Boston Globe magazine staff member, Neil Swidey, recently published a controversial article, “Why Food Allergy Fakers Need to Stop,” and although he may have offended and angered many some readers, he also got people thinking.

In response to his article, many people with celiac disease reached out and explained why the “allergy fakers” and the gluten-free fad diet both frustrates and annoys them. Dr. Alessio Fasano, MD, National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) Scientific/Medical Advisory Council Member, agrees that the “gluten-free monster” is out of control. Gluten-free is now a 23 billion dollar a year market in the United States, and this trend exploded thanks to certain celebrities adopting new diets and cleanses that eliminated gluten. Dr. Fasano notes that the majority of people do not follow this dietary restriction as a medical necessity.

For people with celiac disease, the fear of being glutened is real. Their dietary restriction should be treated as a medical prescription because there is no choice in the matter. With the gluten-free fad on the rise, however, people are worried that their serious, genetic autoimmune disorder will not be taken so seriously anymore. Many in the celiac disease community fear that “fakers” can lead to them getting sick in restaurants and other dining establishments because there can be a perception that gluten-free is just a passing fad and not something to be taken seriously.

You can read the full article, “How We Made Gluten into a Monster,” here.

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