There's a growing epidemic of food allergies among children . . . . .

[Bulldogcakes]

. . . .which is utterly bogus (http://www.wnyc.org/shows/lopate/episodes/2008/01/02)

Everyone’s Gone Nuts About Food Allergies

The risk of food-related allergies has been greatly overblown, according to journalist Meredith Broussard (who’s had food allergies herself). Her article in the January issue of Harper’s magazine (http://www.harpers.org/archive/2008/01/0081878/) is "Everyone’s Gone Nuts."
Edit-Sorry, that Harpers link requires a subscription. I'll try to dig up another one

Another piece of bad data-turned media hyped scare-turned urban myth. Preying on well intentioned parents who want to protect their children. Only trouble is, serious cases are extremely rare and the piece of data usually cited (150 deaths annually) is from a seriously flawed study which was both inaccurate and over extrapolated. Centers for Disease Control put the figure at 12 deaths. You are 4 times more likely to be struck by lightning than you or your child ever dying from a food related allergy. Typical cases are easily treated with over the counter medicines.

Ever hear the "Kiss of Death" story? A boy ate peanut butter and then kissed his girlfriend who later died? The media ran with it, it became something repeated by every other parent you'd meet. Its an urban myth. The girl died from a severe athsma attack, not a peanut allergy.

Of course, food allergies do exist, but only in very rare cases are they anything to be very concerned about. Most kids outgrow them as they become adults.

[scottinnj]

I was always sure of that. Nobody I ever knew growing up was allergic to peanuts or some other thing that closes their esophagus. I'm not saying there were never anyone who had a life-threatening allergy, but the numbers that have been reported lately I just felt were complete bullshit.

[Bulldogcakes]

I got into an argument with someone on this board about this a few months back(Mikeyboy or Furtherman?) who was convinced that this is an epidemic and they got mad at me for not taking it seriously. It sounded like an urban myth to me, but now I found a well researched story to support that. Allergies in general have always been a blurry area of medicine, where tests often come up empty and nervousness can cause allergic reactions as often as anything else. Its a hypochondriacs specialty, and an endless opportunity for snake oil salemen.

It also goes to show how far off our own personal perceptions of these things can be. Its not a knock, we all do this from time to time. But thats why we have scientific studies in the first place. And when it comes to parents wanting to protect their children, you understand their intentions are good. But that has nothing to do with whether or not the claim has any merit.

[sailor]

without doing a ton of research, i found the mayo clinic (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/peanut-allergy/DS00710/DSECTION=4) says only 20-25% of kids will outgrow a peanut allergy.

[cupcakelove]

I'm 25. Growing up, I knew one kid that had a peanut allergy, and that was it. Everything else I've heard about it has come from Ron. Its nuts that its become a big problem.

[A.J.]

I wish I could have used the food allergy excuse as a kid to avoid having to eat half the crap I was forced to eat.

[Furtherman]

I got into an argument with someone on this board about this a few months back(Mikeyboy or Furtherman?) who was convinced that this is an epidemic and they got mad at me for not taking it seriously.

I think you are talking about this thread: Banning cupcakes??? (http://www.ronfez.net/forums/showthread.php?t=63370&highlight=peanut&page=2)

It seems that Mikeyboy and Tall James disagreed with you, although I wouldn't say they were angry.

I, however, was angry with Mikeyboy when he got peanut butter in my chocolate.

[Mike Teacher]

[Awarding Bulldogcakes with 4,000 coolness points in my book.]

It's a weird book. Nevermind. Anyway...

Yes !!! R+F were talking about kids dropping dead coz they saw a peanut and I either couldnt get through or the topic moved on, but a while back I was researching the 'why the explosion in multiple chemical allergies/sensitivities?' and found that the answer was, as BDCakes said, there is no explosion.

What is bad is if you are allergic [i think this is the peanut allergy] and are exposed, It's really bad times. But it's so very rare, and there's not much data suggesting it's on the rise at all.

=

Its a hypochondriacs specialty

=

There have been instances when people have complained that a certain subtsance, odor, perfume, was crippling them. They would break out in hives, have histamine responses that were life threatening, full blown panic, and none of this was fake.

Out of frustration, when every treatment known failed, someone had the idea of injecting the patient with a tiny bit of the substance they were having the reaction to [without telling them what it was]. The patient had no reaction whatsoever. They slowly increased the amount, with no reaction, until they realized there was no way the stuff was causing the reaction. But the person was indeed reacting, meaning the hypochondria is so strong people can induce the symptoms just by thinking they were exposed.

Power of mind, suggestion, self-induced and mass hysteria... the Media feeds off these like remora around a shark. And we believe.

[topless_mike]

i am sitting comfortably on the fence on this. i think half of it is people trying to keep themselves from being sued (some schools do not allow nuts for this reason).
on the other side, i know somebody who is allergic to nuts (but not peanuts). she accidently had a piece of walnut, and it turned scary as shit. her neck blew up, she was having trouble breathing, and was turning really really red. luckily, she had her medicine and within a half hour, was ok.

here's another thing to think of.
with technology, we are learning more and more about our bodies.
maybe when you older folk were growing up, we just didnt know exactly what was wrong, but we knew something was wrong. get it?

