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by unknown37 » Thu Nov 06, 2008 8:16 pm
Columnist: People should avoid using a certain artificial fat that has been touted as a resource for those whose medical advisers have advised them to reduce their fat intake. Although the artificial fat, which can be used in place of fat in food preparation, has none of the negative health effects of fat, it does have a serious drawback: it absorbs certain essential vitamins, thereby preventing them from being used by the body.

In evaluating the columnist's position, it would be most useful to determine which of the following?

(A) Whether increasing one's intake of the vitamins can compensate for the effects of the artificial fat
(B) Whether the vitamins that the artificial fat absorbs are present in foods that contain the fat
(C) Whether having an extremely low fat intake for an extended period can endanger the health
(D) Whether there are any foods that cannot be prepared using the artificial fat as a substitute for other fats
(E) Whether people are generally able to detect differences in taste between foods prepared using the artificial fat and foods that are similar except for the use of other fats
Source: — Critical Reasoning |

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by raunekk » Thu Nov 06, 2008 8:46 pm

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by David@VeritasPrep » Wed Nov 13, 2013 9:23 am
OA is A.

This has been discussed before but it seems there are still doubts. I received a PM to comment on this one....specifically on why A is correct and B is not.

This is a most useful to know question.

The argument is that artificial fat has a serious drawback because it absorbs certain essential vitamins. Now we are looking for the answer that helps us to know if this really is a serious drawback or not.

Choice A says "Whether increasing one's intake of the vitamins can compensate for the effects of the artificial fat"

The reasons that Choice A is correct is that if the question is answered "Yes" increasing vitamins will compensate for the effects of the artificial fat, then the drawback is not so bad. If on the other hand, the answer is "No. you cannot compensate for the effects of the artificial fat" then the drawbacks are very severe as you would be missing essential vitamins.

Choice B says, "Whether the vitamins that the artificial fat absorbs are present in foods that contain the fat"

Choice B is not correct because nowhere in the stimulus does it imply that foods with fat are the sources of vitamins. The problem is not that by eating the artificial fat you will miss out on vitamins in the fatty foods, but rather that the artificial fat may take away the essential vitamins from your system. These vitamins may have come from fruits and vegetables, etc. but they are absorbed by the fake fat.

Choice B is not the "most useful to know."

Hope it helps!
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