What's wrong with this sentence

[sparklingdark@yahoo.com]

There's something wrong here, but I can't put my finger on it:

"Despite increasing food intake, Jack continued to lose weight."

shouldn't it be:

"Despite increasing his food intake, Jack continued to lose weight"?

 

[2006]

There's something wrong here, but I can't put my finger on it:

"Despite increasing food intake, Jack continued to lose weight." :tick:


"Despite increasing his food intake, Jack continued to lose weight." :tick:

The sentences have different meanings.
Consider this in the light of what the subject of the sentences is.

 

[Pedroski]

"Despite increasing food intake, Jack continued to lose weight." or

"Despite increasing his food intake, Jack continued to lose weight." or

"Despite his increasing food intake, Jack continued to lose weight."

Despite is a preposition here, a bit like 'contrary to' or 'notwithstanding'. 'Despite his increasing food intake' wherever you stick 'increasing' or if you leave 'his' out, 'despite .........' is a sentencial adverbial, ie it relates to 'Jack continued to lose weight.' and tells us something more about the sentence. 'food intake', with or without 'his' is the object of 'despite', a preposition.
I find the sentences ok.

Why (2)006, James Bond's cousin (just joking), says the sentences are different escapes me. Maybe you'd explain?

 

[2006]

The subject of both sentences is "Jack".

"Despite increasing his food intake, Jack continued to lose weight."
Jack increased his own food intake. There is no reason to think that someone else might be involved.

"Despite increasing food intake, Jack continued to lose weight."
Someone else may have increased Jack's food intake. Perhaps Jack is unconscious in the hospital and is being fed through a stomach tube.