In 1997, Colorado doctor Steven Bratman coined the term orthorexia ner

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

Overview:

Questions is based on a passage that discusses the eating disorder known as orthorexia nervosa, which has only recently begun receiving attention among doctors. The condition was first identified by Colorado doctor Steven Bratman and results from an obsessive desire to eat healthy foods. This pursuit of healthy eating can ultimately backfire and become an eating disorder, one that Bratman himself experienced. According to the passage, most doctors do not yet officially recognize orthorexia nervosa, but more doctors are becoming aware of the condition and are beginning to diagnose it. Question asks the student to identify the answer choice that represents a claim supported by the passage. In answering this question, the student needs to distinguish between a claim that is supported and an inference. A supported claim is generally a statement of opinion that derives support from statements made in the passage, whereas an inference is a statement that is implied in the passage. The student should be careful to focus on the distinction between opinion and implication when answering these two questions.

The Correct Answer:

C The passage indicates strongly that orthorexia nervosa is an eating disorder, and as a result, the passage offers support for the statement that the condition should be classified as an eating disorder along with the other currently recognized eating disorders. Answer choice (C) is correct.

The Incorrect Answers:

A The passage indicates that orthorexia nervosa is as serious an eating disorder as anorexia nervosa or bulimia, but there is nothing in the passage to support the claim that it is more serious. The author of the passage indicates that the condition begins with good intentions, but that does not necessarily make it more serious, and the author does not question the seriousness of the other conditions in comparison to the seriousness of orthorexia nervosa. Answer choice (A) is incorrect.

B Far from calling into question the official recognition of orthorexia nervosa, the author of the passage indicates support for it. And while there is no mention of insurance in the passage itself, there is also no reason to believe that the author would encourage official recognition at the medical level but not among insurance companies. Answer choice (B) is incorrect.

D Answer choice (D) has absolutely no support in the passage. The author comments on the fact that orthorexia nervosa often begins with good intentions, but there is no indication that the condition has any benefits. Instead it is described as “unhealthy” and a “dangerous obsession that ultimately harms the body more than helps it.” Answer choice (D) may be eliminated.

E Although the reason for the delay in recognizing orthorexia nervosa among medical professionals might very well be due to the lack of research on the condition, the author does not seem to support the need for more delay in recognizing it officially. Instead the author seems more concerned with seeing the condition acknowledged for its severity. Answer choice (E) is also incorrect.
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Bunuel The prompt says ...Along the way, however, their pursuit of health can develop into a dangerous obsession that ultimately harms the body more than it helps..... Does it not mean that the disorder atleast has some benefits? Accordingly D seems correct.

Hi Naval,

I will have my two cents here.

Read the official explanation that Bunuel has given above.



Think of answer choices as Arguments (a conlusion) and think of the statements mentioned in question as premise/evidence.
Clearly 'C' is the answer.

I too got it wrong, by the way. However, the explanation really made sense to me. Thanks to Bunuel.
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"those with orthorexia nervosa suffer from an eating disorder as serious as anorexia nervosa or bulimia. " - supports C

The passage supports option (C), which states that given the seriousness of the condition, orthorexia nervosa should be classified as an eating disorder alongside anorexia nervosa and bulimia. The passage describes how orthorexia nervosa is a serious eating disorder that can harm the body and compares it to anorexia nervosa and bulimia.

While the passage mentions that sufferers begin with good intentions of consuming a healthy diet, it does not support option (A) that orthorexia nervosa is a more serious condition than anorexia nervosa or bulimia. The passage does not mention anything about insurance coverage, so option (B) is not supported.

The passage does not mention any benefits associated with orthorexia nervosa, so option (D) is also not supported.

Finally, the passage does not mention anything about the need for more medical research before officially classifying orthorexia nervosa as an eating disorder, so option (E) is not supported either.

In 1997, Colorado doctor Steven Bratman coined the term orthorexia nervosa to refer to an eating disorder in which the sufferer has an unhealthy addiction to consuming only healthy foods for the purpose of achieving a holistic lifestyle. According to Dr. Bratman, who actually suffered many symptoms of the condition, those who develop orthorexia nervosa do not begin the road to an eating disorder in the same way that those suffering from anorexia nervosa or bulimia do. Instead, they begin with the best of intentions as they pursue the healthiest diet possible. Along the way, however, their pursuit of health can develop into a dangerous obsession that ultimately harms the body more than it helps, and those with orthorexia nervosa suffer from an eating disorder as serious as anorexia nervosa or bulimia. At present, orthorexia nervosa is not officially recognized as an eating disorder among the medical community, but in the last decade more doctors have come to recognize the legitimacy and seriousness of this condition.

The passage supports which of the following claims?

(A) Orthorexia nervosa is a more serious condition than anorexia nervosa or bulimia, because the sufferer begins with the good intention of consuming a healthy diet. - WRONG. Using "more" is an exaggeration here. Passage never suggested so.

(B) Because it is not currently recognized as an official eating disorder, orthorexia nervosa should not be included under insurance coverage at this time. - WORNG. Insurance is irrelevant.

(C) Given the seriousness of the condition, orthorexia nervosa should be classified as an eating disorder alongside anorexia nervosa and bulimia. - CORRECT. Refer the highlighted text in the passage that suggests what this choice offers us.

(D) Because sufferers of orthorexia nervosa begin their condition in the pursuit of a holistic lifestyle through the healthiest possible diet, the condition does have some benefits. - WRONG. True that there may be benefits but passage doesn't discuss it.

(E) The causes and problems associated with orthorexia nervosa require more medical research before it can be officially classified as an eating disorder. - WRONG. The highlighted text is never discussed in the passage.

One of the longest passage i have ever read, it felt like a RC passage.

Answer C.
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