Ah, gluten-free. The diet that half the world treats like a trendy wellness hack and the other half thinks is a total scam. And now, thanks to The Telegraph and their Senior Travel Writer Greg Dickinson, we have yet another example of lazy journalism making it even harder for people with coeliac disease to be taken seriously.
In his latest piece, Greg suggests that Britain is going through some kind of bread crisis, with more people avoiding gluten for “health reasons” while our European neighbours happily munch on baguettes and ciabattas, living longer and being much more sensible about bread.
Now, I don’t normally feel the need to respond to every lazy take on gluten-free diets, but this one? This one needs calling out.
Greg starts by pointing out that 8% of Brits avoid gluten for “health reasons” rather than an actual medical condition like coeliac disease. And?
This has nothing to do with those of us who have to avoid gluten for medical reasons. But lumping everyone together fuels the idea that gluten-free is just another diet trend, which is exactly why coeliacs constantly get side-eye when we ask for a safe meal.
Articles like this just make it worse.
‘Europeans Eat Bread and Live Longer’ – That’s Not How Science Works, Greg
Greg also tries to suggest that because Spain, France, Italy, and Greece eat loads of bread and have higher life expectancies than the UK, avoiding gluten is pointless.
Right. So, by that logic, we should all start taking two-hour siestas, drinking red wine every day, and casually smoking like a 1950s jazz musician because, hey, the French do it and they seem fine (I know this is rubbish too, I’m just trying to make a point).
Life expectancy has nothing to do with one single food. It’s about healthcare, lifestyle, diet variety, stress levels, and about a hundred other things. This “Europe eats bread, so bread must be good” argument is just lazy and completely rubbish.
What It’s Actually Like Living as a Coeliac in Europe
Italy, for example, is incredible for coeliacs. They take it seriously, have strict laws about gluten-free food in restaurants, and even offer subsidised gluten-free products for diagnosed coeliacs. This fact is very different from the rubbish Greg has been spouting about Italians fretting less over gluten-intolerances.
Spain is also pretty coeliac-friendly, with loads of awareness and dedicated gluten-free options in big cities. Once again this fact is very different to what Greg has said in this ridiculous article.
Why This Kind of Reporting is Dangerous
At the end of the day, it’s articles like this that make life harder for coeliacs. Every time gluten-free is dismissed as a fad, it makes people less likely to take it seriously. It means more awkward conversations, more frustration, and more risk for people who can’t eat gluten—because when restaurants and food brands think it’s just a lifestyle choice, they don’t take the necessary precautions to keep us safe.
And that’s the real issue. If someone without coeliac disease wants to eat gluten-free, great. If someone loves bread and never wants to give it up, fine. But can we please stop treating gluten-free like some bizarre British overreaction? For some of us, it’s not a trend. It’s our only treatment.
So no, Greg, Britain doesn’t need to “be more European” about bread. What we do need is better awareness of coeliac disease, less stigma, and maybe—just maybe—a little more thought before publishing articles like this.
What’s your experience? Ever had someone try to tell you gluten-free is just a trend? Let’s chat in the comments!
Oh, and here’s the link to this ridiculous article if you fancy leaving a comment or two. Just a heads-up—every click helps fund more nonsense like this, so proceed with caution! ⚠️
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/comment/britain-bread-europe/
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