Question

How do the details in this passage support the authors’ purpose?

The authors include details about how much sugar Americans consume to persuade readers that modern diets are unhealthy.
The authors include details about the changes in diets over time to inform readers about how sugar has transformed what we eat.
The authors include details about how much sugar people have eaten over time to entertain readers with surprising statistics.
The authors include details about American and British diets to persuade readers that eating habits now are healthier than they were in the past.

Answer 1

"The authors include details about the changes in diets over time to inform readers about how sugar has transformed what we eat."

Why: the passage uses historical and factual details (how much sugar was added, how diets shifted, what foods changed) to explain a trend — the role sugar has played in changing eating habits — rather than chiefly to entertain or to argue that modern diets are healthier or unhealthier. The other choices either misread the tone (entertainment) or attribute a persuasive claim not supported by the details given.