Search the Community

Celiac.com 12/23/2011 - A research team recently sought to figure out the basic level of awareness of celiac disease and gluten sensitivity among the general public and trained and untrained chefs, and to compare dining habits of people with celiac disease and gluten-sensitivity to those of the general public. In face-to-face interviews, and via internet survey, researchers asked people about their knowledge of celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. They also asked people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity about their dining habits, in addition to asking chefs about their levels of training and education. In all, the researchers surveyed 861 persons from the general public. They found that 47% had heard of celiac disease, 67% had heard of gluten sensitivity, and 88% had heard about peanut allergy. They surveyed 790 people with either celiac disease (82%, n=646), or gluten sensitivity (18% n=144). The vast majority of respondents to the study were female, making up 83% of those with celiac disease, and 90% of those with gluten sensitivity. Those with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity were older than the general public respondents, 57% of the patients were over 45 years of age compared with just 32% of the general public respondents (p< 0.0001). The 200 chefs who were surveyed showed a much higher awareness of celiac disease, with 77% of chefs having heard about celiac disease compared to less than half of the general population. Interestingly, many more people in both groups had heard of gluten sensitivity, with 89% for chefs, and 67% for the general population, respectively. Still, the chefs, like the general public, had a tendency to underestimate celiac disease was underestimated by both chefs (56%) and the general public (69%) while peanut allergy was overestimated by 55% of the general public and 60% of chefs. People with celiac disease may not be surprised to learn that a large majority, 63% of the 790 following a gluten-free diet reported avoiding restaurants more, and eating take-out food much less often than the general public. One important finding was that the level of training had a great deal of impact on a chef's knowledge of celiac disease. Overall, trained chefs were much more likely to be familiar with celiac disease compared with untrained chefs (83% vs. 52%) Also, there was a direct connection between the average price of a meal and the likelihood that the chef was familiar with gluten-free concerns. The more expensive the restaurant, the more likely the chef was familiar with celiac disease and gluten-free concerns. Restaurants with an average check below $25 had a 64% rate of awareness, while the rate for restaurants with a check over $65 had a 94% awareness of gluten-free concerns (p<0.0001). In general, the survey team was impressed by what they saw as a fairly high degree of awareness of gluten-related concerns. Interestingly, both trained and untrained chefs were more likely to have heard of gluten sensitivity than of celiac disease. Most people with celiac disease avoid restaurants, and eat out the home far less often than the general public. Still, many do eat out, and they do so by making sure they get their needs met. The simple take away is that chefs are generally pretty aware of gluten-intolerance and celiac disease, and that chefs with better training and higher-end restaurants are more likely to deliver a gluten-free dining experience. As always, communication goes a long way toward ensuring a pleasant and successful restaurant experience for anyone with celiac disease. Knowing your needs, sharing your concerns, and asking your server and/or chef about their gluten-free options and preparation methods can go a long way toward a smooth gluten-free dining experience. Source: http://www.journals.elsevierhealth.com/periodicals/yeclnm/article/PIIS1751499111000527/fulltext

