Question

4-82. a dietician studying the benefits of eating spinach surveyed a large sample of individuals. she recorded the amount of spinach they ate and their physical strength. the dietician found the spinach eaters to be much stronger than the non - spinach eaters. the next day the newspaper headline was, “popeye was right! eating spinach makes you stronger!” a. do you agree with the newspaper? do you agree that if you eat more spinach, you will grow stronger muscles and increase your strength? b. the dietician correctly found an association. what could explain this association other than spinach makes you stronger?

Explanation:

a. Just because there is an association between eating spinach and being stronger (from the survey) does not mean causation. There could be other factors at play.
b. Maybe people who eat spinach are more health - conscious in general. They might exercise more, have a better overall diet (not just spinach), or have other lifestyle choices that contribute to their strength.

Answer:

a. No, I do not agree. Association does not imply causation.
b. Health - conscious lifestyle (including exercise, overall diet etc.) could explain the association.