Reading

10.4 a) Read the letters Dr. Andrew received. What is each person’s problem? What advice might he give?

Andrew’s Advice

1. Dear Andrew,

I’m really overweight! I’ve cut out breakfast and all fatty foods, but I just can’t seem to lose weight. I’m desperate – please help!

Hungry and Miserable, Coventry

2. Dear Andrew,

I’m always stressed out! I work long hours and find it hard to relax when I get home. What can I do?

Stressed, Brighton

3. Dear Andrew,

I sit at a desk all day, but I always seem to feel tired. Any suggestions?

Sleepy, Cardiff

4. Dear Andrew,

I keep reading that I should be eating more fish. The problem is that I don’t like the taste. Is there something unique to fish that I cannot get elsewhere in my diet?

Fish hater, London

b) Match Andrew’s answers A, B, C or D to the correct letter. What advice did he give?

A Don’t despair! First of all, you should always eat breakfast! Imagine you’re a car. If your “fuel tank” is empty, it doesn’t go anywhere! Also, if you skip meals, you often eat more later and put on weight. You should eat a balanced diet and take plenty of exercise. That’s the best way to lose weight!

B Try going for a quick swim in the morning or walking to work. When you exercise, your heart beats faster and your blood carries more oxygen to your brain. This gives you more energy and helps you to think more clearly! Also, do you get enough sleep? Remember, most people need 7-8 hours of sleep to function well the next day!

C Take it easy! There’s more to life than work you know! Why not take up a new sport or hobby to get out of the house? You could join a gym! If you exercise regularly, your body copes with stress much better. Also, try not to drink too much coffee and tee. If you drink a lot of caffeine, it increases anxiety.

D Too bad that you don’t have a taste for fish, because it has been found to be an asset in the fight against heart disease. The first studies describing the low incidence of heart disease in fish-eating populations appeared over two decades ago. The evidence keeps pointing to omega-3 oils in fish as the source of this unique property.

Omega-3 oils are a type of oil that manufactured by plants that grow in the sea and a few that grow on land. The fish that eat these sea plants (as well as the fish that eat those fish) accumulate these essential fatty acids, or EFAs, in their bodies. These are mainly the varieties of fish found in cold water. Those fish that contain a high level of omega-3 EFAs include mackerel, sardines, salmon, tune, herring, yellowtail, etc.