Fat Intake

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Fat Intake

by Juggernaut_86 » Sat Sep 17, 2011 7:17 pm
A recent study demonstrated that parents living with children consume nearly five more grams of fat per day, on average, than do adults living without children. The higher fat intake among these parents is probably attributable to their snacking on the pizza and cookies that tend to be plentiful in households with children.

Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken this explanation of the parents' higher fat intake?

A) On average, households with children spend $15 more per week on pizza and cookies than do households without children.

B) Households with children purchase much more whole milk, which has a high fat content, than do households without children.

C) Children consume most of the pizza and cookies in any given household.

D) Parents ought to set a good example for their children, in dietary choices as in other matters.

E) Not all parents living with children consume more grams of fat than do adults living without children.


I am confused b/w B and C.

My reasoning - C correct
Since most of the pizza and cookies are consumed by the children, very less pizza and cookies are consumed by the parents. So actually, the amount of pizza and cookies that the parents consume could actually be the same as the amount of pizza and cookies that adults with no children could consume.

B - Incorrect
Households with children purchase much more whole milk but this does not tell me that the parents end up consuming any of that milk. So how can I attribute the higher fat intake to the purchase of whole milk?

OA is B
Source: — Critical Reasoning |

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by sam2304 » Sat Sep 17, 2011 9:20 pm
Higher fat intake by parents is cuz of pizzas and cookies
A.Amt of spending is irrelevant
B.Provides alternate reason which weakens the conclusion that it is not because of pizzas and cookies.
C.Children consuming more pizzas doesn't weaken the fact that fat intake is cuz of pizzas. Small amt of pizza consumption by parents also might be reason for increase in fat. So this doesn't weaken.
D.Doesn't weaken
E.Doesn't weaken
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by cans » Sat Sep 17, 2011 9:20 pm
Premise: parents consume more fat than adults without children
Conclusion: more fat is because of pizza/cookies.
weaken:
A) if parents spend more on pizza then probably this is the reason. Incorrect
D) out of context
E) This study says most. (We are not concerned with all..)

C) children consume most.... most is relative word. it can mean 70% also and 99% also.

B) It provides us alternate reason for more fat content. (in conclusion it is mentioned that pizza and cookies tend to be plentiful (and not that parents eat plentiful). Similarly B provides that milk is also present in large quantity. Thus maybe milk is the reason.

IMO B
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by loving.achin » Sat Sep 17, 2011 9:28 pm
Indeed C doesn't weaken the answer as the left over portion of pizza (which might be consumed by parents) can be the reason for increased fat.

In B, we are trying to refute the argument that pizza and cookies are the reason. We successfully do it by saying that milk is the reason.