Doubt Is Cast on Many Reports of Food Allergies
Many who think they have food allergies actually do not.
A new report, commissioned by the federal government, finds the field is rife with poorly done studies, misdiagnoses and tests that can give misleading results.
There simply CANNOT be that many children with (for instance) peanut allergies. If there were, half of my friends would be dead today from all the peanut butter we ingested as children.
Especially those peanut-butter-and-bacon-bits sandwiches we ate in elementary school. (Hmm, maybe the bacon was an aflatoxin-inhibitor…everybody knows bacon can do anything, right?)
H/T.
I think a lot of it is attention-seeking behavior, and much of that on the part of the parents. I have food sensitivities, and my mother raised me that “OMG you can’t eat [blank]! Everyone! Everyone! Notice how she can’t eat [blank]!” And it was always “can’t eat”, rather than “can eat but must be aware of the potential consequences.” I’m just now getting out of that rut, myself.
Also I think some of it is due to all the forced cleanliness kids have to endure these days. When I was a kid, going outside and getting dirty were expected. Today parents think if their kids do that, they’ll contract the bubonic plague, polio, or something equally horrible.
(Except when they’re playing team sports, I notice. But that’s babysitting and doesn’t require any real parenting, so it doesn’t count.)
When I was a baby, my grandmother once made the case that I was fine playing outside; it was, quote, “good clean dirt.” I’m think I’m better for it.