LSAT 146 | Section 2 | Logical Reasoning: Q15

LR Question 15 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Nutritionist: Most fad diets prescribe a single narrow…

QUESTION TYPE: Most Strongly Supported

FACTS:

1. Fad diets say everyone should eat the same narrow type of nutrients.
2. However, people have different dietary needs, because different nutrients help treat different health problems.
3. But, everyone should eat fruits and vegetables. They improve a large variety of health issues.

ANALYSIS: This basically lets us conclude that:

• People should eat widely
• Fad diets are too narrow
• Everyone should eat fruits and vegetables

Any of these could be the right answer. Note that while this stimulus has structural indicators such as “but” and “however”, I wouldn’t say it’s an argument. The conclusions are largely implied.

___________

1. The stimulus didn’t say this. If anything, fad diets don’t encourage fruits and vegetables, as those diets only encourage a narrow range of nutrients. That might exclude most fruits/vegetables.
2. This isn’t supported. The fact that fruits/vegetables do help doesn’t mean that nothing else does. The nutritionist didn’t make any such exclusive claims.
3. This goes too far. Nutritional needs vary, but that doesn’t mean everyone is unique. Perhaps everyone fits into, say, 15 main categories. Variance doesn’t mean total individualism.
4. CORRECT. This is well supported. Note that the words “most” and “some” weaken the strength of this statement, which makes it easier to support. Had it said “all fad diets fail most people” it would be much harder to prove.
    
   The reason this is supported is that it combines statements 1 and 2 above. An individual fad diet will only have a narrow range of nutrients, and this likely won’t suit at least some people, as nutritional needs vary.
5. I’m having trouble even figuring out what this sentence means. I think it means “Some nutrients are in every fruit and vegetable, but not in every other food outside the fruit vegetable group”.
    
   If so, no part of this is supported. The argument didn’t say that there are some nutrients that occur in every fruit/vegetable. It only said fruits and vegetables protect against a wide range of health problems.