Gut Reaction is a one-hour radio documentary with The Gluten-Free Mall as a major underwriter, produced by Richard Paul for Public Radio with additional funding from the Celiac Sprue Association. Several stations across the USA have already aired it, and some got such a great listener response that they intend to air it again. You can help us spread the word about celiac disease in your community in a very simple way—we urge you to contact the program director of your local Public Radio station to request that they air Gut Reaction in your community. To locate the local director of your Public Radio station please click here: https://sgms.cpb.org/Public/PubPhoneBook.asp and use the info at the bottom of this article to fill in the form, which looks like this: SEARCH CRITERIA: First Name: Can be found in the list at the bottom of this article. Last Name: Can be found in the list at the bottom of this article. City: You can leave it blank if you dont know. State: (2 Character Postal Code): Can be found in the list at the bottom of this article. Entity Name: 4 digit radio call tag - Can be found in the list at the bottom of this article. Entity Type: Radio Station (select this). Once you have the contact information for the director of your Public Radio station, follow this advice from Richard Paul, the shows producer: Its best if you reach the program director directly and not leave a message on the listener-comment line and not send an email to the listener-comment email box. When you contact the program director, tell him or her that you want the station to play the show Gut Reaction. Dont have folks say You have to do this. Just, We want you to know that theres a community here that thinks this is important. It is vitally important to emphasize that Celiac Disease effects 1-in-133 Americans, though only 1-in-4,700 are ever diagnosed. And immediately after saying that, remind them of public radios public service mission. Tell them that it would be an enormous public service to notify the undiagnosed Celiacs in their listening audience. This point should be made strongly. Tell them that there will be a satellite feed of the show on January 7th and that the show is available right now via PRX (the Public Radio Exchange). Tell them that if theyre not a member of PRX, they can get the show at this web site – www.rlpaulproductions.com/interviews Tell them that she show is newscast compatible and that is has breaks at 20 and 40 (they will know what that means and they will consider it important). But EMPHASIZE the public service value of getting the word out to undiagnosed Celiacs. That will be the real drive-it-home point. If they ask how you found out about the show, mention how wired-together we Celiacs are -- how we share information with each other by email and so forth because doctors still know so little about the disease. You might suggest that because there is a large Celiac Community in their area, theres the chance that you could work together with the station on other get-the-word-out projects. Maybe if they have a daily talk show, people could come on and talk about celiac disease. Something like that. Anyway, I hope you can get folks together to get the word out. Thanks, Richard Paul rlpaulproductions, LLC List of Public Radio Program Directors by State (Search for their contact info here: https://sgms.cpb.org/Public/PubPhoneBook.asp). Find your station below: STATE: AL WBHM Michael Krall WJAB Ellen Washington WLRH Cheryl Carlson WLJS Josh Hilton WHIL JoAnn Breland WVAS Erica Fox WTSU Fred Azbell WUAL Roger Duvall STATE: AK KNBA Loren Dixon KSKA Bede Trantina KBRW Isaac Tuckfield KYUK Ron Daugherty KDLG Jeremy Cate KUAC Scott Diseth KZPA Irene