Critical Reasoning

gmatmachoman wrote:

harshavardhanc wrote:

gmatmachoman wrote:
D altogether brings new info which is way out of the discussion!!

@Harsha!
I am concerned over the source of the question.

My hands are clean!

Calling harsh.champ!!!!!

ehehehe Sorrry bro!!

Small confusionzzzzzzzzzzz

But still u can share ur Gyan..Not a crime !!

he he !!

actually, we both share the same view on this question. I think the options are not for this question !

In the passage above, the argument is about people who are age 35 who gained weight. But WEIGHT GAIN does not necessarily mean THEY CONSUME MORE CALORIES. Weight gain could be result of something else such as low metabolism, inactive lifestyle, certain medications etc.

Here only answer choice (D) makes sense. Hence it is correct.

Whatever written above may / may not be correct. It's just another opinion. Everyone should have one!

But, our task is to resolve a paradox and I still do not believe that D does that.

A long-term health study that followed a group of people who were age 35 in 1950 found that those whose weight increased by approximately half a kilogram or one pound per year after the age of 35 tended, on the whole, to live longer than those who maintained the weight they had at age 35. This finding seems at variance with other studies that have associated weight gain with a host of health problems that tend to lower life expectancy.

Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparently conflicting findings?

(A) As people age, muscle and bone tissue tends to make up a smaller and smaller proportion of total body weight.
(B) Individuals who reduce their cholesterol levels by losing weight can thereby also reduce their risk of dying from heart attacks or strokes.
(C) Smokers, who tend to be leaner than nonsmokers, tend to have shorter life spans than nonsmokers.
(D) The normal deterioration of the human immune system with age can be slowed down by a reduction in the number of calories consumed.
(E) Diets that tend to lead to weight gain often contain not only excess fat but also unhealthful concentrations of sugar and sodium.

We have to find evidence that shows that the finding is consistent with the notion that weight gain tends to lower life expectancy. If C is true, that weight gainers lived longer was due not to the weight gain itself but rather to the absense of smoking. The people who did not gain weight were disproportionately smokers. None of the other choices resolves the discrepancy. Choose C

Lesson: When drawing conclusions from a comparative study, ensure that the two population differ only with regard to the variable studied. Also, resolving a discrepancy involves showing how a seemingly inconsistent finding does not actually contradict the others

Can we get chance to enjoy OA?

harsh.champ wrote:A long-term health study that followed a group of people who were age 35 in 1950 found that those whose weight increased by approximately half a kilogram or one pound per year after the age of 35 tended, on the whole, to live longer than those who maintained the weight they had at age 35. This finding seems at variance with other studies that have associated weight gain with a host of health problems that tend to lower life expectancy.

Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparently conflicting findings?

(A) As people age, muscle and bone tissue tends to make up a smaller and smaller proportion of total body weight.
(B) Individuals who reduce their cholesterol levels by losing weight can thereby also reduce their risk of dying from heart attacks or strokes.
(C) Smokers, who tend to be leaner than nonsmokers, tend to have shorter life spans than nonsmokers.
(D) The normal deterioration of the human immune system with age can be slowed down by a reduction in the number of calories consumed.
(E) Diets that tend to lead to weight gain often contain not only excess fat but also unhealthful concentrations of sugar and sodium.

kevincanspain wrote:A long-term health study that followed a group of people who were age 35 in 1950 found that those whose weight increased by approximately half a kilogram or one pound per year after the age of 35 tended, on the whole, to live longer than those who maintained the weight they had at age 35. This finding seems at variance with other studies that have associated weight gain with a host of health problems that tend to lower life expectancy.

Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparently conflicting findings?

(A) As people age, muscle and bone tissue tends to make up a smaller and smaller proportion of total body weight.
(B) Individuals who reduce their cholesterol levels by losing weight can thereby also reduce their risk of dying from heart attacks or strokes.
(C) Smokers, who tend to be leaner than nonsmokers, tend to have shorter life spans than nonsmokers.
(D) The normal deterioration of the human immune system with age can be slowed down by a reduction in the number of calories consumed.
(E) Diets that tend to lead to weight gain often contain not only excess fat but also unhealthful concentrations of sugar and sodium.

