A nutrition journalist claims: 'Because alternative sweeteners are hundreds of times sweeter than sugar, they trick appetite control centers and inevitably cause overeating and weight gain.' Which critique best evaluates this claim?

• A. The claim overgeneralizes: while some research raises hypotheses about appetite signaling and compensatory intake, evidence is mixed and causal mechanisms are not established; thus the claim is not supported as an inevitable outcome for all users.
• B. The claim is fully supported because relative sweetness alone is a proven mechanism that directly increases hunger hormones and mandates weight gain across populations.
• C. The claim can be accepted without scrutiny because observational associations suffice to establish biological mechanisms linking sweetness intensity and overeating.
• D. The claim is irrelevant because sweetness intensity has no physiological effects and only subjective preference, so appetite centers cannot be 'tricked' by intensity alone.

Answer: (A)