[Heather 8]

without doing a ton of research, i found the mayo clinic (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/peanut-allergy/DS00710/DSECTION=4) says only 20-25% of kids will outgrow a peanut allergy.

My husband had a peanut allergy, hell, had a LOT of food allergies when he was a kid.

Most of them he outgrew, but he told me that one day, in a "what the eff" mood, he sat down, made and ate a bunch of peanut butter sandwiches. He claims that this "overdose" actually forced his body to counteract the allergy. He still eats peanut butter fairly regularly.

Not sure how accurate his recollection is, but it's not something I'd ever try. Hell, after listening to R&F discuss food allergies, I had to ask the doctor's permission before I resumed eating peanut butter during this pregnancy.

[Mike Teacher]

Regarding what will end the human tenure on this planet, and it Will end; its not the asteroids or meteors or earthquakes or volcanoes that scare me, it's that something so very very subtle will happen that will fuck us up just enough...

If you haven't seen 'Children of Men' yet well the Spoiler is right here so anyway I think it will be something like that, just something happens and pffffft, women can't reproduce, and we're fucked. Something we introduce [spam? Latest cosmetic? spray on cheese? New Boner drug? WD-40? AquaDots?] that has some side effect that leads to a high future mortality rate.

OK I'm gonna go re-watch 'I Am Legend'...

[PhishHead]

being someone with food allergies, not severe ones though, mine did not show up until I was actually 15. My peanut allergy is pretty severe but I will not die from it I will just be incredibly ill.

My mom has a very bad gluten and peanut allergy and hers as well did not show up until later on in life. (Gluten allergy did not show up until 2007). If she eats gluten her entire mouth will blister up and turn red and start to bleed as does her tongue it is quite disgusting.

Yes more kids have food allergies today then they did 50 years ago, but I also think people were not as aware of allergies back then as they are nowadays.

To say that parents are overreacting or that kids will just grow out of them is completely misinformed bullshit.

and BDC yes you found research in support of your ideas but you can go out and find the same exact research against your ideas. There is always research to support both sides. Just like the research that said uncircumsized men are more likely to get HIV, yet their study was completely bias and done in africa and they did not keep track of sexual partners, sexual practices (i.e., condom usage), and they also did not keep track of how sex education played apart. There is always crap to go back and forth.

[scottinnj]

being someone with food allergies, not severe ones though, mine did not show up until I was actually 15. My peanut allergy is pretty severe but I will not die from it I will just be incredibly ill.




I smell radio bit.

[Snoogans]

tune into tomorrow nights Phishy whatevers when we make Phish eat an entire bag of Reese's Pieces

[PhishHead]

I smell radio bit.

tune into tomorrow nights Phishy whatevers when we make Phish eat an entire bag of Reese's Pieces

so not just peanuts but milk too, thanks buddy.

[Snoogans]

so not just peanuts but milk too, thanks buddy.

if you're gonna go, you might as well go all out

[Bulldogcakes]

I think you are talking about this thread: Banning cupcakes??? (http://www.ronfez.net/forums/showthread.php?t=63370&highlight=peanut&page=2)

It seems that Mikeyboy and Tall James disagreed with you, although I wouldn't say they were angry.

I, however, was angry with Mikeyboy when he got peanut butter in my chocolate.

Thats the one, but you're right it wasn't angry. Sorry bout that.

I was thinking of another thread where me and either you or Tall James got into it about child molesters. That goes in the same category for me, its a greatly overhyped topic.

and Mike-thanks for the coolness points! You've always been one of my faves.

[Snoogans]

Thats the one, but you're right it wasn't angry. Sorry bout that.

I was thinking of another thread where me and either you or Tall James got into it about child molesters. That goes in the same category for me, its a greatly overhyped topic.

and Mike-thanks for the coolness points! You've always been one of my faves.

Overhyped? I dont think people are hyping up kid touching. Its not an event.

Alos, what's wrong? Feeling the heat?

[sailor]

Overhyped? I dont think people are hyping up kid touching. Its not an event.

Alos, what's wrong? Feeling the heat?

i think he's saying it's not as great as some would lead you to believe.

[TheMojoPin]

being someone with food allergies, not severe ones though, mine did not show up until I was actually 15. My peanut allergy is pretty severe but I will not die from it I will just be incredibly ill.

My mom has a very bad gluten and peanut allergy and hers as well did not show up until later on in life. (Gluten allergy did not show up until 2007). If she eats gluten her entire mouth will blister up and turn red and start to bleed as does her tongue it is quite disgusting.

Yes more kids have food allergies today then they did 50 years ago, but I also think people were not as aware of allergies back then as they are nowadays.

To say that parents are overreacting or that kids will just grow out of them is completely misinformed bullshit.

and BDC yes you found research in support of your ideas but you can go out and find the same exact research against your ideas. There is always research to support both sides. Just like the research that said uncircumsized men are more likely to get HIV, yet their study was completely bias and done in africa and they did not keep track of sexual partners, sexual practices (i.e., condom usage), and they also did not keep track of how sex education played apart. There is always crap to go back and forth.

50 gajillion superawesomecrazysexycool points for Phishy.