Gluten Free for Life: Celiac Disease, Medical Recognition, and the Food Industry

A groundbreaking exploration of celiac disease, a serious autoimmune condition that affects approximately three million Americans, or 1 percent of the population

The manifestations of celiac disease-including anemia, gastrointestinal problems, and infertility-are diverse and can have severe consequences if left untreated. The only therapy is lifelong adherence to a gluten-free diet. Because many doctors know little about celiac, nearly half of the individuals with the disease remain undiagnosed, and many wait years for the correct diagnosis.

In Gluten Free for Life, Emily K. Abel delves into the social, cultural, and historical dimensions of celiac disease, and sheds light on the challenges faced by affected individuals. The book uncovers the profit- driven motivations behind certain food companies, which often produce exorbitantly priced and ultraprocessed gluten-free products that remain out of reach for many people. Abel also emphasizes the parallels between celiac disease and other disabilities, stressing the condition’s invisible nature. The absence of observable symptoms poses significant challenges in terms of social interactions, workplace dynamics, and the overall perception of those living with the disease.

Abel cautions against viewing a medical cure as the sole solution for celiac disease. Instead, she advocates for a comprehensive approach that addresses the socioeconomic factors impacting adherence to the gluten-free diet. By redirecting attention toward necessary social and political reforms, Gluten Free for Life proposes remedies capable of alleviating the burdens faced by individuals with celiac disease.

Emily K. Abel is Professor Emerita at the UCLA-Fielding School of Public Health. She is the author of many books, including Hearts of Wisdom: American Women Caring for Kin, 1850-1940; Limited Choices: Mable Jones, A Black Children’s Nurse in a Northern White Household (with Margaret K. Nelson); and Elder Care in Crisis: How the Social Safety Net Fails Families. Her book Tuberculosis and the Politics of Exclusion won the 2008 Viseltear Award for outstanding book in the history of public health from the Medical Care Section, American Public Health Association.