Actress Jennifer Esposito Emerging as Advocate for Celiac Disease Awareness

Good article, however I do not think she represents celiac disease well to the public/media. After being diagnosed and eating a strict gluten-free diet, there are a lot of celiacs that can lead fully functional lives working jobs with very long hours. I do not understand what makes her different, as she is an actress and can rest in a trailer when she is not working but on set. I wish I could have done that when working! She is not a good advocate for me - an advocate is someone who does something positive for the community, often without being asked or without public recognition.

Good article, however I do not think she represents celiac disease well to the public/media. After being diagnosed and eating a strict gluten-free diet, there are a lot of celiacs that can lead fully functional lives working jobs with very long hours. I do not understand what makes her different, as she is an actress and can rest in a trailer when she is not working but on set. I wish I could have done that when working! She is not a good advocate for me - an advocate is someone who does something positive for the community, often without being asked or without public recognition.

But she has done something positive for the community. It says in the article she "founded the non-profit Jennifer's Way Foundation for Celiac Education... proper education about this disease in addition to helping to generate awareness to help people live a healthy gluten-free life".

Regarding her having continuing health issues after going gluten free: well, many of us do. You may be one of the very lucky ones who could recover quickly enough to "lead fully functional lives" but some of us simply could not. I could never work a full day at my teaching job right now. I had many health problems because of celiac and my muscles and joints were deeply impacted. I work hard to rehab them. It's taken me 2 years to get this far.

Not everyone goes gluten-free and magically heals.

I think she represents a very accurate picture of the dire consequences of long undiagnosed celiac. She is a far better representative than the eternally perky Elizabeth Hasselbeck who had minimal symptoms and whose only contribution to the celiac world is to sell more gluten-free junk food.

I agree with Irish Heart. One of my co-workers' grandmother has celiac disease, but it took months and months before she was even diagnosed, and she was in constant pain and anguish. Her family also had to struggle with this disease - worrying about her unknown illness. I'm diabetic and I still have to struggle everyday to keep from ending up using insulin or knowing I could end up on dialysis. I support Jennifer all the way, and she is an actress I admire. Good luck to her and her new-founded foundation.

But she has done something positive for the community. It says in the article she "founded the non-profit Jennifer's Way Foundation for Celiac Education... proper education about this disease in addition to helping to generate awareness to help people live a healthy gluten-free life".

 

Regarding her having continuing health issues after going gluten free: well, many of us do. You may be one of the very lucky ones who could recover quickly enough to "lead fully functional lives" but some of us simply could not. I could never work a full day at my teaching job right now. I had many health problems because of celiac and my muscles and joints were deeply impacted. I work hard to rehab them. It's taken me 2 years to get this far.

 

Not everyone goes gluten-free and magically heals.

 

I think she represents a very accurate picture of the dire consequences of long undiagnosed celiac. She is a far better representative than the eternally perky Elizabeth Hasselbeck who had minimal symptoms and whose only contribution to the celiac world is to sell more gluten-free junk food.

I am a 37 year old white male with celiac disease. I have many bad days dealing with this. It is an everyday struggle for me. I had to take a leave of absence from my job. Let's not judge, and let's work to find a cure someday.

But she has done something positive for the community. It says in the article she "founded the non-profit Jennifer's Way Foundation for Celiac Education... proper education about this disease in addition to helping to generate awareness to help people live a healthy gluten-free life".

 

Regarding her having continuing health issues after going gluten free: well, many of us do. You may be one of the very lucky ones who could recover quickly enough to "lead fully functional lives" but some of us simply could not. I could never work a full day at my teaching job right now. I had many health problems because of celiac and my muscles and joints were deeply impacted. I work hard to rehab them. It's taken me 2 years to get this far.

 

Not everyone goes gluten-free and magically heals.

 

I think she represents a very accurate picture of the dire consequences of long undiagnosed celiac. She is a far better representative than the eternally perky Elizabeth Hasselbeck who had minimal symptoms and whose only contribution to the celiac world is to sell more gluten-free junk food.

I agree! Thanks to Elizabeth for bringing more awareness (always a good thing), but she kind of gives the impression that it's not THAT big of a deal because she's so healthy looking. I have a co-worker who constantly makes comments about how I don't eat wheat because I "don't want a stomach ache". I have told her countless times that we're not just talking a stomach ache; it's a huge amount of damage to my digestive system, but she doesn't get it. I actually get kind of excited when celiac disease is portrayed as life-threatening. I used to watch Blue Bloods and I loved Jennifer in it; I am very sad about this turn of events both for her personally and the message it sends to the public at large.

Thanks, Jennifer. I think it is great that you are willing to talk about this. In your industry, any controversy can make or break a career. We need more awareness, and anyone in the public eye who can get more recognition of this disease the better. My husband was probably gluten-free from birth, and he didn't get diagnosed till his 60's. We still didn't realize our daughter was full blown celiac till she had endoscopic surgery. We did the genetic test on our granddaughter (now 9) and sure enough, she carries the gene. On a gluten-free diet, she thrives where she was born in the -5% category.

Good article, however I do not think she represents celiac disease well to the public/media. After being diagnosed and eating a strict gluten-free diet, there are a lot of celiacs that can lead fully functional lives working jobs with very long hours. I do not understand what makes her different, as she is an actress and can rest in a trailer when she is not working but on set. I wish I could have done that when working! She is not a good advocate for me - an advocate is someone who does something positive for the community, often without being asked or without public recognition.

It's as she says: each person is different, and their response to treatment will necessarily be so as well. Also, it is SO hard (as I'm sure you know, as a sufferer of celiac disease) to always completely avoid gluten contamination. In fact, your negative attitude indicates you may have been exposed to some, since irritability is a known side effect.

I agree with Irish Heart and Kurt. I have been celiac for 10 years, and I am very strict with my diet, but I still have health issues that relate to my celiac disease. I love the fact that someone like Jennifer is so honest and open about what she is going through, and I am very sad not to see her on Blue Bloods anymore.

If this exposure brings more understanding to the world, this could be the "celiac moment" we've been needing. Only 1 in 5,000 sufferers ever get diagnosed because there are about 300 different symptoms, which are all over the place. The awful truth is that about 1 in 132 individuals actually have the disease! We have a long way to go. Keep up the good work, Jennifer.

Good article, however I do not think she represents celiac disease well to the public/media. After being diagnosed and eating a strict gluten-free diet, there are a lot of celiacs that can lead fully functional lives working jobs with very long hours. I do not understand what makes her different, as she is an actress and can rest in a trailer when she is not working but on set. I wish I could have done that when working! She is not a good advocate for me - an advocate is someone who does something positive for the community, often without being asked or without public recognition.

I understand what you are saying and respect your point of view. It is not easy to maintain a living and have to meet the day the same as others when your body is so weak and tired it can hardly carry you. However, anyone who is a celiac and takes this sickness to heart can be a candidate. Yes, Jennifer`s life style is a little different than yours or mine, but if she honestly believes that this disease is life threatening, I hope a lot of celiacs will listen to her. I know too many people who play with this sickness and think it is okay while it is not. This sickness is not a game to me, and it has attacked many in my family through to the second generation below me.

I am a 37 year old white male with celiac disease. I have many bad days dealing with this. It is an everyday struggle for me. I had to take a leave of absence from my job. Let's not judge, and let's work to find a cure someday.

But you can cure celiac disease just by not eating gluten

Celiac is not like a disease but an allergy to gluten, so why call it a disease? There is so much fuss about it when all you do is avoid gluten foods, just like any other food allergy.

No basis except from the mouth of a bad actress.