LESSON 3 S5

IFSI PSSL 2014 2015
Semestre 5
LESSON N°3
ANGLAIS
3rd November 2014
I - OBESITY IN THE USA / CORRECTION
This article was published on 6 june 2012 in the website of an American daily newspaper called USA today.
This article deals with obesity among American people and all its consequences.
-The first idea developed in the document is the important rise of obesity since the 80s as well as the serious consequences it has on
health.
-After the consequences on health, the article explains that obesity costs a lot of money to the USA and the American citizens.
-Then we are said that obesity is promoted by the American environment (such as fast-food restaurants, junk food and sedentarity)
-At the end of the article, there is a list of examples on what can be done to lose weight and keep it off.
•
Overweight and obesity are rife in the USA.
They keep increasing.
They dramatically increased in the eighties and have steadily increased since then, even though the increase has slown down since
2010.
They have very bad consequences on health.
•
Overweight and obesity cost a lot of maney to the USA
They represent 9% of medical expenditures
The figures will increase if the government don’t take prevention measures to reduce obesity.
•
In the USA, the environment promotes obesity
Too many fast-food restaurants, junk food are available. More sedentary people...
But the environment can’t get worse: it has neared a peak.
•
Examples of weight-control stategies
Ideas on how to lose weight and keep it off.
CONCLUSION
Obesity is very common in the USA. Not only it has consequences on health, but also it costs a lot of money to the country as medicalrelated costs of obesity are incredibly high.
The environment has a huge responsibility in promoting obesity with so many fast food restaurants , junk food in vending machines
everywhere, a more and more sedentary life...
Fortunately, there are ways to lose weight and in the USA, many successful dieters join groups and associations to help themselves
keep the weight off.
To open:
•
junk food / Mcdonald’s / Cocacola / cars / television / video games…
•
Michelle Obama is very involved with obesity. She launched a campaign in 2010 and since then, she’s done a lot to promote
better eating and exercising.
•
Obesity in France is increasing: what happens in the USA always reaches France with a ten-year delay...
•
Fast-food restaurants are thriving in France.
•
To finish on a positive note, most American people understand the seriousness of the situation...
Joëlle Robouant
1
IFSI PSSL 2014 2015
Semestre 5
ANGLAIS
II – BEING AN OPTIMIST MAY PROTECT AGAINST HEART PROBLEMS
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17733371 / 18 April 2012 / By Michelle Roberts Health reporter, BBC News
Being cheerful may protect against heart problems, say US experts.
Happy, optimistic people have a lower risk of heart disease and stroke, a Harvard School of Public Health review of more
than 200 studies - reported in Psychological Bulletin - suggests.
While such people may be generally healthier, scientists think a sense of well-being may lower risk factors such as high
blood pressure and cholesterol.
Stress and depression have already been linked to heart disease.
The researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health trawled medical trial databases to find studies that had
recorded psychological well-being and cardiovascular health.
This revealed that factors such as optimism, life satisfaction, and happiness appeared to be associated with a reduced risk
of heart and circulatory diseases, regardless of a person's age, socio-economic status, smoking status or body weight.
Disease risk was 50% lower among the most optimistic individuals.
'Not proof'
Dr Julia Boehm and colleagues stress that their work only suggests a link and is not proof that well-being buffers against
heart disease.
And not only is it difficult to objectively measure well-being, other heart risk factors like cholesterol and diabetes are
more important when it comes to reducing disease.
The people in the study who were more optimistic also engaged in healthier behaviours such as getting more exercising
and eating a balanced diet, which will have some influence.
But even when they controlled for these factors and others, like sleep quality, the link between optimism and better heart
health remained.
Although they looked at 200 studies, the researchers say this number is still not enough to draw firm conclusions and
recommend more research.
Much of the past work on mood and heart disease has looked at stress and anxiety rather than happiness.
Maureen Talbot, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: "The association between heart disease and
mental health is very complex and still not fully understood.
"Although this study didn't look at the effects of stress, it does confirm what we already know which is psychological
well-being is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, just like staying active and eating healthily.
"It also highlights the need for healthcare professionals to provide a holistic approach to care, taking into account the
state of someone's mental health and monitoring its effect on their physical health."
Vocabulary
To trawl: rechercher, fouiller dans
To buffer: prémunir
Trial: experience
To monitor: surveiller / contrôler
Holistic (definition): treating the whole person rather than just the physical symptoms of a disease.
a) Dégager les idées essentielles de ce texte
b) Préparer introduction et conclusion à l’oral
c) Trouvez plusieurs points d’ouverture pour élargir la discussion.
Joëlle Robouant
2