In my opinion, more outrage about nothing. If people want a lifestyle-based gluten free diet, let them go ahead, and wear a t-shirt to match.
http://www.delish.com/food-news/a46449/zara-offends-celiac-community-with-gluten-free-t-shirt/
Well, for people who actually have celiac disease one plus of the current gluten-free mania is that there are a lot more products available now.
I’m waiting for the low carb baked goods craze to hit.
My d has celiac and she would shrug her shoulders at the t shirt. What does she care that some people eat gluten free out of choice, not necessity like she does? I don’t get all the backlash against gluten free.
Agree, PG. My mom has it and the increased availability of products, and menu choices, has made it easier for her. She’d probably wear the T-shirt.
DH and son are celiac, and have been since the dark ages of no labels and calling 800 numbers. Personally, the shirt would not bother them. Good grief, have some humor. And absolutely, it’s a million times easier now (thank you King Arthur Flour!!!) and that’s because of the popularity. But, since some of you are asking “what’s the harm in being optionally gf”, here’s our experiences, fwiw…
Restaurants publicize gluten-free options that aren’t truly gluten-free, they are just gluten-light, or no gluten-ingredients but prepared in a way that introduces gluten. Dominos pizza (most gf pizzerias) for example. Red Robin. Applebees. Panera. And people who are optionally GF are smiling, saying “great!” and eating them. My guys, however, would be throwing up in the restaurant and sick for days. Or, in an attempt to get on the bandwagon, our salads are prepped as all others, and the croutons are picked off before serving us. The restaurant blames us for this. We should be “more careful”. We should “eat someplace else”. And twice after inquiring about ingredients, a manager came out to ask us to leave, since we were a “litigation risk”.
Companies that once provided honestly gluten-free items now have so much competition they have discontinued items. This means that “gluten free Cheerios” (which are rife with contaminants and only suitable for optionally GF) are being offered to preschoolers and elementary students as gluten free snacks, instead of specialty grocers’ items that are reliably gf for celiacs.
People who are having gatherings, events, etc. are miseducated by the optionally gf. People with good intentions are spending big bucks on “gf” food that isn’t suitable for celiacs (my inlaws do this all the time) “But I served this to — and she said it was fine” or “the caterer assured me this has no gluten ingredients and nobody else minded”. So for all these scenarios, resentment builds against those celiacs who are now perceived as “difficult” and “picky”
I don’t blame those who are reacting to gluten or are trying to alleviate symptoms. I do blame those who think this is some fun dietary fad that is making them healthier – usually, upon inquiry, we find out they are leaving out the hard parts of gluten-free diets, or only gluten-free until donut day at work. DH had a dietary gf person at work THROW OUT gf donuts that were brought to accomodate him and others on a gf diet because “these taste like crap”. A truly gf diet is a lot of work, and not necessarily nutritionally better for you. So yeah, there’s some irritation with people who think it’s fun.
I don’t have a good answer, and we’re not raging angry at the world. But it’s (to a much lesser degree, obviously) like hanging out with people who are wheelchair-bound because you think it’s cool, faster, keeps you off your feet. But you take the stairs when you are in a hurry. Yet, you want to bond and be part of the wheelchair people. (Not my best metaphor, to be sure)
I see nothing wrong with the t-shirt.
I’ve had more than one person tell me my schizophrenic son could get well by going gluten free. I’m sick of the craze.
I can see this shirt generating an eye roll, I guess, but “outrage”? We’ve become the land of the perpetually offended.
wife has celiac, and she was not offended. She said anything that gets manufacturers to make more gluten-free products is a good thing.
Companies use social media strategically to put themselves in the media spotlight. Was the “outrage” orchestrated to generate more buzz for Zara? 'Cause it is not a widely-known store in the US…
I would think that the true celiac “community” (why does everything have to be a “community” these days?) would find that t-shirt rather hilarious.
I sincerely doubt that the “celiac community” is actually offended. People sign change.org petitions all the time without actually paying attention to what they say.
I don’t think we’re any more easily offended than we were in times past, we just have an easier outlet to publicly express grievances and find like minded individuals.
So if a T-shirt brings attention to a medical problem where is the outrage over pink ribbon shirts?
Not that I think it would sell that much or be considered chic to wear it but what do I know? Or care?
A tempest in a tea cup. Some people really have cushy lives if an innocuous T shirt causes them alarm and outrage…
side note, I LOVE shopping at Zara!!! We did serious damage at the Zara in Paris, lol, The one in Vegas is nice as well.
I am not sure why they are upset, people with Celiac’s disease cannot eat gluten, but why would it be the latest health fad bother them? It doesn’t trivialize their illness, and in some ways may make it easier for them to find gluten free products (for example, a lot of products that are naturally gluten free say so, and new products are coming on line), and that is happening because of the diet fad shrug. Be kind of like a t shirt asking “are you sugar free?” and diabetics complaining about that, to me makes no sense.
My D has celiac but is not part of a “celiac community.” Gag.
The world’s largest clothing retailer hardly needs this kind of publicity to sell more goods.
@greenbutton --I do understand your concerns. My Mom thought she could go back to her beloved Cheerios (she developed celiac very late in life), but quickly learned they were not truly gluten-free after reacting badly. So she’s back to the dedicated brands.
And yeah, she does have to be extra careful in restaurants. I don’t think she reacts to something touching her food, like plucked off croutons,so hers might not be as extreme as your family’s. But she does ask carefully to make sure there’s no hidden ingredients.
My D works part time as a barista at a health club and was recently asked “Is your water gluten free?” 