ELC501

ENGLISH FOR CRITICAL ACADEMIC READING

RUSILAWATI AMIRUDIN

SHAIKHAN NADZEMI BIN MD ZANI

(2017665818)

AZRI BIN AMINAL’LAH

(2017806408)

Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA

SEPTEMBER – DECEMBER 2017

A. Criteria Of Article Analysis

1. The issue of article

The issue is about exercising without correct ways would not make you lose weight if we
still lives in the sedentary lifestyles.

2. The author’s argument

The author’s argument is about healthy diet that tends to make people to lose more
weight rather than focusing on the physical activities only.

3. Types of supporting details

Statistic/Fact
 Researchers who reviewed surveys of millions of American adults found that physical
activity increased between 2001and 2009 particular in certain counties in USA.

 More than 75 percent of health-care costs now go toward treating chronic metabolic
diseases and their associated disabilities.
 The World Health Organization now recommends no more than six teaspoons of
sugar a day for the average adult.

Expert opinion
 A growing body of scientific evidence shows that exercise alone has almost no effect
on weight loss, as two sports scientists described that in a recent editorial in the
British Journal of Sports Medicine.
 A comprehensive 2013 literature review by Amy Luke, a public health scholar at
Loyola University of Chicago, concludes that numerous trials have indicated that
exercise plus calorie restriction achieves virtually the same result in weight loss as
calorie restriction alone.
 Some researchers concluded, “Active, traditional lifestyles may not protect against
obesity if diets change to promote increased caloric consumption”.
 An analysis by Professor Simon Capewell at the University of Liverpool revealed that
poor diet now contributes to more disease and death than smoking, alcohol and
physical inactivity combined.

Research finding
 Researchers who reviewed surveys of millions of American adults found that physical
activity increased between 2001and 2009 particular in certain counties in USA.
 In a 2011 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, which found that
people who simply dieted experienced greater weight loss than those who combined
diet and exercise.
 In a study published in 2012 a group of anthropologist measured the daily physical
activity, metabolic rates and energy expenditure of people in a hunter-gatherer tribe
in Tanzania, and compare the result to the average westerner.
 Example
 Physical activity has a multitude of health benefits- it reduces the risk of heart
disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and possibly even cancer.

4. Evaluation the support of article

Relevance and/or consistency:

The support of article is directly relevant.

Objectivity:
The support has objectivity because of the author provide the fact, statement from the
expert and also some research from the studies and researchers.

Incompleteness:
 People can reduced its weight by maintaining a healthy weight through calorie-
counting and physical activity.
 To ensure the people health it can be improved by the healthy lifestyles.
 Proper education about healthy diet and physical activities would help to reduce
weight and prevent from chronic diseases.
 In order to lose weight, a good discipline in healthy diet is necessarily important.
 Diabetes can be avoided by consuming a small number of sugar in food and
drinks.

Validity as credibility:
Although, the author does not state his own statement, the support that he presents for his
article is valid. The article is credible because the author support the article with facts.

5. Conclusion
As a conclusion, people need to eat with a proper diet instead of focusing on physical activities
only to reduce the obesity problem.

6. Evaluation of assumption/main idea/formulate implied of main ideas

The author states that changing the diet is compulsory than our daily lifestyles. This is
strengthen by the statement that obesity problem has little to do with our sedentary
lifestyles. From expert researcher to make the people more convince about the number of
sugar calories that people consumes every day. Although the author does not state his own
opinion but he tried to convince the reader about his purpose by stating the fact from the
expert to confirm his fact.

7. The author’s purpose

To tell the people about the difference between losing weight by physical activity or
 healthy diet and effect of its.