We have to find evidence that shows that the finding is consistent with the notion that weight gain tends to lower life expectancy. If C is true, that weight gainers lived longer was due not to the weight gain itself but rather to the absense of smoking. The people who did not gain weight were disproportionately smokers. None of the other choices resolves the discrepancy. Choose C

Lesson: When drawing conclusions from a comparative study, ensure that the two population differ only with regard to the variable studied. Also, resolving a discrepancy involves showing how a seemingly inconsistent finding does not actually contradict the others

@Kevin

I am pretty sure C Wont be the answer. What if the Non smokers would have maintained "weight". The whole discussion revolves around weight gain & C completely hides/ignore that stated fact of "weight gain".

As I suggested earlier...had my doubts on D. As much as C sounds some what out of scope...I will go with C

boazkhan wrote:As I suggested earlier...had my doubts on D. As much as C sounds some what out of scope...I will go with C

I dont think I am playing "Three Cards" to depend on Probabilities & assumptions. reasoning bro..that's wat is required!

I wuld appreciate if u can post a "detailed reasoning" to support C provided u dont bring any new ASSUMPTIONS!!

Well, I was torn between C & D and I selected C. Then I saw this whole discussion where everyone was either not supporting or supporting D.

The reason I preferred C over D is because D does not resolve the paradox here, and C is the closet one to the correct answer.

What is the paradox here

1. Main View: People Gained weight and were healthier than people who did not gain weight.
2. Contradictory View: Weight gain has always been bad

So how can people gaining weight better than people not gaining weight, maybe people not gaining weight (in the study) are doing something that is worse than gaining weight. This reasoning tells me that C is contender.

If I look at D (only other contender), it doesn't resolve the paradox.

D says Deterioration of human immune system can be slowed by reducing calorie intake, but it doesn't say how increase in weight is helping.

Had the choice said that INCREASE in calorie intake in moderation every year can reduce deterioration of Immune system, then I would have selected D. But it says otherwise.

Now C is the only choice that is close to resolving the paradox.

IMHO it is C.

Hope we can get the OA soon.

Cheers and happy debating,

Vineet

vineetbatra wrote:Well, I was torn between C & D and I selected C. Then I saw this whole discussion where everyone was either not supporting or supporting D.

The reason I preferred C over D is because D does not resolve the paradox here, and C is the closet one to the correct answer.

What is the paradox here

1. Main View: People Gained weight and were healthier than people who did not gain weight.
2. Contradictory View: Weight gain has always been bad

So how can people gaining weight better than people not gaining weight, maybe people not gaining weight (in the study) are doing something that is worse than gaining weight. This reasoning tells me that C is contender.

If I look at D (only other contender), it doesn't resolve the paradox.

D says Deterioration of human immune system can be slowed by reducing calorie intake, but it doesn't say how increase in weight is helping.

Had the choice said that INCREASE in calorie intake in moderation every year can reduce deterioration of Immune system, then I would have selected D. But it says otherwise.

Now C is the only choice that is close to resolving the paradox.

IMHO it is C.

Hope we can get the OA soon.

Cheers and happy debating,

Vineet

Plz do share your reasoning bro for selecting C. IMO none of the answers fits here. Select *F*

gmatmachoman wrote:
Plz do share your reasoning bro for selecting C. IMO none of the answers fits here. Select *F*

I agree, F is a better option if there were one. Given the 5 choices C is the only probable one.

Why C

We are talking about a study in 50's, where smokers were leaner than non smokers. i.e. the people with less weight than people with more weight.

Here people with less weight are doing something that even with lower weight they are riskier than people with higher weight.

I agree there are lot of holes in this question, and C. But IMHO, C has the least holes and hope to resolve.

Well when you have all the big guns in the question then one thing is for sure the question is a tricky one .

@ gmatmachoman , I totally agree with you that none of the answer options are 100% clear and I would question the source .

@vineetbatra and kevincanspain ,

I dont quite agree with the C being the correct answer here is why .

The question stem says Weight gain (Cause ) -------------> Live longer (effect)

Now lets examine what option C says .

