celiac disease Is Big Time News!

[Canadian Karen]

What's POA?

Karen

[VydorScope]

What's POA?

Karen

Power Of Atonery

Means you can sign legal docs and etc as if you were that person.

[Carriefaith]

People seem to depend on fast food way too much. What happened to cooking at home?

[DianeByrd]

I so agree with all the posts that this lawsuit is very bad for the celiac community. It's hard enough to get a company (restaurant or food manufacturer) to say that a product is safe to eat. Even companies that sell specialty gluten-free foods and ingredients have warning labels! How can we ever be certain if what we've eaten is gluten-free if our symptoms are subtle? I wouldn't mind not eating out, except it is very convenient being on the go with kids, and it is a yummy change of pace.

Diane (gluten-free since January 26th)

[plantime]

Bah, do not get me started on my ppl need to take personal responibilty speach, I'd prbly get ban'd!

I would probably get banned for joining you, Vincent. It is my pet peeve, the one I am most vocal about: People have to take responsibility for themselves and their children! That includes, but is not limited to, what you feed them when you know they have food problems!

[ms-sillyak-screwed]

WHAT A BUNCH OF CLOSED MINDED PEOPLE!!!!

I posted this because I feel thrilled celiac disease is in the news. And everyone is bashing this family -- REMEMBER what it was like when all of us here didn't have a clue of what we were dealing with. Why food was making us sick. Or what to do to stay alive.

You should all welcome this family with open arms and lend support. NOT BASH THEM.

My point was -- celiac disease will be front page new. It will be headlines... Think about it the food giant McDonalds. People will ask ---what is it called? How do you say it? What does it cause? Or they will learn they have the disease too. If for nothing else it will bring awareness to our country. And then all these big food companies will have to give us real food not laced with all the unseen food additives that are poising babies and others like us. Say what you will -- but think before you bash other people.

And if McDonald says the food is GLUTEN FREE. It should be! We should hold their feet to the fire to be sure it is.

Yes, it's your choice to eat it or not. BUT -- When these companies say it's GLUTEN FREE when in fact we will find it is a BIG LIE we need to make then tell the truth.

Maybe those bashing here -- are angry about other things. Think twice about someone else, that what's wrong with this country. People don't consider others, and only themselves. So think hard again about what your posting. I'm sure you'll send me hate mail -- Whatever -- but it show the type of person you really are.

POA -- Power of Attorney

[Rachel--24]

I dont think I'm a hateful person at all and I always think about what I'm posting before I post it. I suffered from this just like alot of other people...I got pushed around by the doctors just like alot of other people. My thoughts are not about hate but they are about the bottom line. The bottom line is Celiacs are in the minority. The fact that Celiac is in the news because of a class action lawsuit is not a good thing for us in terms of eating out and getting more businesses to recognize Celiac and offer gluten-free menus. Noones gonna wanna touch this if they fear being sued. From this point on it will be considered a risk to label something as gluten-free. I personally, dont believe McDonalds was trying to deceive Celiacs when they said the fries were safe.

JMO

[penguin]

My problem is that the lawsuits that are going on are poor lawsuits. They don't make anyone look good, least of all the Celiac community. If they were intelligent lawsuits, maybe.

It's very nice of Mc Donald's to post a gluten-free menu, and while I am miffed at them for the fry fiasco, it all comes down to personal responsibility. If you fed your kid fries repeatedly and they always made the kid sick, why would you keep doing it? It's a fishy sounding case.

I don't consider myself to be hateful, but I do think that people take advantage of situations for selfish and personal gains.

I do want us to get good publicity, a money hungry militant image is not beneficial.

[VydorScope]

There will only be one real loser in this, thanks to these lawsuits, US the ppl that have celiac disease. In then end WE ALL LOOSE. Stop and think beyond this case to what it will bring. You do not win companies over to our cuase by attacking them, no more then you win friends that way.

