A recent study demonstrated that parents living with children consume

A recent study demonstrated that parents living with children consume nearly five more grams of fat per day, on average, than do adults living without children. The higher fat intake among these parents is probably attributable to their snacking on the pizza and cookies that tend to be plentiful in households with children.

Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken this explanation of the parents' higher fat intake?


Explanation:
----------------------
A) On average, households with children spend $15 more per week on pizza and cookies than do households without children. ---> Not relevant. If anything, it will strengthen the explanation.

B) Households with children purchase much more whole milk, which has a high fat content, than do households without children. ---> This gives another reason that may be behind the parents’ (living with children) higher intake of fat.

C) Children consume most of the pizza and cookies in any given household. ---> I guess everyone with the following:
1. Author has no doubt that parents living with children have a higher intake of fat than those adults who stay without children.
2. Author is trying to provide reason for the above observation by attributing their (parents) higher intake of fat to pizzas & cookies (yum-yum).

Option C mentions the word most, which I think is equivalent to almost all. Now if the children consume almost everything then parents will be left with almost nothing. If it is so, then it will actually mean that parents (staying with children) don’t have comparably higher intake of fat than those adults who live without children. This will actually violate point 1, thus going against the author’s view that parents staying with children have a higher intake of fat. If point 1 is violated in the first place then how are we going to focus on point 2, which is the main point of discussion?

The whole point focuses on the reason for higher intake of fat & NOT whether parents with children have a higher intake than those adults who stay without children. So, discard this option.

D) Parents ought to set a good example for their children, in dietary choices as in other matters. ---> Yes, they ought to but do they? And even if they do so, it goes against the author’s view that parents staying with children have a higher intake of fat than those who are staying without children.

E) Not all parents living with children consume more grams of fat than do adults living without children. ---> Inconclusive.
----------------------

I go with option B.

Hope that helps.


Regards,
Technext