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12 Days of Christmas GMAT Competition - Day 7: Nutritionist: Recent

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Argument: High protein diet>Traditional diets to lose weight
YET
While older adults struggle to lose weight, the diet has the same success for both adults and old people

QS: Resolve the paradox

(A) Older adults generally have slower metabolisms and hence find it more difficult to lose weight regardless of diet plan.---> This shows why the old face difficulties. OUT
(B) Younger adults tend to be more physically active, which can enhance the effectiveness of any diet plan.---> This shows why young doesn't face difficulties. OUT
(C) Individuals who feel they have struggled significantly with weight for many years are more likely to adhere strictly to new diet recommendations.----> The old stick to the diets. OK
(D) The new high-protein diet plan was primarily marketed towards individuals who have not previously tried structured dieting.----> This is irrelevant when considering the old. OUT
(E) Most diet plans do not consider age-related metabolic changes when calculating recommended food intakes.-----> General and around the topic. Not exact to solve the paradox. OUT
C is correct

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I would say answer D
Why the success rates are the same for both young and older adults:
Individuals who feel they have struggled significantly with weight for many years are more likely to adhere strictly to new diet recommendations

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Hi All,

IMO C is the answer as it provides the reasoning that why the reults of older aults are same as younger adults, becasue they are taking thier diets more seriously an that is the reason the success rate i same as the young adults

Ans C

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My answer is A, because other answers do not directly solve the paradox

B: wrong, "Younger adults tend to be more physically active" ==> the rate for young people has to be much higher
C: Wrong, not related
D: Wrong, not related
E: Wrong, not related

Quote:

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Nutritionist: Recent surveys indicate that people following our new high-protein diet plan tend to lose more weight than those on traditional diets. However, despite having a higher proportion of older adults who generally struggle with weight loss, the weight loss success rates for both young adults and older adults on this new diet are nearly identical.

Which of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent paradox?

(A) Older adults generally have slower metabolisms and hence find it more difficult to lose weight regardless of diet plan.
(B) Younger adults tend to be more physically active, which can enhance the effectiveness of any diet plan.
(C) Individuals who feel they have struggled significantly with weight for many years are more likely to adhere strictly to new diet recommendations.
(D) The new high-protein diet plan was primarily marketed towards individuals who have not previously tried structured dieting.
(E) Most diet plans do not consider age-related metabolic changes when calculating recommended food intakes.

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Hi everyone

We are facing an Explain the Discrepancy question.
The discrepancy is: older adults, who typically struggle more with weight loss due to slower metabolism and other factors, lose weight as effectively as younger adults on the new high-protein diet plan.

A- This restates the general challenge older adults face but does not explain why they are losing weight as effectively as younger adults on the new diet. Eliminate.
B- While true, this emphasizes the younger group's advantages but does not explain why older adults are matching their success. Eliminate.
C- This explains why older adults might be performing unusually well: they are more motivated to adhere to the diet strictly, counterbalancing their metabolic disadvantage. Correct
D- This provides background on the diet's target demographic but does not directly explain the equal success between older and younger adults. Eliminate
E- This explains why traditional diet plans might fail older adults but does not explain why the high-protein diet works equally well for both age groups. Eliminate.

C is our Answer.

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25 Dec 2024, 01:37

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Ans: C

Bunuel

(A) Older adults generally have slower metabolisms and hence find it more difficult to lose weight regardless of diet plan. (Then rates should have been slower for older adults but that's not the case)
(B) Younger adults tend to be more physically active, which can enhance the effectiveness of any diet plan. (Then rates should have been slower for older adults but that's not the case)
(C) Individuals who feel they have struggled significantly with weight for many years are more likely to adhere strictly to new diet recommendations. (This provides a reason why older adults had a higher proportion of people following the diet thus providing equal rate copared with young adults)
(D) The new high-protein diet plan was primarily marketed towards individuals who have not previously tried structured dieting. (doesn't help explaining the paradox)
(E) Most diet plans do not consider age-related metabolic changes when calculating recommended food intakes. (doesn't help explaining the paradox)

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We need to identify the option that resolves the paradox why the weight loss rates are same for young and older adults despite the expectation that older adults would struggle more.