[mouse]

I agree with Rachel, ChelsE and VydorScope. I ate out last night and met a friend for lunch today. I had to speak to both magrs. about ingreds. or something. I made sure to thank them for the gluten-free foods that they served and PLEASE do not stop it, because of the stupid McD's lawsuits. I said that we as Celiacs understand that CC could happen in their restaurants and we take that risk upon ourselves whenever we eat out. But that we Celiacs thank them for offering us choices and appreciate it. I am wondering if we should not send new emails to McD's, hoping that in some way we can stop the trickle down affect. If it becomes noticeable that a giant like McD's has permantly deleted the gluten free foods, then other chains might follow suit. If they dicide to keep that list after the testing, it would possibly be of help to us. Just a thought and please don't flame me for it as it has been a bad day.

[penguin]

Heck, for all we know, this whole fiasco could be an acid test, and McDonald's is seeing what would happen if there was an ingredient change or somesuch.

A little conspiracy theorist, but you never know

But I'll bet ten bucks that's what the rest of the restaurant industry is taking it as, an acid test.

[Carriefaith]

I also wasn't being hateful towards the people. I was just confused as to why they would allow their child to eat the fries if they made her sick. I would never sue in a situation like that. I mean many of us were probably eating MacDonalds fries before we got diagnosed. Obviously the fries alone didn't cause all those problems, unless the child had a diet of pure fries. How are they going to prove that the fries caused all those problems?

Eating out is a hudge risk and like I said before, too many people rely on fast food. Cooking at home is the best way to avoid getting sick. Sure eating out is convenient and all, but it can be risky.

[Guest nini]

I'm in the middle here because as a parent that did continue to let my child eat McD's fries even though they made us sick, IT WAS BECAUSE I REFUSED TO BELIEVE IT WAS THE FRIES MAKING US SICK because McDonald's is such a large company, and they took the time to put together a gluten free menu, I thought (stupidly, yes) that it could be trusted. I kept wanting to believe that our reactions were from something else I had done during the day, that it was my fault or that it was simply a cross contamination issue at McD's that day. I didn't want to believe it was the fries because THEY SAID THEY WERE GLUTEN FREE and I trusted them.

But, I also don't want to scare companies away from providing us with safe gluten free options. I don't want them to add wheat to food just so they don't have to deal with the threat of being sued.

Sure the thought crossed my mind of suing them in the beginning, BUT, I do not want any money out of this, just safe menu options for me and my child... that's all.

[mouse]

No matter how safe the menu options are - we also have a threat of cross contamination. I personally choose to take that chance. But, I try hard to be selective on where I dine so that I minimize my risks. I also speak out when dining. I do not want to be a prisoner and never know the joys of dining out with friends. Nothing better then a meal I don't have to make . I just emailed the five chain restaurants that provide me with gluten-free choices to thank them. I don't know what I would do if we could not meet friends for dinner. I am still too tired to entertain. Even tho, I entertain menu's I would like to serve friends here in my home.

[ianm]

The only thing McD's is guilty of is poor communication. They were trying to comply with the new food labeling laws and went about it all wrong. I don't think Ronald McDonald intentionally tried to hide the contents of his so-called food. Because of the new labeling laws they found that there were ingredients that no longer comply with the new laws. This is only going to make things worse for us.

[tarnalberry]

You should all welcome this family with open arms and lend support. NOT BASH THEM.

It would be hypocritical of me to support this family's action if I don't believe in it, and I don't. It would be closed minded of me to support them merely because they are celiac, without thinking about the ramifications of their actions. We should NOT support things we do not believe in.

[ianm]

REMEMBER what it was like when all of us here didn't have a clue of what we were dealing with. Why food was making us sick. Or what to do to stay alive.

We remember all to clearly those days and that is why we don't support any lawsuits. This lawsuit is going to send us back to those days.

[Guest BERNESES]

My problem is that the lawsuits that are going on are poor lawsuits. They don't make anyone look good, least of all the Celiac community. If they were intelligent lawsuits, maybe...I do want us to get good publicity, a money hungry militant image is not beneficial.

That's how I feel. I think it is reasonable to sue a company (I'm not talking specifically about McDonald's here) if they had an allergen in their products and did not disclose it or said that it was allergen-free. What I don't think is reasonable is he reason they are suing which is claiming that the fries caused their child's health problems.

It will bring more public knowledge about gluten (several of my students asked me about it tonight) but I worry about the price. JMHO.

