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Jun. 21st, 2003 07:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eorI'm not much for conspiracy theories, but
I'm not big on grand conspiracy theories mainly because I think they are too much trouble. However, I do strongly believe in accidental conspiracies. That is multiple entities that act according to indepedent motivations that when combined happen to produce the same effect as if they were conspiracies with the big "C". Usually the grand conspiracies don't stand up to cost/benefit analysis. But the accidental ones are produced as a result of cost/benefit analysis.
A scientist somewhere in the world right now wants to study the cancer preventing aspects of tumeric, that yellow spice that's abundantly available (google if you'd like to find the articles, they are in several places). He can't get funding for such a study because the people who foot the bills for studies are the drug companies. No drug company is going to study something that's not patentable and is available in abundance. They can't make money on it, why pay for the study. If you'd like to be cynical about it you can also see that certain cancer drugs are quite profitable, so there is a distinct disincentive to find a cheap, readily available preventative treatment. Did all the companies and scientists get together and plan this? No, but profit will keep the companies financing certain treatments and need for funding will keep the scientists following the lead of those paying the bills.
The lack of research or understanding of Celiac Disease and gluten intolerance is another example. This is a not very well publicized or understood ailment in the US. In fact, most of the information available about it is propagated through the patients. Within the healthcare industry and the food industry it is basically ignored. Why?
The healthcare industry isn't motivated to research CD because the treatment is a simple diet change. No expensive drugs. No prolonged visits. No motivation whatever for an industry that makes more money using expensive machinery and fancy drugs. Do I think healthcare providers have gotten together in conspiracy? No. Do I think individuals within the healthcare industry want what's best for their patients? Yes. But they are trained to think of certain ailments first, others second, and still others almost never. Some of that training is based on what technology is available to them. Some of it is based on what excellent pharmacology we have available. They have to be trained on these things to know their usefullness, but it builds a bias.
The food industry would not be served by a well informed public in the case of CD. Celiacs avoid processed foods unless there is very complete and thorough labelling. The food industry makes much more money off its processed foods than raw materials. If it did thorough labelling, reverse engineering all those sauces and mixes would be much easier. Their concern isn't with hiding things from consumers in order to damage their health. Their concern is hiding things from consumers in order to maintain their sales and hiding things from their competition to maintain sales.
If you're feeling particularly cynical you might also consider the fact that CD means less of the food you consume actually gets digested. Your body knows it needs food and will prompt you to eat and eat and eat. Maybe you need the jumbo size instead of the regular. Then, to top it off you take dietary supplements to try to fight off vitamin deficiencies. Is it in the interest of the food industry to have you consume 1/3 as much and get more out of it?
I'm not big on grand conspiracy theories mainly because I think they are too much trouble. However, I do strongly believe in accidental conspiracies. That is multiple entities that act according to indepedent motivations that when combined happen to produce the same effect as if they were conspiracies with the big "C". Usually the grand conspiracies don't stand up to cost/benefit analysis. But the accidental ones are produced as a result of cost/benefit analysis.
A scientist somewhere in the world right now wants to study the cancer preventing aspects of tumeric, that yellow spice that's abundantly available (google if you'd like to find the articles, they are in several places). He can't get funding for such a study because the people who foot the bills for studies are the drug companies. No drug company is going to study something that's not patentable and is available in abundance. They can't make money on it, why pay for the study. If you'd like to be cynical about it you can also see that certain cancer drugs are quite profitable, so there is a distinct disincentive to find a cheap, readily available preventative treatment. Did all the companies and scientists get together and plan this? No, but profit will keep the companies financing certain treatments and need for funding will keep the scientists following the lead of those paying the bills.
The lack of research or understanding of Celiac Disease and gluten intolerance is another example. This is a not very well publicized or understood ailment in the US. In fact, most of the information available about it is propagated through the patients. Within the healthcare industry and the food industry it is basically ignored. Why?
The healthcare industry isn't motivated to research CD because the treatment is a simple diet change. No expensive drugs. No prolonged visits. No motivation whatever for an industry that makes more money using expensive machinery and fancy drugs. Do I think healthcare providers have gotten together in conspiracy? No. Do I think individuals within the healthcare industry want what's best for their patients? Yes. But they are trained to think of certain ailments first, others second, and still others almost never. Some of that training is based on what technology is available to them. Some of it is based on what excellent pharmacology we have available. They have to be trained on these things to know their usefullness, but it builds a bias.
The food industry would not be served by a well informed public in the case of CD. Celiacs avoid processed foods unless there is very complete and thorough labelling. The food industry makes much more money off its processed foods than raw materials. If it did thorough labelling, reverse engineering all those sauces and mixes would be much easier. Their concern isn't with hiding things from consumers in order to damage their health. Their concern is hiding things from consumers in order to maintain their sales and hiding things from their competition to maintain sales.
If you're feeling particularly cynical you might also consider the fact that CD means less of the food you consume actually gets digested. Your body knows it needs food and will prompt you to eat and eat and eat. Maybe you need the jumbo size instead of the regular. Then, to top it off you take dietary supplements to try to fight off vitamin deficiencies. Is it in the interest of the food industry to have you consume 1/3 as much and get more out of it?