Klatt KIYU Tim Bodony KHNS Byrne Power KBBI Sonya Oyler KTOO Jeff Brown KRBD Maria Dudzak KMXT Mike Wall KOTZ Jonathan Green KSKO Dusty Parker KFSK Suzanne Fuqua KCAW Valerie Lapinski KIAL Michael Edenfield KCHU Lisa West STATE: AZ KNAU KJZZ Scott Williams KUAT Lyle Kesterson KXCI Roger Greer KNNB Sylvia Browning KAWC Mark Reynolds STATE: AR KUAF Kyle Kellams KASU Marty Scarborough KUAR Ron Breeding STATE: CA KCHO Joe Oleksiewicz KVPR James Meyers KMUD Michael Jacinto KKJZ Sean Heitkemper KPFK Armando Gudino KUSC Eric Deweese KVMR Steve Baker KCSN Martin Perlich KAZU John McNally KPCC Craig Curtis KZYX Mary Aigner KXPR Carl Watanabe KVCR Steve Ward KPBS John Decker KALW Nicole Sawaya KQED Jo Anne Wallace KCBX Guy Rathbun KUSP Bonnie Jean Primbsch KCRW Ruth Seymour KBBF Francisco Carbajal KRCB Robin Pressman STATE: CO KRZA Deb Nichols KAJX Brent Gardner-Smith KGNU KDNK Luke KRCC Mario Valdes KBUT Shawna Claiborne KUVO Carlos Lando KUNC Kirk Mowers KSUT Steven Rauworth KVNF Jeff Reynolds KOTO Steve Kennedy STATE: CT WSHU Tom Kuser WNPR STATE: DC WAMU Mark McDonald WETA Ingrid Lakey STATE: FL WQCS Jim Holmes WGCU Haley Mitchell WUFT William Beckett WJCT Rick Johnson WFIT Todd Kennedy WDNA Michael Valentine WLRN Theodore Eldredge WMFE Mike Crane WUCF Kayonne Riley WKGC Wallace Crawford WUWF Joe Vicenza WFSU Caroline Austin WMNF Randy Wynne WUSF Robert Peterson WXEL Joanna Marie STATE: GA WUGA Robb Holmes WABE Lois Reitzes WCLK Bill Clark WRFG Evon Dooley WSVH Eric Nauert Stjohn Flynn network PD STATE: HI KHPR STATE: ID KBSU Jim East KRFA Mary Hawkins STATE: IL WSIU Jeff Williams WEFT Mick Woolf WBEZ Ron Jones WNIU Bill Drake WSIE Tom Dehner WIUM WCBU Nathan Irwin WQUB Mick Freeman WVIK Lowell Dorman WUIS Sinta Seiber-Lane WILL Jay Pearce STATE: IN WFIU Christina Kuzmych WVPE Lee Burdorf WNIN Daniel Moore WBNI Bruce Haines WFYI Richard Miles WBST Steven Turpin WVUB Michael Woods STATE: IA WOI Dave Becker KUNI Wayne Jarvis KCCK Bob Stewart KIWR Sophia John KSUI Joan Kirkman KWIT Gretchen Gondek KBBG Beverly Douglas STATE: KS KHCC Ken Baker KANU Darrell Brogdon KKSU Larry Jackson KRPS Tim Metcalf KMUW Mark McCain STATE: KY WKYU Peter Bryant WNKU Grady Kirkpatrick WUKY Stacy Yelton WFPK Stacy Owen WFPL Terry Rensel WMKY Charles Compton WKMS Mark Welch WEKU John Gregory WMMT Cheryl Marshall STATE: LA WBRH Larry Davis WRKF Shirley Sands KSLU Todd Delaney KRVS James Hebert KEDM Mark Simmons WWNO Fred Kasten WWOZ Dwayne Breashears KDAQ Adam Giblin STATE: ME WERU Joe Mann WMPG Jim WMEA Charles Beck STATE: MD WBJC Jonathan Palevsky WYPR Andy Bienstock WSCL Pamela Andrews STATE: MA WFCR Bob Paquette WBUR Peter Lydotes WGBH Steve Charbonneau WUMB Brian Quinn WCAI STATE: MI WGVU Rick Bierling WUOM Jon Hoban WDET Judy Adams WKAR Curt Gilleo WMUK Klayton Woodworth WNMU Nicole Walton WBLV Steve Albert WEMU Clark Smith STATE: MN KSJR Chris McNamara KUMD John Ziegler KAXE Mark Tarner KFAI Dan Richmond KUOM Mark LaCroix WCAL Michael Rathke MPR Eric Nycklemoe STATE: MS WUSM Elliott Crawford WMPN Bob Holland STATE: MO KRCU Jason Brown KBIA John Bailey KOPN David Owens KJLU Dan Turner KCUR Bill Anderson KKFI John Jessup KXCV Patty Holley KUMR John Francis KSMU Mike Smith KDHX Beverly Hacker KWMU Mike Schrand KCMW Jon Hart STATE: MT KEMC Marvin Granger KUFM Michael Marsolek STATE: NE KUCV Nancy Finken KZUM Craig Lowe KIOS Robert Coate KVNO Mike Hagstrom STATE: NV KNPR Flo Rogers KUNR Bobbie Lazzarone STATE: NH WEVO Michael Arnold STATE: NJ WBJB Rick Robinson WBGO Thurston Briscoe STATE: NM KANW Judy Valdez KUNM Marcos Martinez KCIE Romaine Wood KRWG Colin Gromatzky KABR Ruby Herrera KENW Shannon Hearn KTDB Bernie Bustos KSHI Duane Chimoni STATE: NY WAMC David Galletly WSKG Kate Cook WFUV Chuck Singleton WBFO David Benders WNED Al Wallack Peter Goldsmith WSLU Jacqueline Sauter WEOS Liz Kenney