The citizens of Forsythe have adopted more healthful lifestyles. Their responses to a recent survey show that in their eating habits they conform more closely to government nutritional recommendations than they did ten years ago. Furthermore, there has been a fourfold increase in sales of food products containing kiran, a substance that a scientific study has shown reduces cholesterol. This trend is also evident in reduced sales of sulia, a food that few of the healthiest citizens regularly eat.
Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.
The author purports that survey results and food sales data indicate citizens have adopted a more healthful lifestyle. While this is certainly promising evidence that residents have made healthy choices, it is a stretch to say that this evidence alone indicates an overall healthy lifestyle.
The author assumes that the survey is reliable and valid. However, the author doesn’t state the conditions for the survey.
A survey sample representative of the Forsyth population would present reliable data, as long as the questions were comprehensive enough to give a clear, unbiased picture of eating habits. Unfortunately, we don’t know enough about the survey to confidently apply its results to the population as a whole. If the survey was given to customers of a health food store, we would get quite a different picture than if the survey was given at a more traditional grocery store, or a random sample of residents through phone, e-mail, or regular mail.
In conjunction with this, the same concept applies to the data on food sales. Where was the data complied regarding sales of kiran and sulia? Again, data from a natural foods store would vary greatly from data at a more traditional store. Furthermore, grocery stores are not the residents’ only opportunity to purchase food. Restaurants and convenience stores are also available. Is the same increase in kiran purchases and decrease in sulia purchases seen in restaurant purchases? Maybe the residents really don’t eat out enough for this to impact the data, but the argument could be strengthened if we knew how all sources of food played into it.
Building on that, regarding food purchases, the author assumes that if residents are purchasing more healthy food, and less unhealthy food, they are getting healthier. Additional information about actual cholesterol levels would buttress support for this argument by demonstrating a connection between food purchases and healthy cholesterol. But even then, cholesterol is only a small aspect of a person’s health. The author seems fixated on a very narrow aspect of health—cholesterol and government nutritional guidelines. To definitively say that residents are leading healthier lifestyles, he should also delve into data about exercise habits. He is using limited data to draw his conclusion, and he could make a stronger case if he would look at a broader range of ideas to support his assertion about the residents’ healthy lifestyles.
An interesting assumption he makes is that reduced sales of sulia indicate healthier lifestyles. He bases this idea on the premise that because healthy people don’t purchase sulia, it must be unhealthy. This is a quite a feat of logical gymnastics. There are many reasons that healthy people would purchase some foods only rarely. Lobster isn’t known to be unhealthy, but no one is going to cook lobster 3 times a week due to the expense and hassle. Other specialty foods are only purchased occasionally—sushi, crab legs, etc. Some food that is healthy is disliked by the population as a whole, even healthy folks. Take brussel sprouts, for example. They have a reputation for being icky, so this is probably not a newbie health nut’s first choice when they hit the grocery store. However, they have many of the same health benefits as broccoli and other tasty vegetables. It could also be that sulia is in short supply and has become expensive. There are many reasons that healthy people might not be purchasing it, and their buying habits are not necessarily an indicator of the health of the population as a whole.
Finally, the author assumes that because residents purchasing patterns are more in line with government nutritional guidelines, than they were 10 years ago they must be healthier. Sounds good…but how accurate were the guidelines 10 years ago? Scientists learn more every year about what is healthy for our bodies, and government nutritional guidelines are updated periodically. First is was the four food groups, then the food pyramid, and now we see a plate divided into four sections. Maybe the residents were eating healthy four years ago, and government guidelines are finally just catching up.
In summary, the author takes little bits of promising data and makes sweeping generalizations. The author should either adjust his conclusions to focus on eating habits, or seek additional information regarding activity level to determine if lifestyle choices as a whole have improved.
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Grammar and spelling errors:
Line 1, column 132, Rule ID: PROGRESSIVE_VERBS[1]
Message: This verb is normally not used in the progressive form. Try a simple form instead.
...a more healthful lifestyle. While this is certainly promising evidence that residents have made healt...
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Line 3, column 130, Rule ID: WHITESPACE_RULE
Message: Possible typo: you repeated a whitespace
Suggestion:
...;t state the conditions for the survey. A survey sample representative of the Fo...
^^^
Line 10, column 332, Rule ID: ADVERB_WORD_ORDER[3]
Message: The adverb 'rarely' is usually not used at the end of a sentence.
...y people would purchase some foods only rarely. Lobster isn't known to be unheal...