A - We already know that older adults struggle more. But this does not explain why the new diet plan is equally effective for both the groups. ELIMINATE

B - This explains why young adults tend to lose weight faster, but doesn't resolve why both groups lose weight equally with the new plan. ELIMINATE

C - This tells that people who have been struggling for some time now, tend to stick to the new plan and lose weight. Older adults might fall into this category. Hence, they might strictly follow the diet plan and lose weight with same effect as do young adults. KEEP

D - This could be any of the groups. Does not help explain why there is equal effectiveness in the new diet plan. ELIMINATE

E - This tells that the new diet plan did not consider age related changes, which means that the results should be analogous to the population proportion. If older adults struggle more, they should lose less weight than younger adults. ELIMINATE

FINAL ANSWER - Option C

Bunuel

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C- it is referring to older people and hence explains the paradox that it is because of them putting in extra effort that they actually manage to see results even if they usually wouldn’t

Ans C

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Observe the argument "older adults who generally struggle with weight loss" and success rates for both young adults and older adults on new diet are same.
now let's read the options

(A) Already mentioned in the argument that they struggle with wt loss hence reject this choice
(B) but the rate is same hence not the solution we are looking for
(C) This could be it, as may be older people are treating the new diet plan with atmost care and hence getting the desired result.
yes keep this one
(D) so what, still young adults should give better results, so reject this one too
(E) we are not concerned about food intake.
reject this one as well.
so the right ans is C

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Nutritionist: Recent surveys indicate that people following our new high-protein diet plan tend to lose more weight than those on traditional diets.

However, despite having a higher proportion of older adults who generally struggle with weight loss, the weight loss success rates for both young adults and older adults on this new diet are nearly identical.

Which of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent paradox?

(A) Older adults generally have slower metabolisms and hence find it more difficult to lose weight regardless of diet plan.
If older adults generally have slower metabolisms and it is more difficult for them to lose weight irrespectively of diet plan then high-protein diet plan will also not help them lose weight as quickly as young adults. This does not explain the paradox.
Incorrect

(B) Younger adults tend to be more physically active, which can enhance the effectiveness of any diet plan.
If younger adults tend to be more physically active, which can enhance the effectiveness of any diet plan then high-protein diet plan will also help them lose weight more quickly than older adults. This does not explain the paradox.
Incorrect

(C) Individuals who feel they have struggled significantly with weight for many years are more likely to adhere strictly to new diet recommendations.
Since older adults generally struggle with weight loss for many years, they are more likely to adhere strictly to new high-protein diet recommendations than younger adults. Recent surveys indicate that people following our new high-protein diet plan tend to lose more weight than those on traditional diets. Therefore, older adults strictly adhering to new diet recommendations are as likely to lose weight as younger adults despite limitations leading to nearly identical success rates for both young adults and older adults following this new diet. This explains the paradox.
Correct

(D) The new high-protein diet plan was primarily marketed towards individuals who have not previously tried structured dieting.
Even if the new high-protein diet plan was primarily marketed towards individuals who have not previously tried structured dieting, this does not explain the paradox that the weight loss success rates for both young adults and older adults on this new diet are nearly identical.
Incorrect

(E) Most diet plans do not consider age-related metabolic changes when calculating recommended food intakes.
It is not mentioned that new high-protein diet plan considers age-related metabolic changes when calculating recommended food intakes. Therefore, the paradox that the weight loss success rates for both young adults and older adults on this new diet are nearly identical can not be explained.
Incorrect

IMO C

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(A) Older adults generally have slower metabolisms and hence find it more difficult to lose weight regardless of diet plan. - This does not solve the paradox - Out

(B) Younger adults tend to be more physically active, which can enhance the effectiveness of any diet plan. - This does not solve the paradox - Out

(C) Individuals who feel they have struggled significantly with weight for many years are more likely to adhere strictly to new diet recommendations. - This can resolve the paradox as older adults are more likely to adhere to new diet recommendations than young adults strictly - Keep

(D) The new high-protein diet plan was primarily marketed towards individuals who have not previously tried structured dieting. - Out of context - Out

(E) Most diet plans do not consider age-related metabolic changes when calculating recommended food intakes. - This does not solve the paradox - Out

Bunuel

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Bunuel

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(A) Older adults generally have slower metabolisms and hence find it more difficult to lose weight regardless of diet plan.
This restates the general challenge older adults face but does not explain why their success on the new diet is similar to that of younger adults. It does not resolve the paradox.
Eliminate (A).

(B) Younger adults tend to be more physically active, which can enhance the effectiveness of any diet plan.
While this may explain why younger adults often lose more weight on traditional diets, it does not explain why older adults achieve similar success on the new high-protein diet.
Eliminate (B).

(C) Individuals who feel they have struggled significantly with weight for many years are more likely to adhere strictly to new diet recommendations.
This could help resolve the paradox. Older adults, who are more likely to have struggled with weight loss over the years, might adhere more strictly to the high-protein diet, compensating for their usual metabolic challenges. As a result, their success rates on the new diet could match those of younger adults.
Correct.

