The following appeared in the promotional literature for Cerberus dog food:
“Obesity is a great problem among pet dogs, just as it is among their human owners. Obesity in humans is typically caused by consuming more calories than the body needs. For humans, a proper diet for losing weight is a reduced- calorie diet that is high in fiber and carbohydrates but low in fat. Therefore, the best way for dog owners to help their dogs lose weight in a healthy way is to restrict the dog’s diet to Cerberus reduced calorie dog food, which is high in fiber and carbohydrates but low in fat.”
Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. In your discussion be sure to analyze the line of reasoning and the use of evidence in the argument. For example, you may need to consider what questionable assumptions underlie the thinking and what alternative explanations or counterexamples might weaken the conclusion. You can also discuss what sort of evidence would strengthen or refute the argument, what changes in the argument would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion.
The author makes the assertion that obesity in dogs is a widespread problem just as obesity in humans is a widespread problem. He provides no evidence to support this claim, nor does he provide any evidence to refute it. A basic Google search for ‘obesity in dogs’ yields several pages of results. A quick scan of these online articles reveals numerous breeds and sizes of dogs who are obese, from Chihuahuas and dachshunds to Golden Retrievers. Indeed, overweight dogs are often the subject of much derision in social media, with people posting photos of their pets that are obviously overweight and shaming their owners. However, the issue of obesity in dogs is more complex than simply weighing a canine and determining its ideal weight. Dogs are not like humans, and they do not experience the same environmental pressures that humans do. The dogs that the author cites as examples of obesity have been bred to slim down, making them more susceptible to weight problems than dogs that have not been subjected to the same selective breeding programs. In addition, dogs consume a diet that is primarily composed of meat, especially meat that is high in fat. Humans, on the other hand, must eat a balanced diet in order to stay fit, and meat can be unhealthy when consumed in excess. Dogs do not face the same health problems as humans do when they consume a diet that is high in fat. The author assumes that all dogs should consume the same diet that humans do, but this is not necessarily the case. The author also provides no evidence suggesting that the dog’s diet that is high in fiber and carbohydrates but low in fat is better than any other diet
However, the author’s main argument does not rest on the quality of his evidence. His entire argument rests on the assumption that obesity in dogs has the same cause as obesity in humans. Although obesity in dogs is a serious problem, the cause is not the same. Dogs may gain weight for a variety of reasons, and not all of them are caused by eating more calories than the body needs. For instance, dogs that receive insufficient exercise or suffer from hypothyroidism may gain weight. Obesity in dogs can also be caused by a reaction to certain medications or parasites. Whatever the reason, the problem is not solved by simply telling dog owners to feed their dogs a diet that is low in fat. As the author himself points out, dog owners need to pay attention to their dog’s health. If the dog is overweight, the owner should first determine whether the dog’s problem is caused by a lack of exercise or by a reaction to a medication. If the owner determines that the dog is obese because of poor diet, he or she should change the dog’s diet, but it should not be assumed that the dog’s problem was caused by eating too many calories. Because obesity in dogs has many causes, a solution to the problem is not as simple as reducing the amount of fat in the dog’s diet.