Around the World in 80 Questions (Day 2): It is commonly believed that

Question

It is commonly believed that substituting in one’s diet artificial sweeteners having zero calories for sugar, a calorie-rich substance, will result in weight loss, given that weight loss occurs when caloric intake is less than caloric expenditure. However, recent studies examining the impact of consuming artificial sweeteners reveal that, on average, those who consumed artificial sweeteners gained more weight than those who did not.

Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain why the studies’ findings conflicted with the common belief about artificial sweeteners?

Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain why the studies’ findings conflicted with the common belief about artificial sweeteners?

A. People who are overweight are more likely to switch to artificial sweeteners from sugar than people who are not.
B. Consuming sweet food stimulates the release of insulin, which, if unaccompanied by the consumption of sugar, stimulates one’s appetite.
C. Those who replace sugar in their diet with artificial sweeteners are likely to consume greater quantities of artificial sweeteners than they had of sugar.
D. Not all those who switch to artificial sweeteners from sugar are more health-conscious than those who do not.
E. Often, people continue to have some quantities of sugar in their diet even when they have started using artificial sweeteners.

Bunuel · Accepted Answer

Target Test Prep Official Explanation:

To correctly answer this question, we need to find a choice that explains why the studies’ findings, “on average, those who consumed artificial sweeteners gained more weight than those who did not,” conflicted with the common belief “substituting in one’s diet artificial sweeteners having zero calories for sugar, a calorie-rich substance, will result in weight loss.”

(A) People who are overweight are more likely to switch to artificial sweeteners from sugar than people who are not.

This choice explains the wrong thing. It could explain why people who switch to artificial sweeteners would weigh more than people who don’t. However, the correct answer to the question must explain something else: those who consumed artificial sweeteners gained more weight. Since the fact that people are overweight does not explain why they gained more weight, this choice is incorrect.

(B) Consuming sweet food stimulates the release of insulin, which, if unaccompanied by the consumption of sugar, stimulates one’s appetite.

Correct Answer

To see why this choice is correct, we must make a common sense connection between the fact that release of insulin “stimulates one’s appetite” and gaining weight. Logically, something that stimulates a person’s appetite would cause that person to gain weight.

So, notice that what this choice indicates is that consuming sweet foods that contain artificial sweeteners rather than sugar will stimulate one’s appetite because, when such foods are consumed, insulin is released without consumption of sugar.

So, this choice explains why those who consumed artificial sweeteners gained more weight than those who did not.

(C) Those who replace sugar in their diet with artificial sweeteners are likely to consume greater quantities of artificial sweeteners than they had of sugar.

The fact that people consumed greater quantities of artificial sweeteners makes no difference because, according to the passage, artificial sweeteners have zero calories anyway. So, consuming them in any quantities should by itself cause people to gain weight.

(D) Not all those who switch to artificial sweeteners from sugar are more health-conscious than those who do not.

The fact that not all of those who switch to artificial sweeteners are more health conscious doesn’t explain why those people gained more weight. OK, so some are not more health conscious, and others are more health conscious than those who continued to eat sugar. We still don’t know why they gained more weight on average.

If this choice said that ALL people who switched were less health conscious, then it might indicate why the people who switched gained more weight, but the fact that some were more health conscious while others weren’t doesn’t help us to understand what occurred.

(E) Often, people continue to have some quantities of sugar in their diet even when they have started using artificial sweeteners.

The fact that people continued to consume some sugar doesn’t explain why they gained weight. After all, they were still consuming less sugar than before. So, we would have expected them to have lost weight rather than gained it.

Answer: B

ARSarkar · Answer

B is the correct. We can safely ignore A, D and E.
Option C says the Artificial sugar intake was more. Since as per the premise, AS has zero calorie, a higher amount consumton doesn't explain the weight gain. Hence Remove C.
B says if unaccompanied by sugar consummation, stimulates appetite. hence more food consumed and gained weight.

RahulJain293 · Answer

IMO B

It is commonly believed that substituting in one’s diet artificial sweeteners having zero calories for sugar, a calorie-rich substance, will result in weight loss, given that weight loss occurs when caloric intake is less than caloric expenditure. However, recent studies examining the impact of consuming artificial sweeteners reveal that, on average, those who consumed artificial sweeteners gained more weight than those who did not.

Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain why the studies’ findings conflicted with the common belief about artificial sweeteners?

Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain why the studies’ findings conflicted with the common belief about artificial sweeteners?

A. People who are overweight are more likely to switch to artificial sweeteners from sugar than people who are not.
 Incorrect. Does not give a reason about weight gain by the switch.
 