(D) The new high-protein diet plan was primarily marketed towards individuals who have not previously tried structured dieting.
This may explain the demographics of people on the diet, but it does not address why older adults succeed as well as younger adults.
Eliminate (D).

(E) Most diet plans do not consider age-related metabolic changes when calculating recommended food intakes.
While this might explain the general failure of traditional diets for older adults, it does not explain why older adults succeed equally on the new diet.
Eliminate (E).

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25 Dec 2024, 04:42

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Ask : Why are lesser old people losing weight despite the success of this new diet plan?

Options -
A - Older people find it harder to lose weight
B - Irrelevant - Younger people find it easier to lose weight
C - Irrelevant to the ask - talks about past weight issues
D- Irrelevant to the ask - talks about who the diet was marketed towards
E - Diet plans donot consider the metabolic issues in older people for food intake. Irrelevant as food intake has not been mentioned

OPTION A

Bunuel

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Bunuel

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A. Incorrect answer. If that is the case, then they should be struggling with weight loss which is not the situation here.
B. Incorrect answer. In this case, the success rate for younger adults should be higher, but it is identical as per the survey.
C. Correct. Since the paradox mentions that despite the age difference, the weight loss is identical, the only logical answer that resolves the paradox is that everyone adheres strictly to the new diet recommendations irrespective of age.
D. Incorrect answer. Out of scope.
E. Incorrect answer. If they do not consider age related metabolic changes when calculating recommended intake then the diet plan should only be effective for one set of people following it.

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Question type:

resolve paradox
Argument is saying that if the proportion of older adults is high their success rates should be high, but it is the same as lower proportion young adults.

Answer choice analysis:

A. Older adults generally have slower metabolisms and hence find it more difficult to lose weight regardless of diet plan.
Correct, This explains exactly why the success rate is lower despite forming a larger chunk of the group.

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The apparent paradox is that older adults, who generally find it harder to lose weight, are achieving nearly identical weight loss success rates as younger adults on the new high-protein diet. The resolution must explain why older adults are able to lose weight as effectively as younger adults despite their typical metabolic disadvantages.

Correct Answer: (C) Individuals who feel they have struggled significantly with weight for many years are more likely to adhere strictly to new diet recommendations.
If older adults adhere more strictly to the new diet than younger adults, this could compensate for their slower metabolisms, allowing them to achieve similar weight loss results. This strict adherence can equalize the outcomes between the two age groups, resolving the paradox.

The other options are incorrect:
(A): While it explains why older adults typically struggle with weight loss, it does not explain why they are achieving similar success rates on this diet.
(B): While younger adults being more physically active could enhance their weight loss, it does not explain why older adults are achieving similar results despite generally being less active.
(D): The marketing strategy does not explain why older adults are as successful as younger adults on the diet.
(E): The lack of consideration for age-related metabolic changes might affect diet effectiveness in general, but it doesn’t explain the specific similarity in success rates between older and younger adults.

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The nutritionist's statement presents a paradox: despite the new high-protein diet plan being particularly effective in general (helping people lose more weight), older adults, who typically struggle with weight loss, seem to have similar weight loss results to younger adults on this same diet. This seems counterintuitive because older adults are often less successful at losing weight due to slower metabolisms and other factors.

(A) Older adults generally have slower metabolisms and hence find it more difficult to lose weight regardless of diet plan.
This fact is true, but it doesn't resolve the paradox. If older adults tend to lose weight more slowly due to slower metabolisms, the fact that they are experiencing similar success to younger adults on the new high-protein diet is still unexplained. INCORRECT

(B) Younger adults tend to be more physically active, which can enhance the effectiveness of any diet plan.
This is also true, younger adults often engage in more physical activity, which can contribute to better results from a diet plan. However, this doesn't explain why older adults are losing weight at the same rate as younger adults on the high-protein diet. If physical activity were a factor, we would expect younger adults to have better results than older adults on the same diet. INCORRECT

(C) Individuals who feel they have struggled significantly with weight for many years are more likely to adhere strictly to new diet recommendations.
This option suggests that people who have struggled with weight loss may be more motivated to stick to the diet, leading to better outcomes. If older adults (who typically struggle more with weight loss) are adhering more strictly to the diet plan because they feel they have struggled for many years, this could explain why their results are similar to those of younger adults. They may be following the diet more diligently, compensating for their slower metabolisms. CORRECT

