Tuesday, March 18, 2008

got lactose intolerance?

I just read a really interesting article for bioanthropology about the negative impact of milk on the overwhelming number of lactase impersistent people all over the world. The U.S. government has pushed milk on the people for such a long time, siting the need for strong bones and teeth. What about the people who suffer lactose intolerance due to the inability to break down the lactose in the milk? These people are frowned upon because they are unable to drink such a "healthy elixir." What shocked me the most after reading the article is the fact that the there are a vastly larger amount of lactase impersistent people around the world than there are lactase persistent. Dietitians and government workers still insist on dubbing the inability to process milk "a disease." This is incredibly close minded and egocentric, but it remains unchanged and unchallenged. My anthropology teacher showed the class this photo that represented the majority of the world's population.

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