^^^^^^
Line 10, column 542, Rule ID: WHITESPACE_RULE
Message: Possible typo: you repeated a whitespace
Suggestion:
...ased occasionally—sushi, crab legs, etc. Some food that is healthy is disliked by...
^^
Line 12, column 388, Rule ID: VBZ_VBD[1]
Message: Did you mean 'it'?
Suggestion: it
...elines are updated periodically. First is was the four food groups, then the food...
^^
Line 12, column 391, Rule ID: BEEN_PART_AGREEMENT[1]
Message: Consider using a past participle here: 'been'.
Suggestion: been
...nes are updated periodically. First is was the four food groups, then the food pyr...
^^^
Line 14, column 240, Rule ID: WHITESPACE_RULE
Message: Possible typo: you repeated a whitespace
Suggestion:
...on regarding activity level to determine if lifestyle choices as a whole have imp...
^^
Transition Words or Phrases used:
also, but, finally, first, furthermore, however, if, look, may, really, regarding, so, then, while, as to, for example, in short, in summary
Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments
Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 42.0 19.6327345309 214% => Less to be verbs wanted.
Auxiliary verbs: 14.0 12.9520958084 108% => OK
Conjunction : 24.0 11.1786427146 215% => Less conjunction wanted
Relative clauses : 16.0 13.6137724551 118% => OK
Pronoun: 49.0 28.8173652695 170% => Less pronouns wanted
Preposition: 67.0 55.5748502994 121% => OK
Nominalization: 20.0 16.3942115768 122% => OK
Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 3809.0 2260.96107784 168% => OK
No of words: 721.0 441.139720559 163% => Less content wanted.
Chars per words: 5.28294036061 5.12650576532 103% => OK
Fourth root words length: 5.18183781724 4.56307096286 114% => OK
Word Length SD: 2.97493865203 2.78398813304 107% => OK
Unique words: 340.0 204.123752495 167% => OK
Unique words percentage: 0.471567267684 0.468620217663 101% => OK
syllable_count: 1200.6 705.55239521 170% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.7 1.59920159681 106% => OK
A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 12.0 4.96107784431 242% => Less pronouns wanted as sentence beginning.
Interrogative: 1.0 0.471057884232 212% => OK
Article: 11.0 8.76447105788 126% => OK
Subordination: 4.0 2.70958083832 148% => OK
Conjunction: 12.0 1.67365269461 717% => Less conjunction wanted as sentence beginning.
Preposition: 4.0 4.22255489022 95% => OK
Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 39.0 19.7664670659 197% => OK
Sentence length: 18.0 22.8473053892 79% => The Avg. Sentence Length is relatively short.
Sentence length SD: 48.0959757119 57.8364921388 83% => OK
Chars per sentence: 97.6666666667 119.503703932 82% => OK
Words per sentence: 18.4871794872 23.324526521 79% => OK
Discourse Markers: 3.58974358974 5.70786347227 63% => OK
Paragraphs: 8.0 5.15768463074 155% => Less paragraphs wanted.
Language errors: 7.0 5.25449101796 133% => OK
Sentences with positive sentiment : 18.0 8.20758483034 219% => Less positive sentences wanted.
Sentences with negative sentiment : 3.0 6.88822355289 44% => More negative sentences wanted.
Sentences with neutral sentiment: 18.0 4.67664670659 385% => Less facts, knowledge or examples wanted.
What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?
Coherence and Cohesion:
Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.196248523504 0.218282227539 90% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.0466741011642 0.0743258471296 63% => OK
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.057073036747 0.0701772020484 81% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.0898486511939 0.128457276422 70% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.0551261607338 0.0628817314937 88% => OK
Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 12.7 14.3799401198 88% => Automated_readability_index is low.
flesch_reading_ease: 44.75 48.3550499002 93% => OK
smog_index: 8.8 7.1628742515 123% => OK
flesch_kincaid_grade: 11.5 12.197005988 94% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 13.34 12.5979740519 106% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 8.41 8.32208582834 101% => OK
difficult_words: 177.0 98.500998004 180% => OK
linsear_write_formula: 8.5 12.3882235529 69% => OK
gunning_fog: 9.2 11.1389221557 83% => OK
text_standard: 9.0 11.9071856287 76% => OK
What are above readability scores?
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Write the essay in 30 minutes.
Maximum six paragraphs wanted.
Rates: 50.0 out of 100
Scores by essay e-grader: 3.0 Out of 6 -- The score is based on the average performance of 20,000 argument essays. This e-grader is not smart enough to check on arguments.
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Note: the e-grader does NOT examine the meaning of words and ideas. VIP users will receive further evaluations by advanced module of e-grader and human graders.