People nowadays often spend a lot of time sitting, and this can lead to various health problems. What are the reasons for this? What problems does this cause?
Stance: This essay will explore the primary reasons behind increasingly sedentary lifestyles among Vietnamese office workers and students, and the resulting health complications.
The 6.5 version covers the same two causes (desk jobs, delivery apps) and the same list of health risks, but with generic vocabulary ('weight gain', 'back pain') and one short example rather than the detailed first-person health-check narrative that drives the 7.5 answer.
Many people today spend most of their day sitting down, whether at work, on a motorbike, or in front of a screen at home. This essay will look at the main reasons why people are sitting more, and the health problems that this can cause.
One reason is that many jobs, especially office jobs, now require workers to sit at a computer for the whole day instead of moving around. Technology has also made life easier but more inactive: people can now work, shop, and order food without leaving their chair. For example, apps like GrabFood and ShopeeFood let office workers order lunch to their desk, so they do not even need to walk to a nearby restaurant. Motorbike commuting also means people sit for long periods instead of walking to school or work like before.
This lack of movement causes several serious health problems. Sitting for long hours can lead to weight gain, back pain, and a higher risk of diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. It can also lower people's energy levels and make them less productive at work or school. Because these problems develop slowly, many people do not realise the damage to their health until they go for a check-up and the doctor tells them the results, by which point the problem may already be serious.
In conclusion, desk jobs, motorbike commuting and delivery apps are the main reasons why people today sit so much. This sedentary lifestyle can seriously damage people's physical health, and it also creates problems for the wider healthcare system if not treated early.
Collocations
Examiner Notes
- TR“This essay will look at the main reasons why people are sitting more, and the health problems that this can cause.” — Clearly signals the two-part causes/problems structure the question asks for, though in plainer wording than a higher-band outline sentence.
- LR“lack of movement” — A simple, correct collocation, but more generic than the topic-specific 'sedentary existence' used at higher bands.
- GRA“Because these problems develop slowly, many people do not realise the damage to their health until they go for a check-up” — Correctly combines a reason clause with a time clause, but this because/until pattern repeats rather than varying across the essay.
- CC“In conclusion, desk jobs, motorbike commuting and delivery apps are the main reasons why people today sit so much.” — Clearly lists the three causes back in the conclusion, functioning as a simple summary rather than a synthesised closing insight.
The 7.0 answer introduces a specific example and stronger cause-effect vocabulary than 6.5, but it still argues each point with a single line of reasoning rather than the fully personal, first-person case study with concrete numbers that the 7.5 answer builds its argument on.
In Vietnamese cities, daily life for many office workers and students now revolves around sitting: at a desk during the day, on a motorbike in traffic, and then in front of a screen at home in the evening. This essay will examine the main causes of this increasingly sedentary lifestyle and the health problems it can create.
A major cause is the changing nature of work and daily habits. Many jobs that once involved moving between departments or visiting clients can now be done entirely through email and messaging apps, keeping employees seated for hours. Convenience technology adds to the problem: food delivery apps such as GrabFood and ShopeeFood mean that even the short walk to a nearby restaurant for lunch is no longer necessary. A friend of mine who works in marketing told me that after a year of ordering lunch to her desk almost every day, her company health check showed early signs of high cholesterol, which her doctor linked directly to her lack of movement.
This widespread inactivity leads to a range of health problems that go beyond the individual. Physically, prolonged sitting raises the risk of conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and back or neck pain, which are becoming increasingly common even among people in their twenties and thirties. In addition to these physical effects, a largely sedentary population can also place growing pressure on the public healthcare system, as hospitals treat more young adults for conditions once mainly associated with old age. Because these problems tend to develop gradually, many people fail to take action until the damage has already become serious.
In conclusion, desk-based jobs, motorbike commuting, and the convenience of delivery apps are the main reasons behind today's sedentary lifestyles. This behaviour, in turn, contributes to a range of chronic health problems and adds a growing burden to the healthcare system if it is not addressed early.
Collocations
Examiner Notes
- TR“This essay will examine the main causes of this increasingly sedentary lifestyle and the health problems it can create.” — A clear outline sentence, more precisely worded than the equivalent sentence in the 6.5 version.