The author’s tone

 Serious
 Concern

8. The author’s intended audience

 People who are tends to lose weight in exercise or diet.
 People that consume more sugar calories in their diet.
B. Critical Analysis: Article “Take off that Fitbit. Exercise alone won’t make you lose weight”

I In the article, “Take off that Fitbit. Exercise alone won’t make you lose weight”, the author
Aseem Malhotra deals with the issue of whether exercise alone would not make you lose
weight. Instead the number of obesity continued to increase. The author argued that
the healthy diet tends to make people to lose more weight rather than focusing on
the physical activities. Which his tone of serious and concern for those people who are
intend to lose their weight by not taking care of their diets.
II The author present his case by stating any support from reviewed as the backup for his
argument. He makes extensive evidence as statistic or fact, expert opinion, research
finding and example from the all reviewed. The evidences are related to the argument
because the author provides support in term of hard evidence.
III From the statistic, researchers who reviewed surveys of millions of American adults found
that physical activity increased between 2001and 2009 particular in certain counties in
USA. In a 2011 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, which found that
people who simply dieted experienced greater weight loss than those who combined diet
and exercise. The World Health Organization now recommends no more than six
teaspoons of sugar a day for the average adult. More than 75 percent of health-care costs
now go toward treating chronic metabolic diseases and their associated disabilities.
Moreover, there is evidence that the author has reviewed are reliable sources of
information.
IV The expert opinion provided by the author are also support some of the argument. First, a
growing body of scientific evidence shows that exercise alone has almost no effect on
weight loss, as two sports scientists described that in a recent editorial in the British
Journal of Sports Medicine. Next, a comprehensive 2013 literature review by Amy Luke,
a public health scholar at Loyola University of Chicago, concludes that numerous trials
have indicated that exercise plus calorie restriction achieves virtually the same result in
weight loss as calorie restriction alone. Third, Some researchers concluded,“ Active,
traditional lifestyles may not protect against obesity if diets change to promote increased
caloric consumption”. Lastly, an analysis by Professor Simon Capewell at the University
of Liverpool revealed that poor diet now contributes to more disease and death than
smoking, alcohol and physical inactivity combined. In other words, all these expert
opinions can strengthen the argument from the author. The research finding provided by
the author also support some argument, in a study published in 2012,a group of
anthropologists measured the daily physical activity, metabolic rates and energy
expenditure of people in a hunter-gatherer tribe in Tanazia compared to average results
of westerner .
V The author also gives some example as his support to attract the reader about his
argument. He gives example that physical activity has a multitude of health benefits- it
reduces the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and possibly even
cancer but weight loss is not one of them. So, the physical activities that involved would
not affect the weight loss of the body.

VI The supports of article are directly relevant because it is directly related to the author’s
argument. The author’s argument has objectivity when the support consists of facts and
other clear evidence by convincing the reader with statement from the expert about
worsening obesity crisis.

VII The argument has incompleteness because firstly the author does not give enough
explanation by leaving out the important information about healthy diet and exercise. He
only used adequate support in term of hard evidence from expert opinion to convince the
reader about his argument. Secondly, the author did not show the benefit on both term
whether in exercise or healthy diet. The counter argument such as:
  People can reduced its weight by maintaining a healthy weight through calorie-
counting and physical activity.
 Human health can be improved throughout the healthy lifestyles.
 Proper education about healthy diet and physical activities would help to reduce weight
and prevent from chronic diseases.
 Healthy diet needs a good discipline in order to lose weight.
 Consumes less amount of sugar will prevent from diabetes.

The argument is valid and credible. The author uses logical reasons based on relevant and
verifiable support as well an external sources that make the author argument well- supported
and convincing. Moreover, the fact that the argument is objective, relevant lends further
support to credibility of the argument.

VIII In summary, the author purpose is to tell the people about the difference between
losing weight by healthy diet or physical activity and effect of its. Although the author
does not state his own opinion but he tried to convince the reader about his purpose
by stating the fact from the expert to confirm his fact. In order to reduce the global
obesity problem, people need to change on what they eat, not change the way they
exercise. The bottom line : You can’t outrun a bad diet.
(786 words)
Summary

Paragraph Content
Issue
Author’s argument
I
Author’s tone
Author’s intended audience

II, III, IV & V Types of supporting details

Evaluate the supports

- Relevance and consistency
VII - Objectivity
- Completeness
- Validity and credibility

Inferences
VIII
Conclusion
Formulate the implied main ideas