Read the text. For statements 1-7, choose the correct answer to complete each statement

Finding A Healthy Balance

As a growing boy, I don't think anyone would have called me health conscious. I was typical of my peer group — the odd fizzy drink and trips to meet friends at the local fast food restaurant.

However, I was lucky to have a mother who made sure I ate well. She enjoyed cooking and all our meals were varied and delicious!

At the age of eighteen, I moved to a university far from home and suddenly had to look after myself. I really missed my mum's home−cooked meals. She had sent me away armed with recipes, but I never wanted to cook when I got back to the flat after a hard day of lectures. For this reason, it wasn't long before my friends and I discovered our local hamburger bar, just two roads from our home. It was so easy to get our dinner there and, compared to our few attempts in the kitchen, the food tasted great. Stopping by on the way back from classes became a regular habit.

After a couple of months, I started to notice some changes in myself; I was getting acne and my clothes were becoming tight and uncomfortable. I was also very lethargic and friends complained that I would get irritable, often for no good reason.

At first, I didn't pay too much attention to it all, I wasn't surprised that the stress of university was taking its toll. However, over the weeks that followed, I started getting colds and headaches on a regular basis. My health seemed to be deteriorating, but everyone else appeared to be coping. I began to question if I was cut out for university.

I decided to listen to friends' suggestions to visit a doctor. I went along and, after a five−minute discussion of my unhealthy eating habits, she referred me to a nutritionist. I have to admit I was a little sceptical; I could accept that my acne and weight gain might result from the foods I ate, but the moods, headaches, colds — surely diet couldn't cause these too?

Nonetheless, I made the appointment and soon found I had underestimated the importance of diet. I was told that the food I ate was high in fat but low in goodness. The lack of fruit, vegetables, and other food groups meant my diet wasn't balanced and my body was struggling to keep up with the demands I was putting on it. She explained that if I continued to eat so unhealthily, I would be at risk of obesity and diabetes. Apparently, obesity was now an epidemic in America, and England was following suit. Fast food seemed to be a serious health hazard.

Some simple blood tests revealed that I had an iron deficiency. In order to combat this and to improve my generally rundown system, the nutritionist made me a personalised plan of nutritious meals to prepare and listed the vitamins I needed to supplement my diet with. She was very stern when giving me the advice. She told me not to expect it to be easy, since it is now believed that the body becomes addicted to a junk food diet. I'd never heard this claim before and was completely taken aback. There was a lot to do to get back on track.

After four weeks, I could really see a difference. The headaches and colds had completely disappeared and the acne and weight gain were well on the way to being rectified.

A few relieved friends were also pleased to have their happy flatmate back! It took time to learn about food and how to prepare decent meals. But it soon became a habit, just like my unhealthy lifestyle had. My energy levels were really high and maintaining my grades was no longer a massive struggle. I'm not saying that everyone should abstain from fast food completely, but we should all be health conscious. Once you experience the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, you won't want to see another hamburger again!

When the writer says he was not 'health conscious' he means that

• he didn't understand some foods were unhealthy.
• he regularly ate lots of unhealthy food.
• he wasn't interested in food.
• it was normal for people his age to eat fast food.

The writer started to eat fast food meals at university because

• he could meet his friends at the burger bar.
• his flatmate didn't want to cook at home.
• it was easy and convenient.
• the restaurant was close to his flat.

As time progressed, the writer's friends commented that

• he was moody and bad tempered.
• he was wearing tight fitting clothes.
• his health was getting worse.
• his skin was covered in spots.

The writer wasn't enthusiastic about seeing a nutritionist because

• his friends had forced him into it.
• didn't think it would help him lose weight.
• he felt the doctor had made her decision too quickly.
• he doubted that diet could be the cause of all his symptoms.

The writer uses the term 'health hazard' because

• diabetes has become an epidemic.
• fast food has spread in England.
• obesity is an infectious disease.
• too much fast food is bad for you.

On visiting the nutritionist, the writer was surprised

• at the effort it would take to get better.
• by her stern manner when giving advice.
• to learn that fast food can be addictive.
• that his body wasn't getting enough iron.

The writer found the new eating plan was

• only suitable for some people.
• a little difficult, but worth the effort.
• not as effective as he had hoped.
• good at first, but he developed bad habits.