Health & Wellbeing
Vocabulary for essays on public health, mental health, healthcare systems, diet, and exercise.
Foundation
Simple, clear usage
Intermediate
Academic context
Band 9
Sophisticated, Band 9 style
10 words
A medical condition characterised by excess body fat, typically defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or above, associated with increased risk of numerous health complications.
🌱 Foundation Example
"Obesity is when a person is very overweight, which can cause health problems."
Common collocations:
Illness and health conditions that can be avoided through lifestyle choices, vaccination, screening, or public health interventions.
🌱 Foundation Example
"Eating healthy food can prevent many diseases — these are called preventable diseases."
Common collocations:
A person's condition with regard to their psychological and emotional wellbeing; the state of functioning well and managing life's challenges without significant psychological distress.
🌱 Foundation Example
"Mental health means how we feel emotionally and psychologically."
Common collocations:
A way of living that involves little physical activity, characterised by prolonged sitting, particularly associated with office work and screen-based leisure.
🌱 Foundation Example
"A sedentary lifestyle means not getting enough exercise because you sit down all day."
Common collocations:
A widespread occurrence of a disease or condition in a community at a particular time; sometimes used metaphorically for widespread social problems.
🌱 Foundation Example
"An epidemic is when many people in a place get the same illness."
Common collocations:
The organised provision of medical services, facilities, and policies within a country or region, including hospitals, primary care, and public health programmes.
🌱 Foundation Example
"The healthcare system includes hospitals and doctors who help people when they are ill."
Common collocations:
The state of being comfortable, healthy, and happy; a holistic condition encompassing physical, mental, social, and financial dimensions of a person's life.
🌱 Foundation Example
"Wellbeing means feeling happy, healthy, and comfortable in your life."
Common collocations:
The administration of a vaccine to stimulate an immune response and protect against infectious disease.
🌱 Foundation Example
"Vaccination helps protect people from getting serious diseases."
Common collocations:
The process of taking in and utilising food for growth, energy, and health maintenance; also the study of food's relationship to health.
🌱 Foundation Example
"Good nutrition means eating healthy food that gives your body what it needs."
Common collocations:
The average number of years a person is expected to live, typically calculated from birth based on current mortality rates.
🌱 Foundation Example
"Life expectancy tells us on average how long people live."
Common collocations:
Explore more vocabulary topics 📚
Build a comprehensive IELTS vocabulary across all major essay themes.
All Vocabulary Topics