Hamrick

Janie Hamrick
Going Gluten Free: A Marketing Scam?
A gluten free diet has grown immensely in popularity in recent years, while some avoid
gluten because of intolerance; others use the health trend as a diet. Gluten is found in all foods

Wilson Pickelsimer 4/18/15 5:53 PM

Comment [1]: I would suggest making it a
new sentence after years

with wheat, barley, and/or rye. Cutting gluten completely out of ones diet is a difficult task, for
many foods that are consumed on a daily basis contain at least one of the three ingredients.
Although this is an extremely difficult diet, the rise in popularity has increased the number of
gluten sensitive restaurants and products, making various gluten free alternatives to the foods
people avoiding gluten would originally be unable to consume. According to Gluten Free Foods
in the U.S., 5th Addition, the averaged annual growth of gluten free products has been 34% over a
five year period (Packaged Facts). Although going gluten free is believed widespread to be a
healthy weight loss and diet lifestyle, questions came to my mind when I was diagnosed with
Celiac Disease, which is an allergy to gluten that causes damage to the intestinal lining when
gluten is consumed, therefore, the only cure is to abstain from gluten. After my results came
back positive for Celiac, my Endocrinologist, Dr. Artz, sat down and explained to me how to
check labels for not just wheat, but also barley and/or rye, in order to know what is and is not

Wilson Pickelsimer 4/18/15 5:57 PM

Comment [2]: Maybe put popularly
believed instead of believed widespread
Wilson Pickelsimer 4/18/15 5:59 PM
Comment [3]: New sentence starting
again with Celiac Disease is
Wilson Pickelsimer 4/18/15 5:58 PM
Comment [4]: Make new sentence before
therefore

gluten free. W. Niewinsky discusses the importance of reading labels in her peer-reviewed article
Advances in Celiac and Gluten-Free Diet. Niewinsky explains how the Food Allergen Labeling
and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 has helped those avoiding gluten be able to determine
whether products contain gluten by their labels. According to the article, It requires that all food
products manufactured after January 1, 2006, be clearly labeled to indicate the presence of any of
the top eight food allergens (milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, soybeans,
and wheat). This act has simplified label reading by identifying those foods that contain hidden

Wilson Pickelsimer 4/18/15 6:02 PM

Comment [5]: The

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wheat gluten (Niewinksy). What is important for someone avoiding gluten to remember, and
encapsulates what my Endocrinologist told me, is that barley and rye are not included on the top

continued to say to me, Many products such as yogurts advertise that they are gluten free, when

Wilson Pickelsimer 4/18/15 6:44 PM

Comment [6]: Rephrase this maybe with
My Endocrinologist informed me of a very
important fact that someone avoiding gluten
needs to remember

all yogurt is naturally gluten free. The industry depends on people who are going gluten free to

Wilson Pickelsimer 4/18/15 6:50 PM

Comment [7]: Not capitalized

eight food allergens, so extensively reading the labels are still extremely important. Dr. Artz

not know what is and is not gluten free, and therefore buying anything that advertises it, even if it
is unnecessary, to gain profit. I noticed that people will either struggle with having to read
through every word on an extensive food label to see if the food contains gluten, or simply
blindly purchase foods that advertise that they are gluten free and end up spending significantly
more money. This advertisement scam is one red flag that began to raise questions in my mind
about the gluten free industry. I began to wonder if people who are not diagnosed with Celiac or
have gluten sensitivity are doing more harm than good joining the bandwagon of a gluten free
diet. This marketing trap sparked my interest in the validity of a gluten free diet for those who do
not need it. Often times when I would eat at a local restaurant with gluten free options I would
inquire their opinion on the rise in popularity of the diet. Many of the restaurant waiters or
owners had a family member with Celiac or gluten sensitivity and therefore could relate to my
inquiry. Most would give me a variation of the same answer, saying that Many people go gluten
free in order to lose a few pounds, but gluten free versions of pasta or bread are often times more
fatty and so people who are trying to go gluten free in order to lose weight may be disappointed.
There are also healthy components in gluten containing foods that gluten free individuals will
miss out on. These two incidences made me question the gluten free food industry as well as the
logic behind those who use this system as a weight loss or diet trend. Often times diet trends

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catch on so quickly that they are believed without researching the facts, or the products
manufactured with a gluten free label.
Checking labels for wheat, barley, and rye can be both time consuming and tedious,
similar to reading the terms and conditions on a computer update, which people rarely do. I
first hand have struggled with reading a long list of fine print ingredients in order to determine
whether or not an item is, in fact gluten free. When I first began my gluten free diet, I struggled
with the decision between spending more on significantly higher priced items due to the fact that
they are clearly labeled gluten free, or searching through the ingredients for wheat, barley, and

Wilson Pickelsimer 4/18/15 6:58 PM

Comment [8]: I would just end the
sentence at update.
Wilson Pickelsimer 4/18/15 6:59 PM
Comment [9]: Maybe put I have
personally struggled
Wilson Pickelsimer 4/18/15 6:59 PM
Comment [10]: Comma after fact

rye. Although there have been advancements in smart phone applications to help speed up the
process, such as the ability to scan barcodes in order to determine if there is gluten in the
product, these apps are not entirely accurate. I have had many instances where I have scanned the
barcode of products such as protein bars and gotten a clean result, and when I check the label just
in case, there is a component of gluten that did not show on the app, and ending up spending
even more through double checking. For people with Celiac, knowing for sure is an important
factor to staying healthy. Therefore, the rapidly growing gluten free industry is making
significant profit on items clearly marked gluten free from both individuals who are unaware of
what is and is not gluten free and those who do not want to take the time to read through all the
labels. Even knowing that some items may in fact be naturally gluten free without a label, and
knowing that labeled items are more expensive, I still find myself purchasing items based on
their gluten free label simply for the assurance of knowing they are truly gluten free as well as
not wanting to take the time to read through labels. Although it sounds lazy, reading through
every item on the ingredient list for every product you purchase takes a significant amount of

Wilson Pickelsimer 4/18/15 7:02 PM

Comment [11]: Rephrase to resulting in
Wilson Pickelsimer 4/18/15 7:03 PM
Comment [12]: Spending even more
time?

