In a recent survey, 9 out of 10 people using Slim-Ease for two weeks a

Question

In a recent survey, 9 out of 10 people using Slim-Ease for two weeks as directed reported that they lost weight during this period. This fact surely proves that Slim-Ease is effective for anyone wanting to shed some unwanted pounds.

The claim made above depends on which of the following assumptions?

(A) The survey participants were not using Slim-Ease immediately prior to the two-week period.

(B) The survey participants did not exercise during the two-week period.

(C) The survey participants were overweight prior to the two week period.

(D) The survey participants’ dietary habits were otherwise similar during the two-week period and prior to that period.

(E) No other product is more effective than Slim-Ease to help lose weight.

TarPhi · Answer

It's between B & D by negation.

D compares the 2-week period to the regime prior to the 2 weeks but it allows for other factors such as exercise.
B says there was no exercise but there could have easily been other factors such as dietary change.

Nevertheless, I'm going with D because there is something to compare it with.

jaisonsunny77 · Answer

Type: Find the assumption

Conclusion: Slim-Ease is effective for anyone wanting to shed some unwanted pounds.
  
(A) The survey participants were not using Slim-Ease immediately prior to the two-week period. -  the conclusion deals with whether Slim-ease is effective, not whether people used it prior to the two-week period.  
 
(B) The survey participants did not exercise during the two-week period.  -  even with moderate levels of exercise, some people still can gain a lot of weight if they have poor dietary habits.  
 
(C) The survey participants were overweight prior to the two week period.  -  irrelevant to the conclusion. 
 
 (D) The survey participants’ dietary habits were otherwise similar during the two-week period and prior to that period. - if this were not true, then we cannot be certain that slim-ease alone was responsible for the loss of weight. it could be that a combination of the two resulted in the weight loss. But if (D) is true, then we will be in a position to attribute the loss of weight to the use of slim-ease. Therefore, (D) is necessary to establish the conclusion. Hence,  (D) is the right answer choice. 
  
(E) No other product is more effective than Slim-Ease to help lose weight.  -  the passage does not mention that ''slim-ease'' is the "only" product that can contribute to weight loss.

vipulshahi · Answer

In a recent survey, 9 out of 10 people using Slim-Ease for two weeks as directed reported that they lost weight during this period. This fact surely proves that Slim-Ease is effective for anyone wanting to shed some unwanted pounds.

Premise:  In a recent survey, 9 out of 10 people using Slim-Ease for two weeks as directed reported that they lost weight during this period.

Conclusion :  This fact surely proves that Slim-Ease is effective for anyone wanting to shed some unwanted pounds.

Pre-thinking analysis:  Conclusion : Slim-Ease is effective for anyone wanting to shed some unwanted pounds, whats the assumption author have while writing the argument.
1) People not follow any nutritious diet during that period.
2) People not do any workout while maintaining the same content of food as prior before.

(A) The survey participants were not using Slim-Ease immediately prior to the two-week period.

- this is totally out of scope.

- Incorrect.
 
(B) The survey participants did not exercise during the two-week period.
 
- this part matches to our pre-thinking but it didn't mention regarding content of food. If some one having workout and then also having heavy diet then also the weight will gain.

- Incorrect 
 
(C) The survey participants were overweight prior to the two week period.

- out of scope

- Incorrect
 
(D) The survey participants’ dietary habits were otherwise similar during the two-week period and prior to that period.

- absolutely matches with our pre-thinking analysis.

- Correct
 
(E) No other product is more effective than Slim-Ease to help lose weight.
 
- totally out of scope.

- Incorrect
 
 IMO(D)

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

The claim (in the second sentence) relies on the assumption that all other factors in weight loss—such as exercise and dietary habits—remained unchanged from prior to the two-week period through the two-week period.

The correct answer is (D).

dory12 · Answer

I dont understand why only D is correct while B is incorrect. Aren't they both incorrect in that they only mentioned either exercise or diet? D also doesn't mention exercise, so even if eating habits were the same, participants may lose weight due to workout not due to slim ease.

I am confused...

Posted from my mobile device

I am confused...

Posted from my mobile device

MBAApp19 · Answer

Low quality question .

Both B and D are correct . Our idea is to remove any alternate causes so as to reinforce only slim ease helped lose weight.

I chose D as it gives a comparison before and after . But I don’t have a solid ground to eliminate B

Posted from my mobile device

SuprotimRoy · Answer

B) Even if they exercised, Slim-Ease could still contribute - Eliminate
D) If diet changed (e.g., ate less), then weight loss may be due to diet, not Slim-Ease.

Samrath19 · Answer

What is the reason to choose D over B?

MartyMurray · Answer

Good question, and the answer is that (B) could work, meaning that this question isn't well constructed, and that, at the same time, (D) more clearly eliminates an alternative cause, a change in diet.

The reason why (B) is not as good as (D) is that the participants could have been exercising all along. So, if they suddenly lost weight when they started using Slim-ease, then it still makes sense to conclude that use of Slim-ease was the cause.

So, (D) is a little better, meaning that this question is gettable but not a good representation of a GMAT Critical Reasoning question.

Adit_ · Answer

B is not right because not exercising or exercising is not a useful feature to evaluate the argument's validity.
They could exercise and use Slim-Ease or not exercise and use Slim Ease thereby losing weight and still abide by the conclusion which states that Slim-Ease is "effective".

Yes agreed it is not strictly athering maybe but D is definitely a better assumption as compared to option B. Option B gives room to still think that the product could be the reason despite exercising.
Option B here acts more as a strengthener rather than an assumption IMO.

In a recent survey, 9 out of 10 people using Slim-Ease for two weeks a

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In a recent survey, 9 out of 10 people using Slim-Ease for two weeks a

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

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