(D) The new high-protein diet plan was primarily marketed towards individuals who have not previously tried structured dieting.
This option doesn’t directly address the weight loss outcomes for both young and older adults. It focuses on the target audience of the diet plan but doesn’t explain why older adults are losing weight at the same rate as younger adults. INCORRECT

(E) Most diet plans do not consider age-related metabolic changes when calculating recommended food intakes.
While this may be true, it doesn't directly address the specific weight loss success rates between younger and older adults on this high-protein diet. This option doesn’t explain why older adults would fare as well as younger adults in this case. INCORRECT

IMO C

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Eliminating options one-by-one to find the resolve for the paradox -

(A) Older adults generally have slower metabolisms and hence find it more difficult to lose weight regardless of diet plan - We already know that older people struggle with weight loss (given in the stem) - ELIMINATE
(B) Younger adults tend to be more physically active, which can enhance the effectiveness of any diet plan - This provides us with a reason why young adults and older adults have identical success rates eventhough the proportion of older adults is more - CORRECT
(C) Individuals who feel they have struggled significantly with weight for many years are more likely to adhere strictly to new diet recommendations - This doesn't help in solving the paradox - ELIMINATE
(D) The new high-protein diet plan was primarily marketed towards individuals who have not previously tried structured dieting - We know from the survey that the proportion of older adults was higher than younger adults - marketing can't help with the paradox - ELIMINATE
(E) Most diet plans do not consider age-related metabolic changes when calculating recommended food intakes - While this gives us a reason to resolve the paradox, most diets doesn't imply this diet doesn't - ELIMINATE

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Nutritionist: Recent surveys indicate that people following our new high-protein diet plan tend to lose more weight than those on traditional diets. However, despite having a higher proportion of older adults who generally struggle with weight loss, the weight loss success rates for both young adults and older adults on this new diet are nearly identical.

Paradox in the prompt --> despite older adults struggling with weight loss, the success rates for both young adults and older adults on the new high-protein diet plan are identical. Is it that the older adults are doing something different/extra vis-a-vis the young adults?

Which of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent paradox?

(A) Older adults generally have slower metabolisms and hence find it more difficult to lose weight regardless of diet plan.
this stimulus explains the reason behind the older adults struggling with weight loss; however, doesn't resolve the paradox.

(B) Younger adults tend to be more physically active, which can enhance the effectiveness of any diet plan.
a 'didactic' stimulus; unable to resolve the paradox

(C) Individuals who feel they have struggled significantly with weight for many years are more likely to adhere strictly to new diet recommendations.
In line with the pre-thinking while studying the prompt; if the older adults, struggling with the weight loss, are more likely to adhere strictly to new diet recommendations, they will be successfully able to achieve identical weight loss success rates as those of the young adults.

(D) The new high-protein diet plan was primarily marketed towards individuals who have not previously tried structured dieting.
explains the marketing aspects of the new high-protein diet; unable to resolve the paradox

(E) Most diet plans do not consider age-related metabolic changes when calculating recommended food intakes.
If the diet plans do not consider age-related metabolic changes when calculating recommended food intakes, then how are the success rates identical? This stimulus aggravates the paradox further.

(C) is the CORRECT answer

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Paradox: Older adults generally struggle with weight loss, but the weight loss success rates for both young adults and older adults on new diet plan are nearly identical.

Lets see which of the following options help in explaining the paradox:

(A) Older adults generally have slower metabolisms and hence find it more difficult to lose weight regardless of diet plan.

Irrelevant, as it doesn't explain why weight loss of older adults is similar to that of younger adults on the new diet plan.

(B) Younger adults tend to be more physically active, which can enhance the effectiveness of any diet plan.

Irrelevant, as it doesn't explain why weight loss of older adults is similar to that of younger adults on the new diet plan.

(C) Individuals who feel they have struggled significantly with weight for many years are more likely to adhere strictly to new diet recommendations.

It explains that older adults may adhere more strictly to the diet, which leads to weight loss similar to that of younger adults on the new diet plan.

(D) The new high-protein diet plan was primarily marketed towards individuals who have not previously tried structured dieting.

Irrelevant, as it doesn't explain why weight loss of older adults is similar to that of younger adults on the new diet plan.

(E) Most diet plans do not consider age-related metabolic changes when calculating recommended food intakes.

Irrelevant, as it doesn't explain why weight loss of older adults is similar to that of younger adults on the new diet plan.

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12 Days of Christmas GMAT Competition - Day 7: Nutritionist: Recent

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12 Days of Christmas GMAT Competition - Day 7: Nutritionist: Recent

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards