A study tracking 50,000 adults over 20 years found that those who exercised moderately for 150 minutes per week had a 30% lower mortality risk than sedentary individuals. Interestingly, the benefits plateaued—exercising more than 300 minutes weekly provided minimal additional benefit. The researchers controlled for diet, smoking, and socioeconomic factors in their analysis.
It can be inferred from the text that
exercise has no health benefits
endless increases in exercise produce endless health improvements
sedentary individuals live longer than active ones
the relationship between exercise and health benefits may not be linear
Correct Answer: D
Choice D is the best answer. Benefits increase then plateau—a non-linear pattern.
- Context clues: 30% benefit at 150 min; "minimal additional benefit" beyond 300 min.
- Meaning: If doubling exercise doesn't double benefit, the relationship isn't linear.
- Verify: "Benefits plateaued" explicitly describes the non-linear pattern.
💡 Strategy: When more of something doesn't proportionally increase the outcome, infer a non-linear relationship.
Choice A is incorrect because a 30% lower mortality risk is a significant benefit. Choice B is incorrect because benefits "plateaued" after 300 minutes. Choice C is incorrect because sedentary individuals had higher mortality risk.