Question

Directions for questions 37 to 41: Analyze the statements given and provide an appropriate answer for the questions that follow.

Most antidepressant drugs cause weight gain. While dieting can help reduce the amount of weight gained as one takes such antidepressants, some weight gain is unlikely to be preventable.

The information above most strongly supports which one of the following?

• A. A physician should not prescribe any antidepressant drug for an overweight patient.
• B. People who are trying to lose weight should not ask their doctors for an antidepressant drug.
• C. At least some patients gain weight as a result of taking antidepressant drugs.
• D. The weight gain experienced by patients taking antidepressant drugs should be attributed to lack of dieting.

Hint:

Pick the smallest, safest claim that follows directly from the facts, avoid any option that adds a policy recommendation or a rule the passage does not state.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
We are told most antidepressant drugs cause weight gain, dieting can reduce how much weight is gained, but some weight gain cannot be prevented even with dieting. We need the statement this most strongly supports.

Step 2: Key Formula or Approach:
In a "most strongly supports" question, the safest answer is usually the smallest claim that follows directly from the given facts. Reject any option that adds a stronger claim, a policy recommendation, or a rule the passage does not state.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
The passage states as fact that most antidepressant drugs cause weight gain, and that some of this gain cannot be avoided even by dieting.
Option 3, "At least some patients gain weight as a result of taking antidepressant drugs", is just a restatement of the first sentence in weaker, safer words, if most such drugs cause weight gain, then at least some patients taking them will gain weight. This follows directly with no extra assumption.
Option 1 tells physicians not to prescribe any antidepressant to any overweight patient. The passage never says these drugs should not be prescribed, only that they tend to cause some weight gain, this is too strong a policy claim.
Option 2 advises people trying to lose weight never to ask for an antidepressant. Again, this is a behavioral instruction the passage does not support, the passage is about a side effect, not about whether patients should seek the drug.
Option 4 blames the weight gain on a lack of dieting. This actually goes against the passage, which says some weight gain is unlikely to be preventable even with dieting.
Option 5, dropped in the folded version, said all patients on antidepressants should diet to maintain their weight, a universal prescription the passage does not make.

Step 4: Final Answer:
The information most strongly supports that at least some patients gain weight as a result of taking antidepressant drugs, option 3.