ARGUMENT105

九微火UID: 2343684

TOPIC: ARGUMENT105 - The following appeared in a health newsletter.

"According to a recent study, people with many social ties report catching colds less often than do people with few social ties. Consequently, researchers conclude that having an active social life probably helps strengthen the immune system. The researchers note that catching a cold-one of a family of highly contagious viruses-gives the cold-sufferer temporary immunity to that virus in the future, but not to the many other related viruses. Merely being exposed to a new cold virus, however, is not enough for a person to catch a cold, since a strong immune system can successfully fight off some new viruses. Thus, in order to prevent catching a cold, people should strengthen their immune systems by becoming more active socially."
WORDS: 356          TIME: 00:30:00          DATE: 2008-4-3 17:26:15

In this newsletter, the author asserts that people should strengthen their immune systems by becoming more active socially in order to prevent catching a cold. To support his recommendation, the author points out two evidences: a recent study show that people with many social ties report catching colds less often than do people with few social ties; having more social ties make people access to expose to more cold virus, therefore strengthen their immune systems. At first glance, the reasons appear sound. However, under more scrutinizes, I find they are all problematic.

Firstly, the author has not provided us more background information about the study. The credibility of this recent study is questionable. Secondly, mechanism of strengthening the immune system the author fails to tell us. The author provides with that: catching a cold gives the cold-sufferer temporary immunity to that virus in the future. Since the immunity is temporary, the affect of exposing to cold virus is limited. So it can not be a sound reason to support that exposing to cold virus can help a person to strengthen his immune systems.

Even assuming that exposing to cold virus has more benefits in strengthening a person's immune system, the author fails to tell the distinction between people who have less social ties and people who have more social ties in the opportunities of exposing to cold virus. Apparently, the author makes an assumption here that people with many social ties have more opportunities to expose to cold virus. The fact seems not to be this. Usually, people with many social ties tend to protect themselves from contagious viruses, otherwise it is certain to interfere in their normal work and life, for people would not like to touch with one suffered contagious viruses. Perhaps it is the worse aftermath force them pay more attention to their health which people with few social ties always ignore. Moreover, the author points out that a strong immune system can successfully fight off some new viruses. This evidence has nothing to do with that a new cold virus is not enough for a person to catch a cold.

In sum, to convince me his recommendation, the author must provide more information about the relationship between active social lies with immune system. To better support it, the author also need the evidence which accounts for the distinction between people with many social ties and people with few social ties.

deerprinceUID: 2394244

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