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 an inference that may be drawn from information in 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:

B Answer choice (B) accurately reflects the implications of the passage—that the increasing number of diagnoses of the condition among doctors suggests acknowledgement of the condition among medical professionals. Answer choice (B) is correct.

The Incorrect Answers:

A The passage does mention that Dr. Bratman suffered symptoms of orthorexia nervosa, but there is no clear mention of a demographic for those who develop the condition—except that it develops among people who are pursuing a lifestyle of healthy eating. So it is assuming too much to infer that other professionals have suffered from the condition. Answer choice (A) is incorrect.

C The author of the passage claims clearly that those who develop orthorexia nervosa are primarily concerned with eating healthy foods. But the author does not identify these people as primarily being adults, and there is not even enough information in the passage to support the claim that teenagers are the primary sufferers of other eating disorders. Answer choice (C) assumes too much, so it may be eliminated.

D The author of the passage does not offer a time frame for the onset of orthorexia nervosa, mentioning only that the name was coined in 1997. The condition could very well have been in existence, but unnamed, for decades or even centuries, so it cannot be inferred that it is only a recent development. Answer choice (D) is incorrect.

E The author comments that a number of doctors have begun to diagnose the condition, but there is no clear mention about the response of the medical community in general. It might very well be true that most medical professionals are loathe to embrace the condition as an official eating disorder, but the passage is unclear, so this cannot be clearly inferred. Answer choice (E) is incorrect