- LR“growing pressure on the public healthcare system” — A more developed, topic-specific collocation than 6.5's plainer 'lack of movement' alone, though not as idiomatic as 7.5's 'exacts a heavy toll'.
- CC“In addition to these physical effects, a largely sedentary population can also place growing pressure on the public healthcare system” — The linking phrase bridges individual health effects to a societal consequence, similar in function to the 7.5 answer's cohesive device but slightly less fluent.
- GRA“A friend of mine who works in marketing told me that after a year of ordering lunch to her desk almost every day, her company health check showed early signs of high cholesterol, which her doctor linked directly to her lack of movement.” — A long sentence with a relative clause and reported speech, showing more grammatical range than 6.5, though built on a secondhand anecdote rather than personal experience.
This 7.5 answer stands out for its first-person case study (fatty liver and elevated cholesterol from ordering lunch at the desk, followed by a personal fix involving running by the Saigon River), which converts an abstract cause-effect claim into lived evidence, alongside wide topic-specific collocations like 'musculoskeletal problems' and 'growing burden on the public healthcare system'.
Modern life, especially for office workers and students in Vietnamese cities, increasingly revolves around sitting: at a desk from nine to six, then on a motorbike in traffic, then in front of a screen at home. This essay will examine the principal causes of this sedentary existence and the significant health problems it subsequently causes.
Technological change and shifting daily habits are major drivers of this trend. Work that once required moving between departments or physically visiting suppliers can now be handled entirely through email and messaging apps, while motorbikes, though far more active than sitting in a car, still involve long periods of stillness and have replaced the walking that once got people to markets, schools and offices. Food delivery apps such as GrabFood and ShopeeFood compound the problem, removing even the short walk to a nearby quán ăn. My own experience as a marketing executive in Ho Chi Minh City illustrates this clearly: after two years of ordering lunch to my desk almost daily and rarely leaving my chair between meetings, an annual company health check revealed early-stage fatty liver and elevated cholesterol, which the doctor attributed directly to prolonged sitting and a poor diet. That result prompted me to start running along the Saigon River most mornings before work, a habit that has noticeably improved both my energy levels and my check-up results.
Such widespread inactivity leads to a range of serious health complications that extend well beyond the individual. Physically, prolonged sitting significantly raises the risk of chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and musculoskeletal problems, particularly lower back and neck pain, which are increasingly common complaints among young office workers. Beyond these direct physical effects, a largely sedentary workforce can also lead to reduced productivity and a growing burden on the public healthcare system, as hospitals treat increasing numbers of adults in their thirties and forties for conditions once associated mainly with old age. Because the onset of these problems is usually gradual rather than sudden, many people fail to notice the damage until it has already become serious, making early intervention difficult and long-term treatment costly.
In conclusion, the prevalence of prolonged sitting among today's workers and students is largely a consequence of desk-based jobs, motorbike commuting and the convenience of delivery apps. This behaviour, in turn, exacts a heavy toll, contributing to a range of chronic diseases and placing a substantial strain on both individuals and the healthcare system.
Collocations
Examiner Notes
- TR“This essay will examine the principal causes of this sedentary existence and the significant health problems it subsequently causes.” — A clear outline sentence in the introduction that signals the two-part structure the essay will follow.
- LR“compound the problem” — A precise, topic-appropriate verb collocation for describing how an existing issue is worsened.
- GRA“after two years of ordering lunch to my desk almost daily and rarely leaving my chair between meetings, an annual company health check revealed early-stage fatty liver and elevated cholesterol, which the doctor attributed directly to prolonged sitting and a poor diet.” — A long, controlled sentence combining a subordinate time clause with a non-defining relative clause reporting the doctor's diagnosis.
- CC“Beyond these direct physical effects, a largely sedentary workforce can also lead to reduced productivity” — The phrase "Beyond these direct physical effects" cohesively bridges the personal-health point to the wider societal consequence.
- LR“exacts a heavy toll” — An idiomatic phrase used naturally in the conclusion to summarise the cumulative damage described earlier.