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aklap
Joined: 02 Oct 2004
Posts: 10612
Location: WI, USA
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 Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2009 10:25 pm Post subject: Give parents a break over gluten-free foods |
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http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Financial-Industry/Give-parents-a-break-over-gluten-free-foods-says-nutrition-expert
| Quote: | Give parents a break over gluten-free foods, says nutrition expert
By Caroline Scott-Thomas, 23-Jul-2009
Related topics: Gluten free, Financial & Industry
Many American parents are seeking out gluten-free foods, often without diagnosis of celiac disease, according to a new report – but nutrition and public policy expert Marion Nestle says it is not a concern.
The report from New Nutrition Business entitled “Organic and All-Natural Kids Snacks and Baby Foods” claims that 15 to 25 percent of American parents seek gluten-free products, and the food industry has responded to the growing demand. The gluten-free market for has grown at an average annual rate of 28 percent since 2004, according to market research organization Packaged Facts, despite estimates that less than one percent of the population suffers from celiac disease, the autoimmune disorder triggered by gluten.
“The driver is a belief among people that they, or their children, may have a gluten sensitivity – even though they are not diagnosed as having an allergy,” said the report. “It’s an example of how ‘belief’ can be a more compelling reason to purchase than rational science.”
“Give parents a break”
But Marion Nestle, professor in the department of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University, told FoodNavigator-USA.com: “It shouldn’t hurt them nutritionally. From a social standpoint their lives are miserable. But wheat’s not an essential nutrient…Give parents a break on this one. If their child feels better, behaves better, learns better, of course they will avoid it.”
Complex testing
Only 40,000 to 60,000 Americans are diagnosed as having celiac disease, although the federal government estimates that there could be as many as 3m who are undiagnosed. Part of the explanation is that currently the only way to get a conclusive diagnosis is through a series of blood tests followed by an intestinal biopsy, and Nestle pointed out that the discrepancy could also be explained by high health care costs.
“In the US it’s invasive and expensive, because we don’t have the health care system to pay for it,” she said. “So it’s easier to go on a gluten free diet.”
That is not to say that going on a gluten free diet is easy. Gluten, the protein found in wheat, barley, rye and spelt, is ubiquitous in the western food network. The only treatment for celiac disease is total avoidance of gluten, which means not only avoiding wheat-containing foods like bread and pasta, but a host of other products including many sauces, soups, processed meats and seasoned snacks.
Cure-all?
Although Nestle said that she could understand parents’ choice to remove gluten from their child’s diet, she added that there is a problem with the “wide range of symptoms” that parents are trying to treat by avoiding gluten.
A recent Harvard Health letter highlighted this phenomenon, saying: “For example, there’s a fairly loud internet ‘buzz’ about autistic children improving once they’re on a gluten-free diet. …But based on what’s currently known, it’s a big leap to attributing autism and other problems to gluten, and an even bigger one to prescribing gluten-free eating as a treatment.”
Nestle said: “I’m a big proponent of the diagnostic tests. I say get the tests.”
Nevertheless, the gluten-free trend looks set to continue: Packaged Facts estimates that sales of gluten-free products will reach $2.6bn by 2012, up from $1.56bn last year and $580m in 2004. |
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Al
“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa |
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The Edifying Conscience
Joined: 29 Aug 2005
Posts: 2920
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| Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2009 8:27 am Post subject: |
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Towards the beginning she says 'give parents a break.' Then at the ends she says she's "a big proponent of diagnostic testing. I say get the tests."
IMO she doesn't know what she thinks. |
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Kathie
Joined: 27 Jan 2006
Posts: 1018
Location: Florida
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| Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2009 8:33 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | But Marion Nestle, professor in the department of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University, told FoodNavigator-USA.com: “It shouldn’t hurt them nutritionally. From a social standpoint their lives are miserable. But wheat’s not an essential nutrient…Give parents a break on this one. If their child feels better, behaves better, learns better, of course they will avoid it.” |
OK maybe I'm just PMS'ing this week but I am so sick to death of people for and against us that spout off this Bull s&*%. It sure seems to me that there is something really wrong with this society if having a disease makes you a social piranaha. We don't discriminate against a diabetic who can't eat desert with us or an alcoholic who wont drink with us. Grrr............. 
Gosh I've managed a social gathering or two with family and friends where they ate and I didn't and amazingly enough we all had a good time. 
