People in isolated rain-forest communities tend to live on a largely

Question

Which of the following most logically completes the argument given?

People in isolated rain-forest communities tend to live on a largely vegetarian diet, and they eat little salt. Few of them suffer from high blood pressure, and their blood pressure does not tend to increase with age, as is common in industrialized countries. Such people often do develop high blood pressure when they move to cities and adopt high-salt diets. Though suggestive, these facts do not establish salt as the culprit in high blood pressure, however, because ________.

(A) genetic factors could account for the lack of increase of blood pressure with age among such people

(B) people eating high-salt diets and living from birth in cities in industrialized societies generally have a tendency to have high blood pressure

(C) it is possible to have a low-salt diet while living in a city in an industrialized country

(D) there are changes in other aspects of diet when such people move to the city

(E) salt is a necessity for human life, and death can occur when the body loses too much salt

ID: 100920

High-Salt Diet

Step 1: Identify the Question

This is a Fill in the Blank question. The word  because  before the blank indicates you need to provide additional information to support the conclusion; this is a  Strengthen the Argument  question.

Step 2: Deconstruct the Argument

RF diet: veg, low salt

Little high BP

Move to city, high salt, get high BP

BUT   salt not cause of high BP...

Step 3: Pause and State the Goal

On Strengthen questions, the correct answer should make the conclusion more likely to be valid. In this argument, the conclusion is that the switch to a high-salt diet is not necessarily causing high blood pressure. What else might play a role?

Step 4: Work from Wrong to Right

(A) Genetic factors could explain a low incidence of high blood pressure in a particular population, but if this were the case, then these individuals would not develop high blood pressure when they moved to the city. The argument says that they often do develop high blood pressure, so something else is going on.

(B) If anything, this answer weakens the argument; it provides additional evidence that high-salt diets are associated with high blood pressure.

(C) The fact that it is possible to maintain a low-salt diet in the city does not explain the occurrence of high blood pressure in people who adopt a high-salt diet.

(D) CORRECT . If many aspects of a diet change when a person moves to the city, it is not possible to know which change led to the outcome (high blood pressure). This strengthens the conclusion that a higher salt diet may not be the cause of the change because the actual cause may have been one of the other dietary changes.

(E) This information provides the dangers of too little salt, but does not help to clarify whether a high-salt diet causes high blood pressure.

jai1902 · Accepted Answer

On assumption that genes don't change when people move from one place to another, the argument tries to establish a causal relation

"Salt increase ==> BP increase"

This causal relation can be weakened if any answer option uses logical reasoning such as-

1. "something else increase ==> BP increase"

2. "salt increase =/=> BP increase " (i.e. may be existing BP measuring machines don't measure accurately or say BP cannot be measured accurately on people originally from isolated rain forest)

These are two most frequently used tricks by which GMAT tries to weaken an argument.

Hope that will help in solving weaken-the-argument questions now.

And think why the OA is D.

GMAT TIGER · Answer

A: Not true. If it were true, those people would not develop the high blood pressure when they move to the cities. 
B. Wrong: It doesnot complete the passage because salt is not the cause of high blood pressure.
C. Unrelated: The passage talk about the exposure of high-salt diets when people from isolated rain-forest communities move to the cities. So the possibility to have low-salt diet has noting to do with the low blood pressure.

D. If salt is not the reason for high blood pressure when people from isolated rain-forest communities move to the cities, then it must be the changes in other aspects of diet in causing high blood presure to such people..

E. Out of scope.

So D is it..

priyankurml · Answer

IMO B.

I think it should be B. First I pointed to D but close look on stem revealed that “however” is placed before “because”.

So stem is “salt is not culprit”,  however , because  ~some reason that shows salt indeed causes High BP~

icandy · Answer

There is a big context switch in this Q.

It talks about salt's effects on people living in RF and then talks about salt's effects on people in IC

Then it says Salt is probably not the cause of High BP ( both for people from RF and moved to IC and who are in IC for ever)

Then what it is the cause. Lets say it is B, that people who have been living in IC for ever has been getting this and its the reason. It does not explain how people who just moved into the city and eating salt diets are getting High BP

So, IMO B is incorrect. D says there are other aspects that can cause this.

umeshpatil · Answer

BP: Blood Pressure.

Premise 1 :  People in rain forest consume less salt in diet. Few people suffer high BP, but their BP doesn't increase with age.  
 Premise 2 :  People whose BP doesn't increase with age, increase when they move to industrialized countries.

