I’m sure some people with no particular problems with gluten compulsively avoid it. But there’s really no way to tell if someone is being irrational, a hypochondriac, or genuinely suffering from a condition. People who have medical reasons to avoid gluten have to endure eye-rolling and condescension from people who are fed up with what they perceive as hype and overreaction to good old wheat products that never harmed nobody. There just might be some truth to claims that industrial farmed strains of wheat are not so beneficial to health in general, and that most people would benefit from cutting back. I don’t know. I continue to wolf down pizza, bread, and all varieties of food with great relish. I do know that the backlash from people who think the whole thing is just silly can be way over the top, and insulting to someone with this problem.
I don’t know why it should be such a big deal for people who can easily ignore this phenomenon and carry on with their lives. I think runners are ridiculous and wear hideous clothes, but a lot of people seem to think running is the best thing ever, and something you really, really must do. But I really don’t care that runners are ubiquitous and there are shops all over selling the silly outfits and overpriced shoes. To each her own.
