argument145 8月高频，"决战830拍砖组™"

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A new study collected data that shows that people who snore are more likely to gain weight than are people who do not snore. It is well known that many people who snore also stop breathing frequently during the night for a few seconds, a condition called sleep apnea. The interruption of breathing wakes the person—often so briefly that the waking goes unnoticed—and can leave the person too tired during the day to exercise. Anyone who snores, therefore, should try to eat less than the average person and to exercise more.
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By citing the study that shows the correlation between the people who snore and gaining weigh, the argument concludes that these people should try to eat less than average and do more exercises. However there are some logical flaws in the argument.

To begin with, the argument provides no assurances that the study upon on which the argument depends is statistically reliable. To assess the study, we should consider comprehensively how the study was conducted. We should consider whether the study is broad enough. If the study is limited to certain regions or age bracket, the result might be only useful for these particular people. Thus, the certain people who snore might not be representative of most of the people who snore. For example, the study might be only involved the aged people. So we don't know the young people will benefit from the study. In short, the reliability of the study might be undermined by these factors above.

The argument cannot justify that the people who snore are more likely to gain weight than people who do not snore even though the study is reliable. The argument might overlook some other possibilities to increase the weight. Perhaps the people who snore like very much eating the high-fat foods and therefore they gain more weight. Or perhaps these people do few exercises. Or perhaps the genetic propensity is the main cause. In short, the relationship between the people who snore and gaining more weight might not amount to the cause-and-effect relationship.

Even assuming the cause-and-effect relationship can be proven, the argument can not provide any evidence whether it is necessary to reduce the weight. It is entirely possible that the people who snore is much more emaciated than average. In that case, these people need to gain weight rather than reduce weight.  

Even the foregoing assumptions are well justified, eating less than average and more exercises can not necessarily reduce the weight of anyone who snores. The argument says nothing that these people should eat what kind of food should less. These people might have more rest first because the argument mentions that snoring leaves the person too tired during the day. On the contrary, it might be the case that eating less might hurt the health of the people because some food is full of the vitamins the people must take. The excessive exercises equally are not beneficial for the people who snore.

To sum up, before any decision aimed at addressing the problem whether the people who snores is connected with the gaining weight, a though investigation about the study and locating the real cause of people who snore gaining weight is much helpful.

[ Last edited by staralways on 2005-8-19 at 23:54 ]