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Wow!
Quite a response for just a day. Thank you all. I posted about the article in
the February Allure magazine which deals with wheat/gluten allergy/intolerance
and celiac in what I still think is a rather flip way.

On re-reading the article several times after posting, I felt that perhaps I
should have waited until I was calmer before posting, that ANY mention of
celiac in the mainstream press is probably a good thing.  The article is
teased on the cover and does include valuable information, but the tone of
the story and the headline (Glutens for Punishment:  Now that the food police
have cracked down on dairy, they've got a new suspect under surveillance:
Wheat.  But is flour really guilty as charged?) do not really carry through
the far more positive cover line:  FOOD FLASH:  Why flour can make you moody,
bloated, and fat.

Several respondents mentioned that perhaps the author has a point, that there
are lots of food faddists and trend followers who jump on whatever the latest
"hot" condition is (remember hypoglycemia? someone said) and that these people
may influence the responses of restaurant workers not in our favor.

The Allure article takes the position that it is unlikely that most folks who
claim to, truly suffer intolerance, allergy or celiac itself.  Their expert
quote on celiac is from one Sami Bahna, professor and codirector of the
Allergy and Immunology Training Program at the U of South Florida and All
Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg. (Not even a doctor?) He states that it
"is very rare in the United States" and that " Although more people may be
talking about celiac or sprue, rates aren't on the rise."

Since my biopsy diagnosis 6 years ago, I've come to believe that celiac is
more prevalent in the population than our diagnosed numbers indicate. I've
written a couple of articles in the N.Y. Daily News in an attempt to alert
readers that their symptoms might be more than "just" irritable bowel
syndrome.

Many people asked for the e-mail address of the magazine but I feel the
article should be read before anyone responds. I am willing to fax it to
anyone who sends along their fax number. Also, Allure has a website but still
seems to be carrying the January articles.  I urge you either to keep checking
their site, read the article at a tolerant newsstand or send me your fax
number & I'll fax it. Informed response is our best hope for informed
publicity.  Thanx, all,  Judy in nyc