LSAT 153 | Section 3 | Logical Reasoning: Q7

LR Question 7 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Advertisement: Honey Oat Puffs cereal is made with whole-grain…

QUESTION TYPE: Flawed Reasoning

CONCLUSION: People would have more healthful diets if they ate Honey Oat Puffs for breakfast.

REASONING: Honey Oat Puffs are made with whole-grain oats. Whole-grain oats are among the most healthful foods. Therefore, eating Honey Oat Puffs is healthy.

ANALYSIS: This argument makes a part to whole mistake. It assumes that because whole-grain oats are healthy, then anything that contains whole-grain oats must also be healthy. But this isn’t true. Suppose that Honey Oat Puffs are made with 10 grams of oats per 1000 grams of sugar. Obviously, this would make for an unhealthy breakfast. Therefore, just because Honey Oat Puffs contain whole-grain oats does not mean that the former is healthy.

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1. CORRECT. See analysis. A food doesn’t necessarily have all the properties of its ingredients.
2. The argument never says that foods must contain whole-grain oats to be healthful.
    
   Example of Flaw: Oats are healthful. Therefore, anything without oats is not healthful.
3. The author uses the word “healthful” the same way throughout the argument.
4. The argument doesn’t assume this at all. It cites health experts as the source for why whole-grain oats are healthy, not the diets of healthy people.
    
   Example of Flaw: Healthy people eat oats. Therefore oats are healthy.
5. None of the premises assume the truth of Honey Oat Puffs making diets more healthful.

Recap: The question begins with “Advertisement: Honey Oat Puffs cereal is made with whole-grain”. It is a Flawed Reasoning question. Learn how to master LSAT Flaw questions on the LSAT Logical Reasoning question types page.