Extract:
Fat for Fitness
After years of bad publicity it may sound absurd, but many dietitians are now extolling the virtues of consuming fat. According to Laurie Tansman, a nutritionist at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York, fat “not only plays a vital role in the health of the membrane of every cell in our body, it also helps protect us from a number of key health threats.” Fat is a critical part of your necessary food intake, and it is generally recommended that 30 percent of your daily calories should come from fat. Without it, your body would not be able to absorb or transport vitamins A, D, E, and K. Body temperature, hair follicles, and skin cells are all reliant upon the consumption of fats to function properly.
There is near-universal agreement that the healthiest fats are unsaturated fats. This list of healthy fats includes olive oil, sesame oil, walnut oil, avocado oil, and omega-3 fatty acids. These fats, when eaten in moderation, can lower cholesterol levels, thereby reducing your risk for heart disease.
Saturated fats are considered less healthy than unsaturated fats and should be consumed more sparingly. Most saturated fats are found in animal products, such as beef, pork, and chicken. The least healthy of all fats are trans-fatty acids, or trans fats. These fats can occur in small amounts naturally in animal products, but they are more commonly found as artificially produced oils used for frying foods or softening prepackaged snacks. These fats will increase your risk for heart disease; the U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend that you consume as few trans fats as possible.
What is a conclusion that a reader could draw from this passage?
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A
It is advisable to choose unsaturated fats over saturated fats.
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B
Saturated fats are more calorically dense than unsaturated fats.
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C
Trans fats are more calorically dense than saturated fats.
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D
Unsaturated fats are mostly found in animal products.
A valid conclusion is that it is advisable to choose unsaturated fats over saturated fats, directly supported by the passage's health impact comparisons.
A) It is advisable to choose unsaturated fats over saturated fats.
Directly supported: unsaturated fats are "near-universally" agreed as "healthiest," can "lower cholesterol levels" and "reduce risk for heart disease," while saturated fats are "less healthy" and should be "consumed more sparingly." This comparative health assessment logically supports preferential selection.
B) Saturated fats are more calorically dense than unsaturated fats.
Never mentioned, the passage discusses health impacts but never compares caloric density between fat types. All fats provide 9 calories per gram regardless of saturation.
C) Trans fats are more calorically dense than saturated fats.
Never mentioned and factually incorrect, all fats share identical caloric density (9 cal/g). The passage distinguishes fat types by health effects, not energy content.
D) Unsaturated fats are mostly found in animal products.
Directly contradicted: unsaturated fats are listed as plant-based oils (olive, sesame, walnut, avocado) and omega-3s; saturated fats are "mostly found in animal products."
Conclusion
Valid conclusions must align with textual evidence without contradiction or unsupported extension. The passage's explicit health ranking of fat types, unsaturated healthiest, saturated less healthy, trans fats worst, provides clear support for preferential unsaturated fat selection.