MGMAT CAT1 Argument essay

[namurad]

************
In continuation to my last post in which I posted my issue essay
**************

"According to a recent study, professional bodybuilders who used Train & Gain, a new protein supplement, over the course of three months experienced an increase in measured strength of up to 20%. Since Train & Gain is now available without prescription at all major pharmacies, superior results are no longer limited to professional athletes. Try Train & Gain today and you too can boost your strength and achieve professional-level performance in just a few months."

The advertiser aims to attract the consumers who want to boost their strength. The results of a recent study have been cited as evidence in support of advertiser's claim. Although the results of the study sound alluring for the consumers, a closer look at the advertisement reveals that it tends to mislead consumers through a potentially biased survey. Furthermore, the claim that the dietary supplement alone is enough to achieve the desired effect and that too within a span of a few months is based on an unwarranted assumption.

Firstly, the advertiser supports her claim through a study which revealed that the professional bodybuilders experienced an increase in measured strength of up to 20%. No details about the subject size of the study have been mentioned. The study runs a risk of being biased in the favor of advertiser. Consumers should take a well informed decision rather than going by the results of this survey.

Secondly, the advertisement lacks the information on the prerequisites of consuming protein supplement. The supplement might require another supplement, which is not available without prescription, to be consumed along. Such a prerequisite will dissolve the entire purpose of the dietary supplement for non professional consumers.

Finally, the time frame of results as claimed by the advertiser might be misleading. The time frame required for the product to produce desired effects in professionals might be shortened due to other supplements consumed or physical exercise done by them. In such a scenario, the non professional consumers will not achieve the desired effect in the expected time frame. In fact other dietary supplements in the market might have show better results in a shorter span of time.

In conclusion, the advertisers of the Train & Gain dietary supplement have mentioned only the positive aspects of the product and there is a possibility that they have intentionally refrained from revealing further details about the study, the prerequisites, and the validity of the time frame that is required to achieve the results. Had the study be done on non professional consumers, positive results from such a study would have strengthened the advertisers' claim to a large extent. Also, details about any prerequisites required and the validity of time frame claimed in the advertisement would help the argument a great deal.

[StaceyKoprince]

copied from my reply to your last post:

Unfortunately, we no longer grade these for free; they take too much time for something that is usually only useful for one person (as opposed to test question discussions, which can help many people).

We do have a service via which you can get essays graded, but it's not free; check out the store section of our web site if you want details.

Hopefully some of your fellow students will respond and give you their ideas though! :)

[mainakpradhan]

Just sharing my few thoughts on this topic:

The advertisement printed encourages the use of a dietary supplement "Train & Gain" used by professional body builders who seem to have experienced increase in strength by upto 20% in just three months. Train & Gain goes too far in advertising that its use by common man can also help provide professional-level performance in just a few months. The claim made by the ad company is questionable as it does not provide a lot of information required to start using the supplement for the claims made by the dietary supplement company.

Firstly, the claim mentions that professional body builders have experienced increase in strength by upto 20%. Hence the claim that even common man will experience the same gains in few months is not justified as it has never been tested on a common man. Also there's no mention of how many people have benefited from the supplement. The claim would have been stronger if the people who have actually used this supplement, recommended its use by common man.

Moreover, professional body builders have very strict diet plans and exercise routines which can also be one of the reasons why the effect of the supplement proved to be more beneficial to them. Without the proper diet and exercise, the supplement may not be able to provide similar results. The author also does not mention if the body builders were using other supplements along with Train & Gain. The author has definitely forgotten to take these points into consideration while making his/her blind claims.

Also, the ad does not mention how much quantity of the protein supplement should be taken to see such improvements in strength. This could be another reason why professional body builders might be seeing an improvement too. Professional body builders might be ingesting huge amounts of supplement which is not recommended by physicians. Hence the common man may not be able to see the effects as seen by body builders which defeats the purpose of the supplement.

The ad does not mention the active ingredients of the protein supplement which is essential to be known before starting to take any such supplements. The claim does not mention any long term side effects of the supplement. This is a very important factor as some supplements out in the market provide only temporary gains, but in the long run, can prove to be highly dangerous to various organs in body. No such information regarding the side effects is mentioned which makes the claim the least acceptable to common public.
There's no mention on the lab results of this supplement by any leading pharmaceutical company which leads us to doubt the quality and safety aspects of the supplement.

Without these details, the claim of the ad company looks just like another ad campaign for a product whose use can be injurious to health in the long term and may not even provide the gains as claimed. I believe the claim of the author is incomplete and highly dubious due to so many missing links.