Between P1 & P2, Below are changes.
1. Change in environment.
2. Change in amount of salt in diet.

one of them could be the reason behind raising BP.

Last statement in the argument says that salt is not the culprit. So, passage can be concluded by telling the reason behind this. Only Option (D) states that. 
A. genetic factors could account for the lack of increase of blood pressure with age among such people.  Its third factor brought by this answer. so, out of context.  
B. people eating high-salt diets and living from birth in cities in industrialized societies generally have a tendency to have high blood pressure. I t can be correct. but, passage can't end with this. Its should end with saying reason, why salt is not culprit behind the high BP. 
C. it is possible to have a low-salt diet while living in a city in an industrialized country.  It tries to tell that Salt raises the BP. 
D. there are changes in other aspects of diet when such people move to the city.   Its the answer justifying that, Change in environment is the cause of high BP.  
E. Salt is a necessity for human life, and death can occur when the body loses too much salt.  First, we don't know if this is correct. Secondly, extra information and knowledge can't be used to end the passage.

Source: Q 55 in OG 13(also present in OG 12)

manojkumarmatala · Answer

People in isolated rain-forest communities tend to live on a largely vegetarian diet, and
they eat little salt. Few of them suffer from high blood pressure, and their blood pressure
does not tend to increase with age, as is common in industrialized countries. Such people
often do develop high blood pressure when they move to cities and adopt high-salt diets.
Though suggestive, these facts do not establish salt as the culprit in high blood pressure,
however, because ________.

General information about people in rain-forest communities: Diet and dieseases that dont bother them normally even with ageing. 
The moment they move to cities, they often pick bp. 
Key is the word: Deveop bp and though.

Conclusion is: Salt is not responsible for bp . This should have a premise that improves reliability of conclusion. 
Thus, sentence after because bolsters conclusion that salt is not resposbile. Something else caused this.

A. genetic factors could account for the lack of increase of blood pressure with age
among such people == OFS: We are looking for reason for picking up bp . This gives opposite answer , the reason for not picking up bp. 
B. people eating high-salt diets and living from birth in cities in industrialized
societies generally have a tendency to have high blood pressure --- OFS: This doesn't tell why settlers pick bp. 
C. it is possible to have a low-salt diet while living in a city in an industrialized
country === Might be true: We dont know this. 
D. there are changes in other aspects of diet when such people move to the city
==This is the correct reason suggesting that and strengthening conclusion that some other reason has caused the increase in bp. 
E. salt is a necessity for human life, and death can occur when the body loses too
much salt
== Out of scope

pranav6082 · Answer

Hi

Please clarify the following sentence construction:

"Though suggestive, these facts do not establish salt as the culprit in high blood pressure, however, because"

What is the significance of however in this sentence? Does is says salt is the reason or is it the opposite?

Pranav

sayantanc2k · Answer

"However" here is a contrast marker, and as a matter of fact redundant, because "though" already marks the contrast. If it were an SC sentence, it would probably be one of the wrong options.

Three ways to construct the sentence:

The facts  suggest  that salt is the culprit of high blood pressure. HOWEVER the facts do not  establish  the same.

THOUGH  suggestive , the facts do not  establish  that salt is the culprit of high blood pressure.

The facts  suggest  that salt is the culprit of high blood pressure, BUT the facts do not  establish  the same.

Use of any 2 of the above 3 contrast markers (in upper-case letters) in a single sentence can be considered redundancy.

nandetapuri · Answer

Though in manhattan this question is about conclusion but we need to state a reason and not conclude from the passase. 
Which of the following most logically completes the argument given?

People in isolated rain-forest communities tend to live on a largely vegetarian diet, and they eat little salt. Few of them suffer from high blood pressure, and their blood pressure does not tend to increase with age, as is common in industrialized countries. Such people often do develop high blood pressure when they move to cities and adopt high-salt diets. Though suggestive, these facts do not establish salt as the culprit in high blood pressure, however, because ________.
A. genetic factors could account for the lack of increase of blood pressure with age among such people
 No mention about the genetic factor in the premise. 
B. people eating high-salt diets and living from birth in cities in industrialized societies generally have a tendency to have high blood pressure
 This is the conclusion and a potential trap answer.  
C. it is possible to have a low-salt diet while living in a city in an industrialized country
 No mention about specific low salt diet in an industrialized country. They mention about high salt diet. 
D. there are changes in other aspects of diet when such people move to the city 
  The other aspect concludes the last line which says that because of all these reason salt is not the main reason and so there has to be other reasons in the diet. 
E. salt is a necessity for human life, and death can occur when the body loses too much salt
  Out of scope.