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CD by Biopsy 3/25/88 |
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beckyhiker
Joined: 25 Feb 2005
Posts: 88
Location: New York
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| Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2009 10:40 am Post subject: Re: Give parents a break over gluten-free foods |
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The report "claims that 15 to 25 percent of American parents seek gluten-free products, and the food industry has responded to the growing demand. "
I find it really hard to believe the 15 to 25% of American parents are buying gf food. I'd love to know where those numbers are coming from! I don't personally know any parents other than myself buying gf food and until recently I was only buying it for me.
I also agree with Kathie. What is this all of a sudden about miserable social lives being associated with gf food? This is just another example of how closely interelated fun and food are in our culture. They are indeed separable (if that's a word!). I've managed to have plenty of fun and be social over the past 4.5 gf years.
I find this very interesting since I am now in the "guilty" position of having a son who isn't diagnosed with cd because all the blood work wasn't positive, but is doing much better on a gf diet, both physically and otherwise. I guess if I don't immediately switch him back to a gluten filled diet that I'm denying him most of lifes pleasures! |
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cruelshoes
Joined: 23 Sep 2005
Posts: 3380
Location: Washington State
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| Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2009 10:52 am Post subject: Re: Give parents a break over gluten-free foods |
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| beckyhiker wrote: | The report "claims that 15 to 25 percent of American parents seek gluten-free products, and the food industry has responded to the growing demand. "
I find it really hard to believe the 15 to 25% of American parents are buying gf food. I'd love to know where those numbers are coming from! I don't personally know any parents other than myself buying gf food and until recently I was only buying it for me. |
I only have a second, but according to the GIG website, Over 25 million people are now purchasing gluten-free foods. Only a fraction of them are diagnosed celiacs.
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Where are we going, and what am I doing in this handcart? |
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Kathie
Joined: 27 Jan 2006
Posts: 1018
Location: Florida
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| Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2009 10:55 am Post subject: Re: Give parents a break over gluten-free foods |
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| beckyhiker wrote: | | I find this very interesting since I am now in the "guilty" position of having a son who isn't diagnosed with cd because all the blood work wasn't positive, but is doing much better on a gf diet, both physically and otherwise. I guess if I don't immediately switch him back to a gluten filled diet that I'm denying him most of lifes pleasures! |
You better watch out, I see a whole culture of new age therapists on the horizon........
I am psychopath because my parents made me eat gluten free.
I was abused by my parents, they wouldn't let me eat with my friends at Pizza Hut.
I guess these aren't investigative reports because they don't seem to be doing any talking to actual people to find out why they decide to go gluten free, just talking to select doctors and spouting off data, which they seem to pick and chose that which best reflects whatever spin they are going for.
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CD by Biopsy 3/25/88 |
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HadassahSukkot
Joined: 04 Aug 2006
Posts: 281
Location: Hessen, Germany
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| Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 6:01 am Post subject: |
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We avoid Nestle like the plague... one more reason to avoid them - they also know nothing about celiac 
I also want to know about this "Crappy social life" stuff. You just have to work around the food issue and find what you are comfortable with - and once you have that worked out with friends and family - there is nothing crappy about one's social life.
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smalltownslackermom
Joined: 04 May 2009
Posts: 185
Location: mid north american continent
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| Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 7:21 am Post subject: Re: Give parents a break over gluten-free foods |
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| cruelshoes wrote: | | I only have a second, but according to the GIG website, Over 25 million people are now purchasing gluten-free foods. Only a fraction of them are diagnosed celiacs. |
I'm not diagnosed and I know a few others in my small town area who eat GF because they had to figure it out themselves. 50 percent of the people I know who eat GF are not officially diagnosed, including myself. Articles like this fail to take into account that many of us ended up "self-diagnosing" because our Drs were failing us. and Yes I will say failing us because there were times I went in with OBVIOUS symptoms and they STILL didn't check my small intestine. I wish they'd quote Dr Green's defense of the self-diagnosed like in the Foreword in Hasselbeck's book. maybe that would clue some people.
ok, sorry, preaching to the choir here...
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son - high ttg - 4/09, pos. biopsy 5/09
self - negative blodwork 5/09, pos. biopsy 11/09
sister - gf for 2 years and is a new person |
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aklap
Joined: 02 Oct 2004
Posts: 10612
Location: WI, USA
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| Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 7:34 am Post subject: |
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| HadassahSukkot wrote: | | We avoid Nestle like the plague... one more reason to avoid them - they also know nothing about celiac . |
I'm confused...am I missing something about the Nestle company?
