasis
on changing the behavior of individuals. The approach has proven ineffective, as both
conditions have risen. Perhaps it is modern society that promotes obesity. After all,
companies promote fast foods and most people in the West are far more likely to drive
their cars rather than walk a few miles and drive through banks and shops are replacing
conventional stores.

1.
-Perhaps it is modern society that promotes obesity.
2.
-prove + : The approach has proven ineffective ~
-it that : Perhaps it is modern society that promotes obesity. (= Perhaps
modern society promotes obesity.)
3.
-put emphasis on ~
-B rather than A A B

A multifaceted public health policy must be formulated not to mention
considerable funding. To ensure the participation of experts from all walks of life and
nonprofit groups, public health campaigns and governments intervention are strongly
recommended. Companies that promote fast foods should be taxed more and these taxes

3
should, in part anyway, provide funds to obesity prevention campaigns. Also, since youths
are very susceptible to advertising and so the same techniques could be used to reverse
the epidemic. By promoting healthy eating instead of junk food, impressionable youths
can fully enjoy the gift of healthy and long lives.

1.
-A multifaceted public health policy must be formulated.
2.
-not to mention ~ without mentioning
.
-instead of ~
3.
-considerable
-susceptible

__________________________________
carcinogenic: producing or tending to produce cancer
__________________________________

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Question:
An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete
the summary by selecting the FOUR answer choices that express the most important
ideas in the passage. TWO sentences do not belong in the summary because they
express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage.

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions and current levels are reducing lives.

Answer Choices:
(1) Changing the behavior of obese and overweight individuals is ineffective in the fight
against obesity.
(2) If obesity continues to increase, life expectancy will decrease significantly.
(3) Dependence on fast foods and a demanding life style can be partly blamed for the
epidemic.
(4) Obesity causes a whole array of serious diseases.
(5) The epidemic is no longer restricted to developed countries; it has already spread to
developing nations.
(6) For men and women, obesity poses a major risk for serious diseases.

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.

(1) .
(2) .
(3) .
(4) .
(5) ; .
(6) .

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,
. (2),(4),(5),(6). (1)

. (3) .

[]
(2) If obesity continues to increase life expectancy will decrease significantly.
(4) Obesity causes a whole array of serious disease from heart disease to reducing the
quality of life.
(5) The epidemic is no longer restricted to developed contries; it has already spread to
developing nations.
(6) For men and women, obesity poses a major risk for serious diseases.

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obesity / reach / epidemic / proportion , / reduce
/ in the foreseen future / dramatically , / life
expectancy / adult / obese / a quarter 1/4 / add up to ~

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/ mostly / due to ~ / affect / bound / preference
/ estimated / overweight / recently / estimate , /
depend on ~ / processed / gain weight / overlook
/ carcinogenic / cardiovascular / diabetes / chronic
/ prevent / put emphasis on ~ / ineffective /
considerable / intervention / tax / in part /
susceptible to ~ / advertising / reverse / impressionable