B. Consuming sweet food stimulates the release of insulin, which, if unaccompanied by the consumption of sugar, stimulates one’s appetite.
 CORRECT. This tells us that when we have sweet food (artificial sweetener for example) and NOT have sugar post that can cause increase in appetite due to release of insulin. This can explain the weight gain post making the switch from sugar.
 
C. Those who replace sugar in their diet with artificial sweeteners are likely to consume greater quantities of artificial sweeteners than they had of sugar.
 Incorrect. Even if one consumes more of artificial sweetener, does not explain why the increase in weight.
 
D. Not all those who switch to artificial sweeteners from sugar are more health-conscious than those who do not.
 Incorrect. Irrelevant. Does not explain weight gain.
 
E. Often, people continue to have some quantities of sugar in their diet even when they have started using artificial sweeteners.
 Incorrect. Again does not explain weight gain.

missionmba2025 · Answer

A. People who are overweight are more likely to switch to artificial sweeteners from sugar than people who are not.

Irrelevant as we need to resolved the paradox. We need to find a reason why despite less consumption of sugar the weight increased.

B. Consuming sweet food stimulates the release of insulin, which, if unaccompanied by the consumption of sugar, stimulates one’s appetite.

This provides us a valid reason. May be the people started eating more. Hence, though they cut sugar the increased appetite led to increase in weight. keep

C. Those who replace sugar in their diet with artificial sweeteners are likely to consume greater quantities of artificial sweeteners than they had of sugar.

We are told that sweeteners have zero calorie. Hence, greater consumption should not impact the argument. Eliminate.

D. Not all those who switch to artificial sweeteners from sugar are more health-conscious than those who do not.

Narrow in scope. We don't know how many people are these. Eliminate.

E. Often, people continue to have some quantities of sugar in their diet even when they have started using artificial sweeteners.

Narrow in scope. We don't know how many people are these. Eliminate.

IMO B

TargetKellogg2024 · Answer

It is commonly believed that substituting in one’s diet artificial sweeteners having zero calories for sugar, a calorie-rich substance, will result in weight loss, given that weight loss occurs when caloric intake is less than caloric expenditure. However, recent studies examining the impact of consuming artificial sweeteners reveal that, on average, those who consumed artificial sweeteners gained more weight than those who did not.

Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain why the studies’ findings conflicted with the common belief about artificial sweeteners?

Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain why the studies’ findings conflicted with the common belief about artificial sweeteners?

A. People who are overweight are more likely to switch to artificial sweeteners from sugar than people who are not.
It doesn't address the relationship between weight gain and the consumption of artificial sweeteners.

B. Consuming sweet food stimulates the release of insulin, which, if unaccompanied by the consumption of sugar, stimulates one’s appetite.
When we consume sweet food, our bodies release insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps our bodies process sugar. However, if we consume sweet food that does not contain any sugar, such as artificial sweeteners, our bodies will still release insulin. This insulin can then stimulate our appetite, leading us to eat more food. Correct!

C. Those who replace sugar in their diet with artificial sweeteners are likely to consume greater quantities of artificial sweeteners than they had of sugar.
This suggests that those who replace sugar in their diet with artificial sweeteners are likely to consume greater quantities of artificial sweeteners than they had of sugar. However, this would only lead to weight gain if the artificial sweeteners were also high in calories.

D. Not all those who switch to artificial sweeteners from sugar are more health-conscious than those who do not.
This does not explain why those who consumed artificial sweeteners gained more weight than those who did not.

E. Often, people continue to have some quantities of sugar in their diet even when they have started using artificial sweeteners.
This would only lead to weight gain if the amount of sugar they were consuming was still high.

cledgard · Answer

A. People who are overweight are more likely to switch to artificial sweeteners from sugar than people who are not.
 This answer does not explain why people who switched to artificial sweeteners gained more weight. 
B. Consuming sweet food stimulates the release of insulin, which, if unaccompanied by the consumption of sugar, stimulates one’s appetite.
  Correct, if they have more appetite, it stands to reason that they will eat more, increasing the intake of calories.  
C. Those who replace sugar in their diet with artificial sweeteners are likely to consume greater quantities of artificial sweeteners than they had of sugar.
 This answer does not explain why people who switched to artificial sweeteners gained more weight. If they consume greater quantities of artificial sweeteners, there is no weight increase because there is no calorie increase. 
D. Not all those who switch to artificial sweeteners from sugar are more health-conscious than those who do not.
 Health consciousness is not part of the stimulus. Out of Scope. 
E. Often, people continue to have some quantities of sugar in their diet even when they have started using artificial sweeteners.
 This answer may explain why they did not lose weight, but it does not explain why they gained more weight.

ladu · Answer

A. People who are overweight are more likely to switch to artificial sweeteners from sugar than people who are not.
  -Suspected to be incorrect. 
Rationale: More evidence is needed to support this claim. No additional information was provided to determine that people who are overweight would consume more artificial sweeteners than those who are not.

