Kirt, >I've always thought such correlation studies would be simpler, and >perhaps more meaningful, if we looked at the averages for a culture >cross the board. For instance, what foods (and how prepared?) are consumed in >Mexico per capita, and what diseases occur in Mexico per capita? That's essentially what the China study is, Kirt, looking at each little area of the patchwork quilt known as "China" as a separate "country," or enclave. The Chinese in different regions have very wide diet variances and very low social mobility (many have spent generations in the same neighboroods), thus making them ideal to study from this perspective. The results coming out of the China study have very high statistical significance, and cooked meat is turning out to be the very killer that Harvey Diamond always said it was. Thanks for your help with the baby, cat, banana. I just knew I was missing something. Maybe others will further assist my fuzzy thinking on this issue. Bob Avery ([log in to unmask])