<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

This morning my local newspaper carried a piece by Mary Beth Fuller
from The Arizona Republic on coping with celiac disease.
<http://www.azcentral.com/health/wellness/articles/0517celiac0517.html>
This was the most negative piece I've ever read about living with
celiac disease. The first sentence contains the word "deprivation"
and another contains the words "death sentence."

When we talk with reporters, we are not doing ourselves or our celiac
brothers and sisters any favor by putting forth a scary, ominous,
negative image. We can live with CD successfully -- it's no different
from life. There are ups and downs, there are challenges, there are
obstacles, there are bad days -- but if we have a tiny bit of
optimism, some education, and most of all, a realization of what
healthy eating really is, we can be successful!

When talking with the media, remember the positive things we have
going for us -- most of which have come about in the past 10 or so
years. There is an abundance of information available in books and
magazines, there are manufacturers and restaurateurs willing to help
us, all kinds of information and support are available on-line,
doctors are becoming more aware of CD, the new food labeling laws are
helping us out -- even the Atkins fad has helped us by making
carb-free meals more accessible in restaurants.

At the beginning of every month this list offers information about
more and more g-f prepared foods and mixes, and I've even found some
g-f mixes in mainstream grocery stores. Cookbook authors are
available via the internet to answer our questions when our baked
goods seem to "taste like sawdust," as the article reports. Also,
support groups such as those in the Phoenix area (where the article
came from) are tremendously helpful.

The article failed to mention the many lists of g-f products that are
available to us. An example cited in the article was that "Barley
malt is used for caramel coloring, so anything with that coloring,
such as cola, is banned." A simple look-up in any list would show
that Coke and Pepsi, for example, are g-f.

Today I'm faced with the task of writing another letter to my local
paper in reply to this article. Usually I praise them greatly when
they publish something on celiac, but this article is so discouraging
that I need to respond to it for the sake of all those celiacs in my
area who will read it and get discouraged.

Please, folks, when you are asked to contribute to information in the
media concerning celiac disease, do your best to present a balanced
picture. There are frustrations, certainly, but the resources are
available to enable us to live healthy lives with appropriate,
appealing diets today.

To read an example of a more balanced, instructive article, check out
<http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/05/11/FDGC2CKG861.DTL&type=printable>

Susan Pieper
Las Cruces, NM

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