(Smokers, who tend to be leaner than nonsmokers) first of all if we discuss only smokers and non smokers then we would contradict the question stem . As the question clearly says the result of study conducted on a GROUP is then generalized and contradicted with weight gain issues .

So we are not talking about a specifically about group of smokers.

Second thing : C says thinner people (less weight) -------> dont live longer (effect )

This would address only one side of the argument that is those who have more weight live longer .

But dose not address the situation why more weight is associated with health problems .

Please correct me if I am wrong , it would be interesting to know your views .

@ Harsha - whats the OA please , also the source of this question and official explanation.
Thanks .

Remember, you are looking for the best answer, not one that is completely immune to objections!

Smokers, who tend to be leaner than nonsmokers, tend to have shorter life spans than nonsmokers.

Smokers exhibit a relative absense of weight gain and yet die younger. That they have not gained as much weight as non-smokers in suggested by the fact that they are leaner. This fact forms the basis for a possible reconcilation of the seemingly contradictory findings. In other words, that people in the health study who gained weight actually lived longer than those who did not gain weight does not disprove that weight gain lowers life expectancy, because there is a difference between weight gainers and non-weight gainers: the latter has a disproportionate share of smokers.

I see the same issue here:

Which of the following most logically completes the argument??

When people engage in activities that help others, their brain releases endorphins,
the brain's natural opiates, which induce in people a feeling of well-being. It has
been suggested that regular release of endorphins increases people's longevity.
And a statistic on adults who regularly engage in volunteer work helping others
shows that they live longer, on average, than adults who do not volunteer. However,
that statistic would be what we would expect even if volunteering does not
boost longevity, because ________ .
A. in the communities studied, women were much more likely to do regular
volunteer work than men were, and women tend to live longer than men do.
B. the number of young adults who do regular volunteer work is on the increase
C. the feelings of well-being induced by endorphins can, at least for a time, mask
the symptoms of various conditions and diseases, provided the symptoms are
mild.
D. it is rare for a person to keep up a regular schedule of volunteer work
throughout his or her life.
E. some people find that keeping a commitment to do regular volunteer work
becomes a source of stress in their lives.

kevincanspain

Thanks , I have selected C as well, and was happy to read your post after so many posts, my reasoning was absolutely the same and that makes me happy!


in last question i would select answer D !

Which of the following most logically completes the argument??

When people engage in activities that help others, their brain releases endorphins, the brain's natural opiates, which induce in people a feeling of well-being. It has been suggested that regular release of endorphins increases people's longevity. And a statistic on adults who regularly engage in volunteer work helping others shows that they live longer, on average, than adults who do not volunteer. However, that statistic would be what we would expect even if volunteering does not boost longevity, because ________ .

A. in the communities studied, women were much more likely to do regular volunteer work than men were, and women tend to live longer than men do.
B. the number of young adults who do regular volunteer work is on the increase
C. the feelings of well-being induced by endorphins can, at least for a time, mask the symptoms of various conditions and diseases, provided the symptoms are mild.
D. it is rare for a person to keep up a regular schedule of volunteer work throughout his or her life.
E. some people find that keeping a commitment to do regular volunteer work becomes a source of stress in their lives.

Main view: - adults who volunteer live longer
Counter: adults who volunteer will still live longer even if volunteering does not boost longevity

Only A provide suh explanation: if women in general volunteer and also live longer than both views will be correct. This option shows that even if volunteering does not boost longevity...women will still live longer. Its a case of two things happening simultaneously and we assume that there is a correlation between them.
D - incorrect - it at best supports only the main view (may be person stops volunteering once he has crossed the avgerage living age. So even if dies after stopped volunteering...he has lived longer). It does not show how the counter view is also correct

IMO E to this complete the sentence. OA pl.

As I've said several times when discussing paradox questions (!), the right answer need only open up a possible logical basis for resolving the paradox. If we see an answer choice, and we say "yeah, that could be the explanation", then it is the correct answer to the paradox question. If we go one step further, and say "oh but that might not be the explanation if bla bla", then we have misconstrued the task. (This is the same as in stn/wkn questions: if a fact tends to make the argument stronger, then it is a strengthener; we don't ask "but what if this or what if that?").

__________

Kevin, Ron and I discussed the second question very recently in the thread titled "endorphins".