Chapter 8.3, Problem 17BSC

Testing Hypotheses. In Exercises 13-24, assume that a simple random sample has been selected and test the given claim. Unless specified by your instructor, use either the P-value method or the critical value method for testing hypotheses. Identify the null and alternative hypotheses, test statistic, P-value (or range of P-values), or critical value(s), and state the final conclusion that addresses the original claim.

17. Is the Diet Practical? When 40 people used the Weight Watchers diet for one year, their mean weight loss was 3.0 lb and the standard deviation was 4.9 lb (based on data from “Comparison of the Atkins, Ornish, Weight Watchers, and Zone Diets for Weight Loss and Heart Disease Reduction,” by Dansinger et al., Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 293, No. 1). Use a 0.01 significance level to test the claim that the mean weight loss is greater than 0. Bused on these results, does the diet appear to have statistical significance? Does the diet appear to have practical significance?