Identifying a Good Thesis Statement

Read each question and choose the best thesis statement.

1		Should cigarettes be made illegal?
			A)	Although smoking has many negative health effects, making smoking illegal would not solve the problem.
			B)	Teenagers should be allowed to smoke if they choose to.
			C)	Smoking is a leading cause of death in the United States.
2		What is the best way to teach the public about healthy lifestyles?
			A)	People should be able to decide what kind of lifestyle they want to have even if it is unhealthy.
			B)	I disagree that laws can help people stay healthy.
			C)	Advertising is an effective medium for selling many things, and I believe it can sell good health too.
3		Packaged foods contribute to poor health. Agree or disagree.
			A)	Packaged foods in supermarkets are much more expensive than their counterparts in local markets.
			B)	People are overweight today because of over-processed, high-fat packaged foods.
			C)	Elimination of poverty would be the best way to improve health around the world.
4		Compare your lifestyle with the lifestyles of people 50 years ago.
			A)	Life was very different 50 years ago.
			B)	Some people think that modern life is easier, but I believe that our lives are much more stressful than the lives of our great-grandparents.
			C)	I have two jobs, a wife, a child, and I go to school full time.
5		What are some effects of dieting?
			A)	After years of telling us to diet, scientists are now telling us that restricting one's eating is not always a good thing.
			B)	It seems that women are always dieting, but men rarely have to.
			C)	Dieting makes you thinner and healthier.