ekitisna · Answer

Which of the following most logically completes the argument given below?
People in isolated rain-forest communities tend to live on a largely vegetarian diet, and they eat little salt. Few of them suffer from high blood pressure, and their blood pressure does not tend to increase with age, as is common in industrialized countries. Such people often do develop high blood pressure when they move to cities and adopt high-salt diets. Though suggestive, these facts do not establish salt as the culprit in high blood pressure, however, because ____________

(A) genetic factors could account for the lack of increase of blood pressure with age among such people
(B) people eating high-salt diets and living from birth in cities in industrialized societies generally have a tendency to have high blood pressure
(C) it is possible to have a low-salt diet while living in a city in an industrialized country
(D) there are changes in other aspects of diet when such people move to the city
(E) salt is a necessity for human life, and death can occur when the body loses too much salt

arvind910619 · Answer

The answer is D

The argument discusses the lower incidence of high blood pressure in people living in isolated rain forest and the low salt diet of those people .There is a phenomenon that suggests that people in rain forest do not get high blood pressure with age .The argument then says that when such people move to cities they tens to suffer from high blood pressure .
The argument then says that such high blood pressure may not exclusively be due to salt .
Now we have to find an option that gives us more information apart from salt that can be a contributing factor to high blood pressure .
 
A is not irrelevant as nothing is discussed in the passage about genetics and even if such people more to cities they are not not going to suffer form high blood pressure as genes will not change .
B This does not give us any information regarding high blood pressure in people who have moved from rain forest to cities .
C It suggests that salt is the main reason that people suffer form high blood pressure .
D correct it suggests that there may be some more causes why people suffer from high blood pressure .
E out of scope

David nguyen · Answer

Which of the following most logically completes the argument given?

People in isolated rain-forest communities tend to live on a largely vegetarian diet, and they eat little salt. Few of them suffer from high blood pressure, and their blood pressure does not tend to increase with age, as is common in industrialized countries. Such people often do develop high blood pressure when they move to cities and adopt high-salt diets. Though suggestive, these facts do not establish salt as the culprit in high blood pressure, however, because ________.

Main Group: Ppl from isolated rain-forest moved to cities and adopted high-salt diets.
Main Issue: Those ppl develop HBP after moved to the cities and adopted high-salt diets. BUT Salt is not the reason. WHY?

So How did they develop HBP after moved to the cities? Was that because of salt? (A) is out.

Wrong group. Cities ppl vs. rain-forest ppl. (B) is out
 
Wrong group again. Ppl who adopted high-salt diet vs. ppl who follow low-salt diet. (C) is out
 
This explains it. Something else other than Salt caused HBP. Hang on to this.
 
So Salt is the reason of HBP or not? (E) don't tell me any thing about that. You are out!

Only (D) is left. (D) is our answer.

devtashrey · Answer

Request you to elaborate on the correct answer as it is not clear as to why it is the one!
Thank you

mSKR · Answer

basically we need to find out reasoning why is it said that it is not because of salt that people, who often don't get high blood pressure because of less salt diet , get high blood pressure when move to city. 
If salt is not the reason then there could be some other reason for high blood pressure . Find out what ?
A is against the premise 
B strengthens the claim
C doesn't explain then why have high blood pressure
D weakens the claim--this is what we need that other factor is responsible
E good for information but irrelevant

I hope it is clear

MasteringGMAT · Answer

Hello GMAT Experts  Bunuel   GMATNinja   MartyTargetTestPrep   mikemcgarry

Hope you're keeping safe..!!

Can someone please help me understand the role of '  however  ' in the last sentence. Is it really presenting a contrast or is it really a non-essential modifier? I am unable to understand the meaning due to the presence of However + Because.

Thanks in advance!
Tilak

GMATNinja · Answer

"However" tells us that the author has shifted to a contrasting point of view. Here, "however" comes  after  that shift -- the author first presents information that implies that salt  IS  the culprit, but then shifts to argue that "these facts do  NOT  establish salt as the culprit in high blood pressure,  however ."

Then the word "because" comes along, followed by the blank. This tells us that we need to fill in a reason why the author has made that shift.

So, we're looking for an answer choice that supports the argument that salt is NOT the culprit in high blood pressure.

(D) does exactly that -- it says that people change other aspects of their diets when they move to a city, so we can't confidently blame salt for the blood pressure issue.

I hope that helps!

VerbalBot · Answer

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People in isolated rain-forest communities tend to live on a largely

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