Recently a reader left a comment for me about an unfortunate interview in which Dr. Drew discusses celiac disease and leaky gut with a famous actress.
As those of us with celiac disease know, we are often questioned (not always in a constructive manner) by family and friends who do not understand the medical challenges we face.
Here is what we are often told about our conditions and the steps we take to remediate them:
- just a little bit won’t hurt you (fill in that sentence with gluten or other substances that make you ill)
- it’s all in your head
- you’re just following the latest fad
These types of questions are not malicious, they come from a place of ignorance and lack of education.
Unfortunately, it seemed that during his show, Dr. Drew was not entirely aware or informed when it came to his subject matter and did not display a comprehensive understanding of celiac disease and leaky gut. This is most regrettable as the doctor missed an opportunity to educate his audience on a disease that is widespread in the American population and around the world.
Celiac awareness and education is much farther along in other countries; in fact, in Italy, children are tested for celiac disease before they reach the age of 6. Celiac disease meets the World Health Organization standards for universal screening and is considered an epidemic by this organization.
Here is the video in which Dr. Drew takes a less than sympathetic tone towards an individual with celiac disease and leaky gut:
As you can see from the video Dr. Drew is not familiar with leaky gut and does not entirely understand the concept of this medical disorder. Dr. Drew, here is a description of leaky gut from Dr. Andrew Weil, who says that leaky gut:
..affects the lining of the intestines. The theory is that leaky gut syndrome (also called increased intestinal permeability), is the result of damage to the intestinal lining, making it less able to protect the internal environment as well as to filter needed nutrients and other biological substances. As a consequence, some bacteria and their toxins, incompletely digested proteins and fats, and waste not normally absorbed may “leak” out of the intestines into the blood stream. This triggers an autoimmune reaction.
Leaky gut can lead to the following disorders:
- chronic inflammation
- food allergies
- skin rashes
- joint pain
- fatigue
So, here is my urgent plea to Dr. Drew: please use your platform as a public persona to further education regarding medical issues, rather than perpetuating common stereotypes and misinformation. This is a small request from those of us in the celiac community who work so hard in the name of celiac awareness and education.
Now is the time to rectify the unfortunate interview of Jennifer Esposito with a story on what celiac disease actually is and how it impacts the lives of millions of Americans. Leave a comment below if you wish to urge Dr. Drew to remedy this situation.
Michelle says
Resolving my health problems, all of which involve chronic inflammation, has required me to educate myself beyond the narrow understanding and limiting perspectives of many doctors.
My litmus test for a doctor is whether she or he understands why a blood test for a wheat allergy is not useful for diagnosing celiac in someone who has been gluten free for almost ten years.
I am grateful to have discovered a group of bright and thoughtful doctors in my time, and to have the benefit of their services now. These people have my respect, gratitude, and any business I can refer to them. I am astounded by how many practitioners I have met, in the medical and other highly regulated professions, who have run the gamut from uninformed to incompetent.
Another eye opener has been the number of restaurant professionals who lack a basic understanding of food, such as the kitchen staffer who suggested the I have the key lime pie because the crust was made of “graham flour, not wheat,” and the upscale restaurant chef that suggested I have the “wheat free” cous-cous, and when I asked to read the box, sent it out beautifully presented in napkin origami, but failed to realize that the only two ingredients – semolina and durum – are both wheat.
C. Wood says
Yikes, his tone… God, I relate to everything Jennifer was saying. I know what it’s like to be the healthiest looking sick person and deal with the misunderstanding. I wish her and everyone else dealing with this disease the best of health.
Bev says
I get angry when professionals constantly interrupt someone’s attempt to explain as the doctor did here. I, too, am dealing with multiple food allergies as a result of gluten allergy and undiagnosed leaky gut. I’d like the Dr to know that his last comment was the most insulting. This disease is not related to “not taking care of yourself”. It is an ALLERGY THAT RECKS HAVIC ON THE BODY and continues to grow more widespread. Professionals who won’t listen to clinical presentations from patients but instead think the answer lies in their own medical school knowledge need to realize that their one-size-fits-all approach to medicine can destroy the people they propose to help. Please step outside the box, doctor. Thankfully, many doctors are.
Christy S says
I hope Dr Drew will educate himself and use his platform to provide accurate information on celiac disease and leaky gut. I also hope he will apologize to Ms Esposito as he was not polite or compassionate towards her.
Stephanie says
Elana, thank you for taking the time to write this thoughtful and informative post. I’m so proud of the response garnered from the Celiac community regarding Dr. Drew’s interview. Thank you for sharing your stories and opinions – I don’t feel quite so alone in my journey. I implore Dr. Drew to take responsibilty for this situation and utilize his power to educate and heal. Please join us at change.org to sign the petition – we can make a difference.
Andrea says
Dr. Drew should be ashamed of himself!! Unfortunately, Dr. Drew, like so many main stream doctors, has a narrow, traditionally trained focus instead of a holistic approach to health and wellness. As is often the case with hard to diagnose symptoms, in traditional medicine the symptoms are given a name but the underlying illness is not recognized or named. Auto immune diseases like rheumatoind arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, celiac disease, diverticulitis, ulcerative colitis, autism, ADHD, etc. are often treated with medication by doctors who should rather learn what role nutrition plays in eliminating the underlying inflammation and illness. Hopefully, Dr. Drew heard some of what Ms. Esposito said to him and he will be eager to learn about leaky gut and celiac disease.
Amy says
His arrogance disgusts me. As he says, “he’s a doctor” — then get the facts and inform yourself, doctor! I admire her ability to not lose it with him.
Pam says
Please educate yourself before you speak. Living with disease that others “can’t see” is bad enough, but to have those who should be able to speak for us make matters worse is adding more emotional stress to the physical and emotional stress that we carry everyday. If you can’t help, please don’t hurt.
Sally - only gluten free baking says
I don’t understand what point he was trying to make by trying to trip her up on everything she said. I would never see a Dr like this one where is his compassion? Its a shame he couldn’t of been more educated on the subject and try to help viewers. I think Jennifer was brilliantly composed because I would of walked out in the first two minutes.
Grace Wise says
This really hit home for me. I feel a daily struggle to explain my symptoms to my friends and family and especially my husband. We look fine on the outside but feel like we’re falling apart. It has been a long journey getting diagnosed and understanding leaky gut.