B. Consuming sweet food stimulates the release of insulin, which, if unaccompanied by the consumption of sugar, stimulates one’s appetite.
  -Suspected to be correct. 
Rationale: The first sentence mentions how people who consume artificial sweeteners can expect to lose weight. The second sentence mentions how recent studies have revealed that on average those who consumed artificial sweeteners gained more weight than those who did not. With this information, we can conclude that there is a correlation.

C. Those who replace sugar in their diet with artificial sweeteners are likely to consume greater quantities of artificial sweeteners than they had of sugar.
  -Suspected to be incorrect. 
Rationale: More evidence is needed to support this claim. The prompt does not indicate how many artificial sweeteners were used by any participants in the recent studies conducted.

D. Not all those who switch to artificial sweeteners from sugar are more health-conscious than those who do not.
  -Suspected to be incorrect. 
Rationale: This relates to the lifestyle of each participant and cannot be proven with the information provided in the prompt.

E. Often, people continue to have some quantities of sugar in their diet even when they have started using artificial sweeteners.
  -Suspected to be incorrect. 
Rationale: More evidence is needed to support this claim. The prompt did not indicate that participants in the recent studies conducted had a combination of both sugar and artificial sweeteners in their diets.

DG1989 · Answer

It is commonly believed that substituting in one’s diet artificial sweeteners having zero calories for sugar, a calorie-rich substance, will result in weight loss, given that weight loss occurs when caloric intake is less than caloric expenditure. However, recent studies examining the impact of consuming artificial sweeteners reveal that, on average, those who consumed artificial sweeteners gained more weight than those who did not.

Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain why the studies’ findings conflicted with the common belief about artificial sweeteners?

Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain why the studies’ findings conflicted with the common belief about artificial sweeteners?

Per given information,
1. Sugar is a 'calorie-rich substance'
2. Artificial sweeteners have 'Zero calories'
3. Weight loss occurs when caloric intake is less than caloric expenditure

Let's do some pre-thinking here: 
For the findings to hold true i.e. 'people who consumed artificial sweeteners gained more weight than those who didn't consume artificial sweeteners' , gaining weight means the calorie intake is substantially greater than the calorie expenditure. This could only mean that even though people were not consuming sugar as sugar was replaced by artificial sweeteners, they were consuming more food or their calorie intake increased rather than decreasing or staying the same.
Because people who are consuming sugar tend to gain weight as sugar is a calorie rich substance leading to increased calorie intake and yet people consuming artificial sweeteners gained more weight than those who didn't.

So the correct answer choice should be related to increase of food intake or increased diet.

Let's look at the answer choices:

A. People who are overweight are more likely to switch to artificial sweeteners from sugar than people who are not.
 This is not related to the problem at hand. Even if overweight people are more likely to consume artificial sweeteners, their weight could still stay the same. Being overweight doesn't imply further 'gaining' weight as compared to those who aren't overweight.  WRONG

B. Consuming sweet food stimulates the release of insulin, which, if unaccompanied by the consumption of sugar, stimulates one’s appetite.
 This choice is in line with our pre-thinking. If the release of insulin, which, if unaccompanied by the consumption of sugar, stimulates one's appetite that means it increases hunger and therefore enhances food consumption. Increased food consumption means increased calorie intake and weight gain.  CORRECT

C. Those who replace sugar in their diet with artificial sweeteners are likely to consume greater quantities of artificial sweeteners than they had of sugar.
 Since AFS are zero calorie, consuming greater quantities of AFS doesn't translate to weight gain.  WRONG

D. Not all those who switch to artificial sweeteners from sugar are more health-conscious than those who do not.
 This is Out of scope. Being health conscious doesn't translate to not gaining weight. One can be health conscious but can still gain weight due to some medical condition.  WRONG

E. Often, people continue to have some quantities of sugar in their diet even when they have started using artificial sweeteners.
 Even though people are consuming some quantity of sugar even after switching to AFS, their calorie intake could still be less than the intake of those who consume sugar instead of AFS. The relative weight gain would still be less for the ones switched to AFS though consuming small qty. of sugar.  WRONG

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