Top Law Schools

Health association: In certain studies, most volunteers who used to eat meat have permanently excluded meat from their diets and now eat only vegetables and fruits. These volunteers suffered no ill-effects and many even prefer the new regimen. So people who eat meat can change their diets to meatless ones and not suffer as a result
Critic: Participants in these studies were all favorable disposed to the substitution before they started, and even so, many of them failed to make a complete transition to a vegetarian diet.

The critic’s response would most seriously call into question which one of the following conclusions, if that conclusion were drawn on the basis of the evidence given by the health association?

(A) The diets of most people who eat meat would be improved if those people ate only vegetables and fruits instead
(B) Among those who make the attempt to exclude meat from their diets, the more favorable disposed to the meatless regimen a person in the more likely that person is to succeed in the attempt.
(C) The number of people who have adopted a strictly vegetarian diet has increased in the last few years.
(D) Participants in the study who failed to make the transition to a vegetarian diet do not regret the attempt
(E) Most people, if told by their physicians to exclude meat from their diets and eat only vegetables and fruits, would succeed in doing so.

Okay... So this is what I am seeing:

HA: In one study, most people who used to eat meat changed their diet to eating veggies, and after they turned out to be fine and they rather prefer it. So usually people who eat meat can change their diet to eating veggies and face no ill/harm

Critic: The people in the study were inclined, preferred the veggie diet even before making the change, but many of them still failed to make the change.

I chose B, because I thought it means the opposite of what the Critic is saying. B is saying the people in the study who already were inclined to take the change have more chance in succeeding the attempt. Thus, it would call in question of what critic is saying. Also, E mentions about physicians which HA doesn't mention about.

Why is the answer not B, but E?

I just took this PT and the question tripped me up as well. I think you may be misunderstanding the question. We're being asked to pick a conclusion which could be drawn by the health association, which the critics statement would most seriously call into question. E does this. Sorry I can't post a more in depth response, rushing out the door.

First, edit your post to remove the question. It's copy-written. Anyone here should have access to the questions from their own material.

Answer B simply restates what the critic said. The critic implied that people who preferred the change form meat to veggies should have done better, but many of them didn't. Answer B says that, on average, people who preferred to switch were more likely to switch successfully. The critic implied that this should be the case, so he in no way would disagree with this statement nor would his argument call it into question.

Answer E is credited because the critic implies that people who are "favorably disposed to the substitution" is not "most people." If we were to look at "most people," they probably would not be favorably disposed and the conclusion that most people could switch successfully would be undermined.