Celiac Disease is not a joke. Eating gluten-free is my medicine, not my choice. Varying levels of gluten sensitivity is a real thing. Yet why does the media feel that they can poke fun of those of us living a gluten-free lifestyle? Just yesterday a luggage company sent out a national press release announcing their luggage was now gluten-free. I called them out on this via Twitter and told them it was in poor taste. I also pointed out that yesterday was March 31st and NOT April Fools Day. The still didn't get it.
The more the media keeps using gluten-free people as the butt of their jokes, the harder it is for us living with Celiac to be taken seriously. While our first instinct might be to "fight back" against these jokesters, I think we have a bigger responsibility to educate others about exactly WHY we eat gluten-free. It is up to us living with Celiac to educate about Celiac. Instead of poking fun at us, maybe these insensitive people will start to understand that living with Celiac Disease is a real thing and we are not a joke.
If you see a gluten-free joke today (or any day), I encourage you to respond with knowledge not fighting words. Send this person links to the Gluten Intolerance Group, Celiac Disease Foundation, and National Celiac Disease Society. Give the person a checklist of the almost 300 symptoms of Celiac Disease. Take them to a gluten-free bakery so they can taste some good gluten-free food.
And if you can't get through to these jokesters with knowledge and education, play their own game and send them this:
The more the media keeps using gluten-free people as the butt of their jokes, the harder it is for us living with Celiac to be taken seriously. While our first instinct might be to "fight back" against these jokesters, I think we have a bigger responsibility to educate others about exactly WHY we eat gluten-free. It is up to us living with Celiac to educate about Celiac. Instead of poking fun at us, maybe these insensitive people will start to understand that living with Celiac Disease is a real thing and we are not a joke.
If you see a gluten-free joke today (or any day), I encourage you to respond with knowledge not fighting words. Send this person links to the Gluten Intolerance Group, Celiac Disease Foundation, and National Celiac Disease Society. Give the person a checklist of the almost 300 symptoms of Celiac Disease. Take them to a gluten-free bakery so they can taste some good gluten-free food.
And if you can't get through to these jokesters with knowledge and education, play their own game and send them this:
Labels: April Fools Day, celiac, gluten-free, Not a Joke
