Gluten in Pop Culture

Not long after I was diagnosed with celiac disease, I stumbled across an interview with Emmy Rossum (best known for playing Christine in The Phantom of the Opera) in a fashion magazine. I distinctly remember during the interview Emmy ate only the insides of her sandwich. The interviewer questioned her about her strange eating habits and Emmy replied she had celiac disease and was unable to eat wheat. As a brand-new celiac I was thrilled to discover another celiac, especially a famous one (Although I probably wouldn't recommend her dining strategies). I wasn't alone (and as the only diagnosed celiac in a large family I often do feel alone), there were others like me out there! There's no underestimating the importance of role models, I applaud Emmy's work with YouthAIDS and hope in the future she'll devote some of her volunteer time to celiac awareness.

I think most celiacs recognize the need for increased awareness of celiac disease and gluten-free diets (I was on a plane once and the man sitting in front of me assured me that the gluten-free meal and the low-sugar, diabetic meal were one and the same- um, no). Gluten-free bread got a shout-out Tuesday night on an episode of 90210 I found decidedly unimpressive and vaguely insulting. First, gluten was defined as a carbohydrate (you all know it's a protein, right?) and secondly, I felt my life-long adherence to a gluten-free diet was trivialized by the characters' flippant remarks. Finally, the rest of the show dealt with the very real issue of young people suffering from manic depression, an issue that deserves attention. But why drop the ball with gluten and celiac disease? I left feedback and would encourage others to do the same.

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