Millions of people in the United Kingdom have self-diagnosed a food intolerance and may be avoiding key foods as a result, a poll by a testing firm suggests. Less than a quarter of the 12 million people who claim to be food intolerant have had their condition formally diagnosed. Nearly 40% of the 1,500 people polled by Yorktest thought it trendy to be intolerant and many blamed celebrities. Actress Rachel Weisz for instance has a well-publicized wheat intolerance, TV presenter Carol Vorderman a gluten one, and Rod Stewart's former wife, Rachel Hunter, a lactose intolerance. The range of foods people declared themselves intolerant of was diverse, but grapefruit and sushi were declared by those polled to be key culprits. Food intolerances are not as severe as food allergies, which in severe cases can prevent people from breathing properly. But symptoms can nonetheless be uncomfortable, ranging from a stuffy nose to aching joints and nausea.
Courtesy of BBC News
Bonnie - I have a hard time blaming celebrities for people avoiding foods. I applaud them for putting the issue in the public eye. "Joe Public" is more aware of food intolerances than most physicians anyway and are laughed at if they bring it up.
However, I agree that one should never self-diagnose food intolerance. An expert like myself or other health professional with food intolerance expertise and testing capabilities should be involved.
No comments:
Post a Comment