[celiac3270]

--deleted--

[Rusla]

I don't believe anyone is being hateful on here. The point is we are seeing where this will take the disease and it will make it more difficult for all of us. I find it tacky that they think we are not good enough to talk to other than when they want support to sue someone. These people were aware of the disease with their daughter but continued to feed them to her. If I eat something that makes me ill, I have enough brains not to do it again. I am not into suffering and I don't have to punish myself time after time to prove to myself that it does make me sick.

I am not a masochist and when I do something stupid, I don't feel anyone but myself should pay for it but I don't continuously repeat the action either. Therefore I would not also subject another person to something that would make them sick.

We are not bashing these people, we are stating our reasons on why we do not support these law suits and why it looks terribly greedy. I am not in agreement with any of the lawsuits and especially the one that says the fries gave her Celiac. That is a buncho of crapola.

[Rachel--24]

Think twice about someone else, that what's wrong with this country. People don't consider others, and only themselves. So think hard again about what your posting.

If you read these posts with an open mind I'm sure you can see that we are ALL concerned about others. We are concerned for everyone who is Celiac, or anyone who needs to be on a gluten free diet, we are concerned for those who will someday need to be on this diet, we are concerned for this family's little girl who will grow up and want more choices. Who are these people initiating lawsuits thinking about? Certainly not us. They are not concerned about the consequences of their actions. They see $$$.

[lovegrov]

I'm sorry if you think I was being hateful, but there is absolutely no way these people can know this quickly (and probably not at all) that the McD fries caused anything -- and certainly not seizures or ulcers. I'm sorry if their daughter has been sick, but I stick by what I said before -- if you or your child is that ill, the last place you should be eating is a place like McD. It's just common sense.

richard

[Rusla]

I'm sorry if you think I was being hateful, but there is absolutely no way these people can know this quickly (and probably not at all) that the McD fries caused anything -- and certainly not seizures or ulcers. I'm sorry if their daughter has been sick, but I stick by what I said before -- if you or your child is that ill, the last place you should be eating is a place like McD. It's just common sense.

richard

I so agree with you Richard. McD's is NOT food, not really or in my books. Since the onslaught of fast foods families rarely sit down to eat together. Fast foods are fast but not especially food. It is bad for your health, deep fried and causing heart attacks and gall bladder problems. Add a whole bundle of calories and tv and you have a very unhealthy life style.

You never realize how unhealthy until you have to change. I never did fast foods very much and not a lot of tv as there is nothing to watch. However, I know I had a lot more of an unhealthy diet than now. Eating greasy fried food is not good for anyone, never mind someone who is sick.

[tiredofdoctors]

I figure it this way -- all the stupid McDonald's french fries I ate, not knowing they contained gluten, were working to destroy my brain, my eyes and my peripheral nerves. I'm not going to sue them. If anybody had a good case, it would be me, I believe. I can provide documented evidence of continued progression of the condition, despite being on what I THOUGHT was a strict gluten-free diet. I can show MRI images with continued cerebellar degredation. And still, I don't think that trying to gain cash from McD's is a good idea. I don't think that it would serve any good purpose to file a lawsuit against a company who is NOT mandated to disclose the ingredients of their food. All it will do is serve as a warning to OTHER restaurants (Not that McD's is a restaurant -- I'm using the term loosely) NOT to serve the gluten-free community. McDonald's screwed up. Yes, they certainly did, and big-time. They had a really LOSER PR firm. Yep. That, too. But, the long-term repercussions of lawsuits of this type are, I believe, very detrimental to the gluten-free community.

I am not bashing the people who are suing McDonalds. I am sure that they feel entitled to whatever damages they are seeking from McDonalds. I just feel that they are also possibly shooting themselves in the foot when it comes to long-term dining issues and feeling "food safe" in places in which they are eating. I also question whether those types of issues are of importance to them.

If these particular litigants are simply trying to gain a dollar or two from McDonalds by capitalizing on their mistake, or if they are using their child to gain the same, then I have little regard for their ideals or morals. Some things, although tempting, are simply wrong.

[plantime]

If the parents are trying to use their child to get money out of McDonald's, I have some sad news for the parents! The courts will tie up any money the kids get in trust funds until the kids are 18, and the parents won't get any of it. If any of it is to be used for medical bills, the court trustee will decide how much, and pay it directly to the hospital or doctor. The saddest news of all is that their lawyers will get half of whatever the settlement is. Either way, the rest of us will lose.