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11 Jul 2020, 10:13
Kudos
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Argument:
"People who use the artificial sweetener aspartame are better off consuming sugar, since aspartame can actually contribute to weight gain rather than weight loss. For example, high levels of aspartame have been shown to trigger a craving for food by depleting the brain of a chemical that registers satiety, or the sense of being full. Furthermore, studies suggest that sugars, if consumed after at least 45 minutes of continuous exercise, actually enhance the body’s ability to burn fat. Consequently, those who drink aspartame-sweetened juices after exercise will also lose this calorie-burning benefit. Thus it appears that people consuming aspartame rather than sugar are unlikely to achieve their dietary goals."
Essay:
Diet and exercise have been topics that we are constantly reminded of in the contemporary news outlet. Here, the author emphasizes that the artificial sweetener aspartame is detrimental to dietary goals and it should not be a substitute for sugar. However, the author makes unsubstantiated assumptions about people’s dietary goals, generalizes the effects of aspartame, and does not provide enough evidence to support his conclusion.
The primary flaw in the argument is the author’s assumption that all “dietary goals” are the same. Dietary goals is vague wording because it does not tell us what kind of dietary goals people want to achieve. By claiming that people are unlikely to achieve their dietary goals using aspartame as a substitute for sugar, the author believes everyone has the goal of burning fat. In contrast, there may be people who are actually looking to gain fat or muscle. In that case, the conclusion completely falls apart because aspartame helps with weight gain and that may be someone’s dietary goal.
Secondly, the author generalizes the effects of aspartame. Although some studies suggest that sugar can enhance the body’s ability to burn fat, this is not nearly enough evidence to claim sugar can actually burn fat. The very few studies cited are not inclusive of the entire population. In addition, the author generalizes how everyone’s bodies react to sugar and aspartame. Not all body types are alike and will react similarly to sugar, thus we cannot conclude that sugar will enhance the body’s ability to burn fat for everyone.
Although there many flaws in the author’s conclusion, that isn’t to say that there is no validity in the argument. For example, if further research found that any level of aspartame not only depletes the brain of chemicals that register satiety, but also harms the body in other ways that affects people with all types of dietary goals negatively, this could significantly strengthen the argument. The author can also target specific types of dietary goals in the conclusion instead of generalizing. For example, aspartame can be a good substitute for those who are looking to lose weight. Further proof and research into how different body types react to aspartame as compared to sugar can help strengthen the author’s argument.
In sum, the author’s weak argument is based on illogical assumptions, vague language and vast generalizations. More research and evidence on the effects of aspartame and sugar, and specific details about dietary goals are needed to fix flaws in logic. Without further research and proof to support his argument, the author is likely to convince few people.
"People who use the artificial sweetener aspartame are better off consuming sugar, since aspartame can actually contribute to weight gain rather than weight loss. For example, high levels of aspartame have been shown to trigger a craving for food by depleting the brain of a chemical that registers satiety, or the sense of being full. Furthermore, studies suggest that sugars, if consumed after at least 45 minutes of continuous exercise, actually enhance the body’s ability to burn fat. Consequently, those who drink aspartame-sweetened juices after exercise will also lose this calorie-burning benefit. Thus it appears that people consuming aspartame rather than sugar are unlikely to achieve their dietary goals."
Essay:
Diet and exercise have been topics that we are constantly reminded of in the contemporary news outlet. Here, the author emphasizes that the artificial sweetener aspartame is detrimental to dietary goals and it should not be a substitute for sugar. However, the author makes unsubstantiated assumptions about people’s dietary goals, generalizes the effects of aspartame, and does not provide enough evidence to support his conclusion.
The primary flaw in the argument is the author’s assumption that all “dietary goals” are the same. Dietary goals is vague wording because it does not tell us what kind of dietary goals people want to achieve. By claiming that people are unlikely to achieve their dietary goals using aspartame as a substitute for sugar, the author believes everyone has the goal of burning fat. In contrast, there may be people who are actually looking to gain fat or muscle. In that case, the conclusion completely falls apart because aspartame helps with weight gain and that may be someone’s dietary goal.
Secondly, the author generalizes the effects of aspartame. Although some studies suggest that sugar can enhance the body’s ability to burn fat, this is not nearly enough evidence to claim sugar can actually burn fat. The very few studies cited are not inclusive of the entire population. In addition, the author generalizes how everyone’s bodies react to sugar and aspartame. Not all body types are alike and will react similarly to sugar, thus we cannot conclude that sugar will enhance the body’s ability to burn fat for everyone.
Although there many flaws in the author’s conclusion, that isn’t to say that there is no validity in the argument. For example, if further research found that any level of aspartame not only depletes the brain of chemicals that register satiety, but also harms the body in other ways that affects people with all types of dietary goals negatively, this could significantly strengthen the argument. The author can also target specific types of dietary goals in the conclusion instead of generalizing. For example, aspartame can be a good substitute for those who are looking to lose weight. Further proof and research into how different body types react to aspartame as compared to sugar can help strengthen the author’s argument.
In sum, the author’s weak argument is based on illogical assumptions, vague language and vast generalizations. More research and evidence on the effects of aspartame and sugar, and specific details about dietary goals are needed to fix flaws in logic. Without further research and proof to support his argument, the author is likely to convince few people.
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