When butterfat was considered nutritious and healthful, a law was enac

It looks like 0akshay0 and niteshwaghray have identified why (E) is the best choice and why (A) doesn't do anything to weaken the argument. Nice work on this one!

I'll add a reminder that it's very important to clarify the conclusion that you're trying to weaken before you begin eliminating answer choices.

In this case, the author concludes that manufacturers should be allowed to label reduced-butterfat butter with the name "lite butter." The author implies that if the label change is allowed, then the public will stop avoiding reduced-butterfat butter. And once they start buying reduced-butterfat butter, they will be eating fewer foods with higher butterfat content.


However, (E) introduces evidence that most people who are avoiding reduced-butterfat butter are in fact eating alternative foods with lower butterfat content. Switching over to "lite butter" won't lead to a reduction in the consumption of higher butterfat foods. So if (E) is true, then the whole point of this conclusion turns out to be moot.


Choice (A), on the other hand, runs away from the point of this conclusion. We just spent precious moments of our lives reading about how butterfat content impacts the health of people who consume it. The conclusion focuses on the effect of a label change on consumer decisions about what butter to buy. Why, then, would we care about the motivations of butter manufacturers?

Well, we don't. That's why we eliminate (A).



This choice tells us that some people who need to eat less cholesterol look at "imitation" butter and buy it anyway. So these people are already ending up where the author would like everyone to end up: eating reduced-butterfat butter.

This sounds like it weakens the argument. But let's take one more look at that argument:


OK, so:

• The argument tells us up front that the term "imitation" deters many people from buying "imitation" butter.
• Choice (C) tells us that the term "imitation" fails to deter some people from buying "imitation" butter.

Wait, what? Is choice (C) really telling us anything new? When we read closely, we see that (C) is really just re-phrasing part of the argument that we already know. And the conclusion is pointed at the many people who have been deterred, not some people who haven't been deterred.

If (C) is true, the argument isn't really affected at all. That's why it's a much poorer choice than (E).

On a more personal note, I hope all of this clarification didn't reduce your appetite for delicious, delicious butter. Especially clarified butter. Mmmmmmm, clarified butter...