欢迎拍文修改小组7.27作业 a

迷失的鱼UID: 2850922

TOPIC: ARGUMENT187 - The following appeared as part of an article in a health magazine.
"A new discovery warrants a drastic change in the diets of people living in the United States. Two scientists have recently suggested that omega -3 fatty acids (found in some fish and fish oils) play a key role in mental health. Our ancestors, who ate less saturated fat and more polyunsaturated fat, including omega -3 fatty acids, were much less likely to suffer from depression than we are today. Moreover, modern societies-such as those in Japan and Taiwan-that consume large quantities of fish report depression rates lower than that in the United States. Given this link between omega -3 fatty acids and depression, it is important for all people in the United States to increase their consumption of fish in order to prevent depression."
WORDS: 404          TIME: 00:30:00          DATE: 2010/7/27 17:57:52
The argument suggestes all people in US to consume more fish in order to prevent depression. However, the author commits several logical flaws rendering his conclusion groundless.
First of all, the author does not point out the differences between their ancestors and people nowadays. Some other explanations, such as pressure, other food other than fish may respond to that situation. In the early time, people did not suffer so much pressure and burden on work as well as with their families like today, which is the original course of depression. Also, if their ancestors consumed something more with high omega-3 fatty acid other than fish, it may also lead to a decrease of depression. Without ruling out the possibilities above, the author cannot draw his conclusion that their ancestors had fewer depression because of more fish consuming.
Secondly, the author also do not point out the only reason people in Japan and Taiwan suffered lower rate in depression is because they consumer large quantities of fish. The casual relationship should be confirmed with more information ruling out other possible reasons. May be people in Japan and Taiwan take medicine not containing omega-3 to prevent depression in regular or they just have a happier life there. Taking into consideration above, the author cannot conclude that those people suffer fewer depression because of fish.
Moreover, the fish may not contain omega-3 nowaday although they did in earlier years. During these years the sea may be heavily polluted and omega-3 fatty acid may be disappear in fish. Also, the author cannot confirm even now the fish consumed by japanese and taiwanese contain omega-3 fatty acid, the fish American consume also contain this for fish maybe come from different sea where the fish are unlikely the same.
Lastly, the author ignore other solution to prevent depression. As depression is a mental diease, to keep a healthy mind is the best solution. While food may just offer you satisfication which could lead a happier mind, playing with families, less work, and less worrying about future will treat you depression better. In that case, the author should not make his conclusion persuasive.
In sum, the author should provide more information about whether omega-3 really work on depression and whether the fish contains adequate omega-3 in fish cunsumed by Amerian. Moreover, to evaluate his conclusion, the author should point out that eating fish is an efficient way to prevent depression compared with other methods.