WJFF Christine Ahern WBAI Bernard White WNYC Michael Ellcessor WRVO John Hurlbutt WXXI Peter Iglinski WMHT Marianne Potter WAER Ron Ockert WCNY Don Dolloff STATE: NC WCQS Barbara Sayer WUNC George Boosey WFAE Paul Stribling WDAV Frank Dominguez WNCU B.H. Hudson WFSS Janet Wright WSHA Rashad Muhaimin WZRU Brian Lewis WNCW Kim Clark WHQR Susan Dankel WFDD Jay Banks STATE: ND KEYA Jarle Kvale KCND Bill Thomas KMHA Clarence Sun STATE: OH WOUB Rusty Smith Bryan Gibson WGUC Robin Gehl WVXU George Zahn WCPN David Kanzeg WCBE Mike Randolph Dan Mushalko WOSU Susan Lyons-Johnson WKSU Vincent Duffy WMUB John Hingsbergen WGTE Barbara Heslope WCSU Dr. John Logan WYSO Tim Tattan WYSU David Luscher STATE: OK KCCU Mike Leal KGOU Jim John KOSU Ted Riley STATE: OR KSJK Eric Teel KMUN Elizabeth Grant KOAC Lynn Clendenin Michele - asst. KLCC Don Hein KRVM Raymond Scully KMHD Greg Gomez KBOO Chris Merrick KBPS Donna Ross KOPB Lynn Clendenin STATE: PA WDIY Neil Hever WQLN Tom Tysz WITF Craig Cohen WLCH Maria Delvalle WHYY Christine Dempsey WRTI Jack Moore WXPN Bruce Warren WQED Ted Sohier WYEP Rosemary Welsch WPSU Kristine Allen STATE: SC WLTR John Gasque WSSB Jimmy White STATE: SD KILI KUSD Matt Weesner STATE: TN WUTC Mark Colbert WETS Dan Hirschi WUOT Daniel Berry WKNO Dan Campbell WYPL Chris Carwile WMOT Greg Lee Hunt WPLN Henry Fennell STATE: TX KUT Hawk Mendenhall KVLU Byron Balentine KAMU Rod Zent KETR Vicki Holloway KEDT Stewart Jacoby KERA Abby Goldstein KTEP Dennis Woo KMBH Chris Maley KTSU Aaron Cohen KUHF Robert Stevenson KTPB Manny Almanza KNCT Dan Hull KOHM Clinton Barrick KOCV Daphne Dowdy KPVU Charles Porter KPAC Nathan Cone STATE: UT KUSU Lee Austin KZMU Christine Williams KPCW Jan Govednik KBYU Walter Rudolph KRCL Ryan Tronier STATE: VT WVPR Jody Evans STATE: VA WTJU Charles Taylor WMRA Matt Bingay WHRV Dwight Davis WCVE Wayne Farrar STATE: WA KBCS Kristen Walsh KWSU Mary Hawkins KUOW Jeff Hansen KPBX Verne Windham KPLU Joey Cohn STATE: WV WVPN James Muhammad WVMR Shaun Harvey STATE: WI WLSU Eugene Purcell WPR Joy Cardin WUWM Bruce Winter WOJB Nicki Kellar WXPR Walter Gander STATE: WY KUWR Roger Adams PD/station manager

Celiac.com 07/31/2006 - The National Institutes of Health (NIH) today announced the launch of a campaign to heighten awareness of celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that interferes with the absorption of nutrients from food. The campaign stems from consensus recommendations of an independent panel of experts convened by the NIH to assess current diagnosis, treatment, and management of the disease. “We now know that celiac disease is more prevalent that previously thought — affecting nearly 1 percent of the U.S. population — and remains under-diagnosed,” said Griffin P. Rodgers, M.D., acting director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), the NIH institute leading the effort. “Through the campaign, we hope to increase physician awareness of the disease, resulting in earlier diagnosis and better outcomes for celiac patients.” Developed by the NIDDK, with coordination among the professional and voluntary organizations working on celiac disease, the campaign offers materials and resources for health professionals and the public about the symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and management of celiac disease. The campaign offers fact sheets, booklets, practice tools for health professionals, NIH research information, and resources from professional and voluntary organizations that focus on celiac disease. Celiac disease is an autoimmune response to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. Symptoms of celiac disease range from gas, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, to delayed growth, certain skin rashes, infertility, and osteoporosis. Treatment for celiac disease is adherence