The CEO of a major fast-food chain just released a statement indicatin

Question

The CEO of a major fast-food chain just released a statement indicating that the chain has revamped its ingredient list and revised its menu options so that all selections on the menu are now healthier than any of the menus from competing fast-food chains. Among the changes that will be made, the fast-food chain will be eliminating unsaturated fats and downsizing portions. He claims, "We've heard the request of our customers for healthier meals, and with the changes we're making we'll be offering our customers better choices. Our customers will now have healthy fast-food options that put all other fast-food chains to shame."

Which of the following, if true, most seriously undermines the CEO's claim of offering healthier selections to customers?

A. While the fast-food chain is improving certain ingredients, they are still including additives that tend to make customers addicted to the fast food.

B. The CEO is receiving a large bonus for the potential boost in sales that the new menu options are expected to bring.

C. A focus group unanimously complained that the food was bland and not as tasty as items on the previous menu.

D .The fast-food chain has begun marketing heavily to children, encouraging children to ask for the healthier options when ordering in a restaurant.

E .The fast-food chain has not removed many of its previous menu items but has instead simply replaced the unhealthy ingredients with healthier options and reduced the portion sizes.

Bunuel · Accepted Answer

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

Overview:

Question 8 presents a scenario in which the CEO of a fast-food chain makes an announcement about upcoming revisions to the chain’s menu. The company is completely overhauling its menu items so that all items offered will now be healthier. Specifically, the announcement notes that the company will be removing unhealthy fats and offering smaller portions. The question asks the student to consider which of the answer choices most undermines the effect of the CEO’s announcement. To find the correct answer, it is necessary to focus on the details in the CEO’s comments and on what, in particular, would call into question the validity of the CEO’s remarks.

The Correct Answer:

A Answer choice (A) states that although the fast-food chain is indeed making the announced changes in its menu, it is also retaining certain addictive additives that have, by implication, long been in its food. As a result, the continued inclusion of these additives calls into question the company’s actual commitment to offering healthy foods and raises questions about the claim that the company’s food will be a healthier option than that offered by other fast-food chains. Therefore, choice (A) most seriously undermines the CEO’s statements.

The Incorrect Answers:

B That the CEO is receiving a large bonus is potentially suspicious, but it does not by itself undermine the CEO’s claim about providing healthier food options. In other words, nothing about the bonus suggests that the menu will not in fact offer healthier items than before; answer choice (B) does not address evidence for or against the CEO’s. There is no reason to be surprised that the company is rewarding the CEO in advance for a plan that will benefit the company. Thus, answer choice (B) is incorrect.

C The response of the focus group calls into question the way that customers will respond to the food, but it does not call into question the CEO’s comments about the healthy qualities of the food. Thus, answer choice (C) may be eliminated immediately.

D While the merits of advertising to young children might be arguable, the ads themselves seem to support the company’s claim that it is offering healthier choices by encouraging children to request the better menu items when they visit the fast-food chains. As a result, this answer choice seems to bring some validity to the CEO’s claims of a commitment to better health, and it is incorrect.

E The CEO makes no claim to having removed all items from the old menu. Instead, he claims that the ingredients have been improved and the menu revised. Answer choice (E) does more to support the CEO’s claims than it does to undermine it, so it is incorrect.

sudarshan22 · Answer

+1 for   A  .

Conclusion   :
The CEO of a major fast-food chain is hopeful that since the chain has revamped its ingredient list and revised its menu options customers will now have healthy fast-food options that can put all other fast-food chains to shame.

A. While the fast-food chain is improving certain ingredients, they are still including additives that tend to make customers addicted to the fast food. -->  Weakens, the inclusion of additives provides us with doubt that the food served will be any healthier than that of any other food-chains .

Hence,   A  .

prashant6923 · Answer

Not convinced with Sudarshan's reasoning.Can someone throw some liight?

CJWORK · Answer

Does additives that cause addition mean unhealthy?

I chose A, because other choices do not talk about health of customers.

MOHISH05 · Answer

Addiction to fast food in itself is not healthier at all which refutes the claim of CEO of making the food healthier

ravikantism · Answer

Making fast food addictive will make customers go back for more and more and eat more than required. The advantage gained by smaller portion sizes will be negated.

warrior1991 · Answer

First of all , I would like to ask what is your take on this. If you are saying that Sudarshan's reasoning is not convincing ,do throw some light on why you think it is not convincing.

Coming back to option A.

A. While the fast-food chain is improving certain ingredients, they are still including additives that tend to make customers addicted to the fast food.

So the CEO's take is that by downsizing proportions and eliminating unsaturated fats, his fast food chain would better serve customers with healthy meals.

Option A says the food chain is including additives that tend to make customers addicted to fast food. If people will become addicted to fast food,how would they have healthy meals.

This would weaken the CEO's claim mentioned above.

Hope that helps!!

vaibhav1221 · Answer

A isn't the perfect option, BUT it certainly is better than other option which makes it correct. The GMAT ask you to select the best answer choice.
Regarding your doubt about the additives, YES it indirectly might mean unhealthy. Going by known facts and logic, fast food is considered unhealthier than home cooked nutritious food, however healthy the fast food might be. Additives make one crave for fast food. Eating fast food on a regular basis is unhealthy. Thus use of additives make one's diet unhealthy.

I hope this helps you clear your doubt.

Regards,
Vaibhav

weiwang922 · Answer

Bunuel   GMATNinja   carouselambra  , I came down between A and E, and the explanation provided here is not convincing. Can you please explain.

My understanding for A is that the restaurants made it healthier, but there are still addictive in the food. However, what is wrong with being addicted to good and healthy food?

E - items didn't change, but the ingredient got healthier. However, who is to say what it means to have "healthier ingredient?" what if the healthier ingredient is still bad for your body?

Hence, I chose E. Please correct me.

carouselambra · Answer

Let's break the argument down for you. The CEO of a major fast-food chain just released a statement indicating that the chain has revamped its ingredient list and revised its menu options so that all selections on the menu are now healthier than any of the menus from competing fast-food chains. Among the changes that will be made, the fast-food chain will be eliminating unsaturated fats and downsizing portions . He claims, "We've heard the request of our customers for healthier meals , and with the changes we're making we'll be offering our customers better choices . Our customers will now have healthy fast-food options that put all other fast-food chains to shame." To weaken : Prove that the restaurant is actually NOT offering better choices. Let's look at both the options A. While the fast-food chain is improving certain ingredients, they are still including additives that tend to make customers addicted to the fast food. Keeping in mind the "kind" of statement we need to weaken the argument, try relating this with the argument now. Doesn't this weaken the argument? If the fast-food chain is STILL including substances that tend to attract customers to fast food, the conclusion gets negated as the chain has proudly claimed that : 1. They were offering better/healthier choices 2. They will put all other fast-food chains to shame (there was an assumption that the other chains were not serving healthier options) So,if the fast-food chain is including additives, the above points automatically cancel out. Now, option (E) The fast-food chain has not removed many of its previous menu items but has instead simply replaced the unhealthy ingredients with healthier options and reduced the portion sizes. Two things - Where in the passage has it been mentioned that the food chain would "remove" the previous items? Passage says: chain has revamped its ingredient list and revised its menu options This automatically makes (E) a weak contender. Even otherwise, how does this option assure that audience will not prefer this kind of fast food after amendments and this in turn will make them healthier? This option merely supports the claim. It does not weaken the conclusion. Remember to focus on the CONCLUSION only. Cheers

VerbalBot · Answer

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The CEO of a major fast-food chain just released a statement indicatin

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