User Post: Gluten-Free Eating Is Not A "Fad" ... And I Hope It Never Is
I have a bone to pick.
That's right: I have some concerns about people and media outlets who are dubbing the choice to eat gluten-free as "the latest fad" or as a method for losing weight.
A recent article in Women's Health magazine particularly stirred my worry pot. Sure, they address the real issues that lie within a Celiac disease or gluten intolerance diagnosis, and they differentiate between choosing gluten-free and not having a choice if you want to live healthfully (as in the case of Celiac disease or gluten intolerance).
But they also point to Hollywood starlets, like Gwyneth Paltrow and Victoria Beckham who are said to have chosen to eat gluten-free because the lifestyle has been "said to contribute to increased energy, thinner thighs, and reduced belly bloat."
It's statements and stories like this that make me worry the legitimacy of a serious condition is being undermined.
If a gluten-free lifestyle is becoming a "fad", then how will a server in a restaurant take me seriously when I request a gluten-free meal? Will he just think I want less flab on my backside? Or will he be so tired of hearing the words "gluten-free" that he will just shrug his shoulders and "do his best" to kinda-sorta not let my food come in contact with gluten?
It's not that I don't support someone -- the world for goodness sakes -- going gluten-free if he thinks it will make him healthier. Go for it! Be sexy! Be wonderful! Be gorgeously you!
What concerns me is when misinformed experts or hyped-up mediums speak to a public who is still learning about what a gluten-free lifestyle entails, and how it applies to someone who has Celiac disease or a gluten intolerance versus someone who is eliminating gluten for dietary reasons.
Don't get me wrong: I am so happy that terms like "Celiac disease and "gluten-free" are being brought to the forefront of health news topics. But my hope is that the extra talk will simply bring just that -- more knowledge -- rather than eye rolls and a lax attitude about the severity of this condition so many of us are dealing with.
I feel like the progress that has been made on the gluten-free home front has been so wonderful, and I would hate to see it take a giant step backward because someone groups gluten-free eating with low-carb diets or something of the like.
I'm curious: What's your opinion on this recent influx of articles or news programs that dub gluten-free eating as a "trend" or something that requires a "bandwagon"? Does it worry you? Share your thoughts below!
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