to a gluten-free diet. “One of the challenges with celiac disease is the vast array of symptoms associated with the disease,” said Stephen P. James, M.D., director of the Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition (DDN) at the NIDDK. “We are hoping to educate health professionals and the public that celiac disease is not only a gastrointestinal disease.” The NIDDK, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), conducts and supports research on diabetes; endocrine and metabolic diseases; digestive diseases, nutrition, and obesity; and kidney, urologic and hematologic diseases. Spanning the full spectrum of medicine and afflicting people of all ages and ethnic groups, these diseases encompass some of the most common, severe, and disabling conditions affecting Americans. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nations Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. CONTACT: Melissa McGowan 301-496-3583

Celiac.com 03/30/2005 - The original one-stop shop on the Internet for wheat and gluten-free foods has underwritten a new Public Radio program on celiac disease called Gut Reaction. The one-hour program was produced by Richard L. Paul of rlpaulproductions, LLC, many Public Radio stations across the USA have already aired it, including WAMU in Washington, DC, WILL-FM in Champaign/Urbana, IL, WBE in Chicago, IL, WCPN-FM in Cleveland, OH, seventeen stations on the Minnesota Public Radio Network, and it is scheduled to air on many more stations in the future--including next weekend on WFUV in New York City. Several stations who aired it got such an overwhelmingly positive listener response that they have decided to air it multiple times. The touching documentary details the difficult real-life stories of several individuals who, after suffering for many years with severe, unexplained health problems, were finally diagnosed with celiac disease. Unfortunately their stories are not unique, and resemble many of those who have been affected by the disease. According to Scott Adams, Founder of The Gluten-Free Mall&REG; and Celiac.com: We underwrote Gut Reaction with the aim of getting the word out about celiac disease to millions of people across the USA, including to those who are unaware that they have it--a full 1-in-133 Americans have celiac disease, but only 1-in-4,700 are ever diagnosed--which is not an acceptable ratio. Hopefully this program will have a positive impact on those who hear it, and will ultimately lead to the diagnosis and treatment of many people. It is also our hope that the program will lead to a better understanding of the disease among those who dont have it, so that it will be easier for those with it to maintain its only acceptable medical treatment--a 100% gluten-free diet for life. Mr. Adams emphasizes that: We believe that Public Radio is the perfect vehicle to deliver this important message about celiac disease to people across the USA, because its function is public service and education via quality, educational programming--and Gut Reaction is just that. He continues: You can help us to get Gut Reaction aired in your community by going to Celiac.com and following the steps listed there to contact the programming director at your local Public Radio station. He explained that Public Radio programming is decided on a station by station basis, and each stations program director decides which shows get aired on their station--so each person who contacts them can have a huge influence on which programs get chosen. About The Gluten-Free Mall&REG;, Your Special Diet Superstore&REG;: Since 1998 The Gluten-Free Mall&REG; has provided online shopping for wheat and gluten-free foods for those on special diets due to celiac disease, wheat allergy or other health reasons, via their Internet site: www.glutenfreemall.com.