IELTS ACADEMIC
SAMPLE 13

The charts summarise the weight measurements of people living in Charlestown in  1955 and 2015.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features,  and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.

Model answer
In 1955, the youngest age group had the fewest number of weight issues, with more  than 70% of 20-29-year-olds being assessed as having a healthy weight. In the same year, excess weight was only a significant problem among 40-49-year-olds, 20-30%  of whom were classified as either overweight or obese. In fact, being underweight  was a more significant problem affecting more than twenty percent of each age  group, and the elderly in particular, with 40% of the over 60s being classified as  underweight.
In stark contrast to this, in 2015, being underweight was only a problem among 20- 29-year olds, with 20% obtaining this diagnosis, and the number of underweight  elderly people had fallen to 10%. The charts clearly show that, in modern times,  obesity poses a considerable problem from the age of 30 upwards. In fact, there was a steady increase in this problem in almost every age group over 29 until the age of  60, when the vast majority are considered to have an unhealthy weight. It is  important to note that, by the age of 60, less than 50% of each age group was  considered to have a perfect weight by the year 2015. This is a fall of 10%  compared to the same age group in 1955.
When comparing the two years, it is clear that there has been a significant  increase in the number of obese people in Charlestown, and there was a general  drop in the number of underweight people between 1955 and 2015.