Sweet home Chicago. Julie Deardorff at the Chicago Tribune wrote this helpful article, one of many similar articles popping up more and more in our nation’s newspapers, big and small.
During my short time with this disease, I’ve asked many fellow celiacs about awareness and education on the subject, and every one of them has mentioned how much easier it is these days to find products, knowledgeable people, and restaurants. They are also quick to point out that everyone and their brother are getting diagnosed.
This makes me wonder when the tipping point will occur. When will a celiac’s dietary constraints become as well-known as, say, a vegetarian diet? When will CD awareness reach the same level of exposure as other autoimmune disorders? With 97% of the estimated 2 million with celiac disease unaware of their condition, and diagnosis rates increasing seemingly exponentially, it stands to reason that tipping point is closer than we might think.
Gluten- and dairy-free fare [ChicagoTribune.com]
This recent post by The Daily Aztec, San Diego State’s student newspaper, elequently states a common misconception of celiac disease.
People allergic to gluten have celiac disease. They have an “immune reaction to gluten in their GI track,” according to Dr. Susan Algert, a nutritional counselor at the Wm K. Warren Medical Research Center for Celiac Disease at UCSD. After consuming gluten, the body creates antibodies that can make a person sick.
One in 100 people probably have celiac disease according to Algert. She said that some people have it for years before it is officially diagnosed and that new symptoms are emerging.
People with celiac, as well as those who choose to live gluten-free, will of course see the error in the author’s logic.
But this got me thinking. In the interest of simplifying things, whether it be during a party when I pass on an appetizer, or when ordering dinner at an unfamiliar restaurant, I tend to say something to the effect of, “I have a wheat allergy.” I’ll dive into the details if someone probes, but that generally does the trick.
But I wonder if I’m doing a disservice to the CD community and CD education in general. Perhaps it’s our job to give a little 15 second schpeal as to the definition of celiac disease. If nothing else, that’s one more person that understands. And maybe that person tells another, and so on.
So what say you, dear reader? Do you walk the path of least resistance like I do, or do you educate your audience whenever you can?
Learn how to create great-tasting, gluten-free meals for yourself, or friend and family at the Gluten-Free Cooking Expo 2008 in Oakbrook, Illinois.
The two-day gluten free cooking conference includes:
- Two full days of cooking demonstrations by notable chefs, cookbook authors and nutritionists
- A Gluten Free Vendor Showcase highlighting the best of the gluten free products available, including gluten-free liquors and beers
- Gourmet gluten-free breakfasts and lunches for attendee
And if you just can’t bring yourself to cook, at least you leave with a free bag of gluten-free goodies. Register here.
