Blogger Fakes Cancer and Claims Gluten-Free Diet Cure in Book and App

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By Jefferson Adams

April 23, 2015
By Jefferson Adams • April 23, 2015

Blogger Fakes Cancer and Claims Gluten-Free Diet Cure in Book and App

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Reviewed and edited by a celiac disease expert.
Celiac.com 04/23/2015 - Not only did a gluten-free diet and lifestyle changes NOT cure Australian "wellness" blogger Belle Gibson of terminal brain cancer, but the 23-year-old is admitting that she never actually had cancer in the first place.

Gibson published a book and even created a popular cellphone app, "The Whole Pantry," and in the process made at least $300,000 from people who also hoped to cure cancer or other ailments by changing their diet. She had promised to donate a portion of those proceeds to cancer charity, but apparently kept all the money, which proved to be the catalyst for her subsequent downfall.

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Deeper scrutiny and investigation of Gibson's claim revealed that she never actually had cancer in the first place.

Since being revealed as a fraudster, Gibson, 23, claimed that she had been taken in by a German "magnetic therapist" who told her she had cancer in various internal organs, which she never bothered to investigate further before starting a business based on how a change to a gluten-free diet had cured her.

Now, Gibson is in the news for admitting to the Australian Women's Weekly that she never had brain cancer either.

Is it worse that she claimed a gluten-free diet cured her cancer, or that she never had cancer in the first place?

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Guest Gladys

Posted April 27, 2015

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Talk about a fraud, those of us with cancer find her really disturbing.

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Guest K2

Posted April 27, 2015

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"Is it worse that she claimed a gluten-free diet cured her cancer, or that she never had cancer in the first place? "

Claiming a GFD cured her cancer may have convinced some people with cancer to try a GFD instead of legitimate medical treatment so, IMO, offering hope you know is false qualifies as worse.

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About Me

Jefferson Adams is Celiac.com's senior writer and Digital Content Director. He earned his B.A. and M.F.A. at Arizona State University. His articles, essays, poems, stories and book reviews have appeared in numerous magazines, journals, and websites, including North American Project, Antioch Review, Caliban, Mississippi Review, Slate, and more. He is the author of more than 2,500 articles on celiac disease. His university coursework includes studies in science, scientific methodology, biology, anatomy, physiology, medicine, logic, and advanced research. He previously devised health and medical content for Colgate, Dove, Pfizer, Sharecare, Walgreens, and more. Jefferson has spoken about celiac disease to the media, including an appearance on the KQED radio show Forum, and is the editor of numerous books, including "Cereal Killers" by Scott Adams and Ron Hoggan, Ed.D.

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