A good summary puts the main ideas in your own words. According to Purdue's Owl English site, "Summaries are significantly shorter than the original and take a broad overview of the source material." Depending upon the type of source material, a summary can serve many purposes. For example, if you are researching a topic and reading several articles, a summary of each article will support your reading and refresh your memory regarding all of the material. It can also help you begin to group and organize your material. If you are writing a review of literature, a summary will give your reader a type of abstract that covers the basic aspects of the work. If you are reading material that is hard to comprehend, a summary will aid your comprehension.
A good summary presents the essence of the material in plain English. There should be little detail, if any. It is like an abstract in that it presents a document's essential information. In order to write a summary, first read the article through once; then go back and read again, listing all points made. Next, look this over and look for a general purpose that these points serve and write one sentence that summarizes this. Last, look everything over and check for accuracy.
The typical American is overweight. Loving and consuming our high sweet and high fat foods have made us the most obese people in the world. Obesity leads to diabetes, heart problems, high blood pressure and laziness -- yes, laziness! The extra pounds suck out energy. Instead of taking the stairs, we look for the elevator; instead of taking a walk, we take to the couch. The body becomes much less than what it was intended to be. The toll of an unhealthy diet is huge; five years off one's life is the average. That's the bad news; the good news is that even a small change in your diet (like giving up regular soda pop) for one year will take weight off, which in turn, will automatically make you healthier. Being healthier means vastly improving your quality of life.
The writer states that most Americans are overweight, but that making just a small change in the diet can make an important difference for a healthier life.