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Al
“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa |
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The Edifying Conscience
Joined: 29 Aug 2005
Posts: 2920
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| Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 8:23 am Post subject: |
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| aklap wrote: | | HadassahSukkot wrote: | | We avoid Nestle like the plague... one more reason to avoid them - they also know nothing about celiac . |
I'm confused...am I missing something about the Nestle company? |
She lives in Europe. Thus is dealing with the Nestle there. Nestle USA is a GF friendly company. |
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The Edifying Conscience
Joined: 29 Aug 2005
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| Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 8:24 am Post subject: |
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| HadassahSukkot wrote: | | I also want to know about this "Crappy social life" stuff. You just have to work around the food issue and find what you are comfortable with - and once you have that worked out with friends and family - there is nothing crappy about one's social life. |
I remember you mentioning a couple of bits about socializing or choosing to not socialize if/when there is food present. To me that seems like it might impact socializing. |
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cruelshoes
Joined: 23 Sep 2005
Posts: 3380
Location: Washington State
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| Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 9:21 am Post subject: |
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I have hesitated to post, because this thread has made me very upset. Don't shoot the messenger, don't anyone think I am attacking them. But I just have to say something.
Celiac can be socially isolating, especially for children. I would have absolutely HATED to be on the GF diet when I was my son's age. Most of the time we do quite well. But sometimes it is very, very hard for him to be different, to always have to make special arrangements for things. Anyone that says "Meh. Being on the GF giet is no big deal" needs to spend a month walking in my son's shoes.
It is not about the food. It is about having attention called to yourself because of something you did not ask for, and can't do anything about. Just try going to boy scout camp, and watching all the other kids make a super cool gluten dutch oven pizza and watch them eat it while you have to eat the pizza your mom sent from home. And try watching him smile and tell me it's no big deal when I can see in his eyes at that moment that it was a very big deal. It doesn't matter how many M&M's I shove down his throat to make him feel better, that feeling of being different is still there. I would not have used the word "miserable" to describe his social life like in the article. But his social life is going to be more complicated. It doesn't matter how long I am on the diet, or how good I get at cooking, or how good my attitude is. Sometimes my son is going to feel different and left out.
Are there worse things? Of course. But I know my son would choose to go back on a regular gluten diet in a second if he had the chance. I would hate to know that there were some kids on the GF diet that did not need to be. Not saying that about anyone on this board, of course.
Rant over. 
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celiacmaine-iac
Joined: 19 Dec 2007
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Location: Maine
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| Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 12:02 pm Post subject: |
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| HadassahSukkot wrote: | We avoid Nestle like the plague... one more reason to avoid them - they also know nothing about celiac
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| article wrote: | | But Marion Nestle, professor in the department of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University, told FoodNavigator-USA.com: “It shouldn’t hurt them nutritionally. From a social standpoint their lives are miserable. But wheat’s not an essential nutrient…Give parents a break on this one. If their child feels better, behaves better, learns better, of course they will avoid it.” |
I think the references to Nestle in this article are referring to the person who quoted this at the top of the article, not the Nestle food company.
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Kathie
Joined: 27 Jan 2006
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Location: Florida
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| Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 4:11 pm Post subject: |
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| cruelshoes wrote: | I have hesitated to post, because this thread has made me very upset. Don't shoot the messenger, don't anyone think I am attacking them. But I just have to say something.
Celiac can be socially isolating, especially for children. I would have absolutely HATED to be on the GF diet when I was my son's age. Most of the time we do quite well. But sometimes it is very, very hard for him to be different, to always have to make special arrangements for things. Anyone that says "Meh. Being on the GF giet is no big deal" needs to spend a month walking in my son's shoes.
It is not about the food. It is about having attention called to yourself because of something you did not ask for, and can't do anything about. |
I think this says more about society than anything, and this thing we have about food and social occasions. I remember in grade school I had a friend who had diabetes, he was on insulin and had dietary restrictions as well, I know its really hard and I agree no one should do it young or old that doesn't have to. But being sick is worse. I mention Brian because he was a really popular kid and yeah it sucked he never got to eat cake but he was healthy. He was like a 7 day wonder and then we just kind of ignored it. He was so much more than that and your son is to.
