> If they make money by identifying allergies and then treating those people for those allergies, as opposed to parents giving their children 2 peanuts a week,

> If they make money by identifying allergies and then treating those people for those allergies, as opposed to parents giving their children 2 peanuts a week, then their livelihood is under threat. I find that view to be overly pessimistic, and not reflective of what health care providers actually do. Practitioners of all sorts work hard to cure and prevent diseases every day. Every time a cancerous tumour is removed, it significantly reduces the chances of that person needing follow-up care. Every vaccine that is given reduces future hospital visits. Every piece of good advice to exercise and eat right keeps somebody away from the doctor, rather than turning them into a repeat customer. Doctors aren't evil. They aren't scheming to lock patients in by offering suboptimal treatments. They provide the best care that they're able, within the limits of the knowledge and resources available to them.