Dimintio subsequently tried to convince two more baker/entrepreneurs to merge cookies and tape worms, but they brushed him off. He became depressed. We have a record of him at Mt. Sinai, New York City's oldest hospital, where he received water bath therapy, which was all modern medicine had for depression in late 1800's. Local history in his hometown in Mexico has it that he returned home to his wife and family to bake cookies during day and play sad Mariachi songs at night.

Rampant Obesity in 20th and 21st Century By end of 20th century, it was clear that Demintio had been way ahead of his time. Obesity was on rise, and food addictions were in full swing. Even children as young as nine were eating themselves into adult-onset diabetes. The term 'globesity' was coined to describe this worldwide health crisis.

Ever ahead of health curve, Canadian government ordered an exhaustive study of all weight loss solutions known to man. Organizations like Weightwatchers were investigated, diets like The Zone, Atkins, and South Beach were evaluated, herbs like ephedra were eaten, snorted, and injected, tribal peoples across world were extorted in an attempt to discover their weight loss wisdom... not a single stone was left unturned.

Finally, government-appointed Canadian National Committee for Sane Control of Weight issued its monstruously authoritative 500-page report, and overnight it became a Canadian bestseller.

Readers in America still haven't heard of it. It's Canadian! Who cares?? One American publisher firm attempted to take on U.S. distribution of report, but ran into translation difficulties. The movie rights, however, are still available.

Among Committee's findings are:

* No diet works for everyone * Most obese people are lazy, but so are many skinny people * Many obese people eat lots of sugar and diet sodas, but so do skinny Hollywood fashion models * Professional athletes usually are not obese * Anorexics don't gain weight

In short, report was stunning in its inconclusiveness. The only points of light were some promising newer diets that had not yet been tried by large groups of people, or by large groups of large people, which included:

* The Tape Worm Diet Pill * The Miraculous All Chocolate Diet * The Ephedra Weight Loss Pizza

Experts, in report, expressed concerns about each of these diets. Yet, they concluded, "we must try anything and everything, leaving no stone unturned, until everyone in world can look like Jennifer Lopez and Brad Pitt."

Ok, ok, let's get serious.

I really am working on an ephedra weight loss pizza.

Stay tuned.

How Western and Chinese Medicine Treatments are Combined

Sometimes western drugs and chinese medicine are used together to treat same symptoms. This can allow for a decrease in drug dosage. This makes sense since drugs tend to have more damaging side effects.

Drugs and Chinese Medicine together; drugs as chemotherapy (dispelling) and supporting herbal formula to offset weakening effect of toxic drugs.

Chinese medicine may be used instead of drugs when patient isn't strong enough to continue chemotherapy. The patient can then regain strength. Supporting Righteous, or combinations of mostly supporting and some dispelling.

For symptomatic treatment without drugs. Most commonly with fever, headache, fatigue, CMV retinitis, wasting syndrome, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, PML.

There are still gray areas when drugs and herbs are combined. There are general principles for combining drugs and herbs (see your health practitioner), and a fair amount of research on specific herbs and drugs exists. It is important to note that research has proven that in some cases, healing effects of drugs and herbs combined is greater. For more on this topic, read our article "Are My Drugs and Herbs Dangerous Together? Drug Herb Interactions."

It is best to have a chinese medicine herbalist and physician working together. (In California, acupuncturists and herbalists can order lab tests, but not in most states). Someone will need to monitor your lab values and know what to expect when herbs are added to your treatment regimen.

Hopefully, your health care practitioners can cooperate, educate one another, and work together for your well being. In these days of cooperative care, any one of your practitioners' refusal to work with practitioners from other medicines might be grounds for termination.

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