I just wish the media would quit making it seem SO bad, ok its not great, it sucks but we can't change it by focusing on the negative, that just makes it so much worse, ya know. Personally I would hate to think that someones perception of what my life is like was based on the negative spin spouted in the articles we have read here this week.
Oh and I was joking earlier, if I offended you, I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to make lite of the seriousness of a child who has to follow the diet, it was frustration at the tone of the article, and living with a teenager who likes to blame everything on the mean adults in her life. (totally unrelated to cd but I was projecting)
Unfortunately life isn't always fair, but your son is going to grow up healthier and with more compassion for the feelings of others because of the way you are raising him and what he is going through. Yes in a perfect world no child would have to be different, but sometimes different makes better adults, especially when raised with love in a well-balanced home. The thing is if it wasn't celiac it could just as easily be something else, all children have to get through this in one form or another. I have a DD who was very over weight in school, a DSS who is an old man in a 17 year old body, no one gets him. 
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HadassahSukkot
Joined: 04 Aug 2006
Posts: 281
Location: Hessen, Germany
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| Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 4:28 pm Post subject: |
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| celiacmaine-iac wrote: | | HadassahSukkot wrote: | We avoid Nestle like the plague... one more reason to avoid them - they also know nothing about celiac
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| article wrote: | | But Marion Nestle, professor in the department of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University, told FoodNavigator-USA.com: “It shouldn’t hurt them nutritionally. From a social standpoint their lives are miserable. But wheat’s not an essential nutrient…Give parents a break on this one. If their child feels better, behaves better, learns better, of course they will avoid it.” |
I think the references to Nestle in this article are referring to the person who quoted this at the top of the article, not the Nestle food company. |
I stand corrected.
TEC, Nestle (the company) is basically the same here as in the USA, though baby food is labled well as GF or NGF... the issue we have is their unsafe practices with formula and babyfoods. They are quite unethical in their practices.
Back to the CD issue -
Personally, I am very happy we know we have issues with our little one, and that it can be addressed at school.
I figure Celiac food issues (in a little one's life) are much more easily handled than the transition when we are older. It gives us time to educate and gain willing partners in our family members/friends/teachers, and it does not impact their social gathering as hard as it would us.
For example, Celiac would offer no more 'trouble' to a child than if they kept Kosher (which we do), or were Vegan, Vegetarian, Diabetic or had another food related "issue". You just ask ahead when food will be served in the classroom (of course we have no lunch-rooms here as schools are half day) for a birthday or holiday, and either have exemption from class, or provide ahead.
We used to do this with my brother who had issues digesting sugar properly. We always kept cookies and cupcakes on hand for his classroom birthdays.
Me personally, my issues stem from having contact dermatitis within 15-30 minutes of CC issues, and I have been glutened 2x in pregnancy during my 1st trimester which put us at risk for miscarriage, and had me very ill -- I actually should have been in the hospital - however, the hospitals where I was, were not equipped to handle CD in any way, shape or form.
On the other hand, should I have issues here, it is easily and readily handled in hospital, by a midwife at home, or otherwise.
Children are tested usually before Kindergarten (age 2-3), and again offered testing prior to 1st grade (5-6).
For the most part, I can honestly say with us cooking 90% of everything at home, we're "no different" than anyone else as far as what we eat or how we eat, with the exceptions of it being GF and our insistance that no gluten cross our threshold. . . and we've had no complaints at all from others who are NGF about our food being "different" with the exception of my grandmother who insists we do not eat "real food", and ate cookies, crackers, sandwiches, cake & junk in her guestroom at my parents and then spread CC all over the downstairs.
My inlaws have made a concerted effort to now contain CC and especially crumbs (and cat food!) away from the little one and myself, and I have been extremely careful wtih petting their cats or playing with them (as even their fur bothers me - but the GF cats my parents had did not).
I know with us, our LO is still learning (and talking!) so we approach things in the same manner as our kosher keeping - that the food available is just not what we eat, and we have something in the car and at home for him. If we need to, we can stop and get him something - but what is 'there' is not acceptable. I think the best is just trying to stay positive and upbeat, and that attitude carries over.
I do have my miserable moments and down days, but that usually has more to do with people just plain being ignorant and mean (or other life stressors) - than being GF vs NGF or being able to buy the 'prepackaged' vs making it at home. Personally, I could care less if there never was a "prepackaged" anything (NGF included).
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