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time when added up, and the ease of simply grabbing a gluten free alternative saves time and
effort at the grocery store.
Although it is believed to be a healthy lifestyle for all and a beneficial weight loss diet, C.
Cross explains why weight loss by eating gluten free products can be ineffective in the article,
Gluten-Free Industry is Healthy, but is the Food? Cross states that People eating gluten-free
may gain weight because they are consuming more calories and carbohydrates. Gluten-free

Wilson Pickelsimer 4/18/15 7:11 PM

Comment [13]: Tell who C. Cross is
Wilson Pickelsimer 4/18/15 7:12 PM
Comment [14]: rephrase

baking also tends to contain more fat and sugar to make up for the lack of gluten (Cross). In
other words, if gluten free substitutes did not contain more fat and sugar, the foods would taste
very bland due to the lack of gluten, which for example makes bread rise and gives it its soft
texture. Many people are misled and believe that because an item is gluten free, it is healthier.
Those who aim to lose weight by purchasing all the gluten free items from their local grocery
store may be both surprised and disappointed. Along with the belief that one will lose weight on
eating gluten free products, it is also believed that one will be living a healthier lifestyle when on
a gluten free diet. Cross goes on to contradict this belief by saying Besides having more
calories, gluten-free packaged goods tend to be low in fiber and unfortified. People on glutenfree diets therefore need to get dietary fiber, folic acid, calcium and B vitamins from other
sources. In general, people seeking to live gluten-free should get back to the basics, like anyone
else attempting to live a healthier lifestyle (Cross). Although the rise in gluten free products has
greatly expanded a person avoiding glutens dietary options and made eating out at restaurants
exponentially easier, it is proven that these alternatives are both higher in fat, sugar, calories, and
carbohydrates. It is also proven that foods that are gluten free lack certain components that can
actually be beneficial to ones health such as fiber. A gluten free diet has potential to be a weight
loss option and a healthy lifestyle if gluten free products and substitutes are taken out of the

Wilson Pickelsimer 4/18/15 7:15 PM

Comment [15]: word choice, I suggest
continues

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picture. Cross encapsulates the gluten free industrys marketing scams by explaining that
sticking to only Healthy, real food, like fresh chicken, eggs, whole veggies, nuts, seeds and

Wilson Pickelsimer 4/18/15 7:20 PM

Comment [16]: Im not sure that I
understand this.

legumes dont have to make nutrition claims, but you dont make a lot of money saying, Just eat
real food (Cross). A gluten free diet can in fact be healthy if gluten free alternatives such as
pasta or manufactured snacks are taken out of the picture. This creates a dilemma because
without these products, a gluten free diet is bland, and very limited. Although these products are
expensive and often times unnecessary, the rise in gluten free products has expanded the variety
of what a gluten free individual can consume.
Although the rise in popularity of a gluten free diet has given those with Celiac more

Wilson Pickelsimer 4/18/15 7:23 PM

Comment [17]: Now I understand haha

variety and dining options, the marketing, prices, and healthiness of these items prove that the
conceptions of a gluten free diet as a healthy and slimming lifestyle to all are untrue. The gluten
free industry has made significant profit on unnecessarily labeling foods gluten free in order to
raise the price on that item. Similarly, the difficulty of reading labels for wheat, barley, and rye
drive many consumers to simply accepting these advertising scams and prices. Although it is
widely believed that cutting gluten from ones diet will lead to a healthier life and weight loss, it
is proven that gluten free foods tend to have more carbs, sugar, and fats in order to make up for
the lack of gluten. Because of the booming popularity of the diet, questions regarding the validity
of its results tend to go unasked. People tend to jump on the bandwagon without researching
what it is that they are giving up and if what they will be replacing it with is a healthy alternative.
In conclusion, the gluten free industry is the main cause for the diets unhealthiness. Gluten free
products are unhealthier, more expensive, and often times unnecessary, yet without them the diet
is extremely difficult. Although these products give benefits, they are also the reason the
conception of a gluten free diet being healthy for every individual is untrue.

Wilson Pickelsimer 4/18/15 7:24 PM

Comment [18]: For all
Wilson Pickelsimer 4/18/15 7:25 PM
Comment [19]: by
Wilson Pickelsimer 4/18/15 7:25 PM
Comment [20]: of
Wilson Pickelsimer 4/18/15 7:26 PM
Comment [21]: convince many
consumers to simply accept

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Works Cited
Cross, C. (September 16, 2013). Gluten-free industry is healthy, but is the food?. Canadian
Medical Association Journal, 185, 13.
Gluten-Free Foods in the U.S., 5th Edition. (2015, January 1). Retrieved March 29, 2015.
Niewinski, M. M. (January 01, 2008). Advances in Celiac Disease and Gluten-Free Diet. Journal
of the American Dietetic Association, 108, 4, 661-72.

Wonderful paper Janie! I had no idea it was that difficult to find healthy gluten free items! You
just have a few grammatical errors to revise and maybe a few more quotes to add. I would
suggest expanding more on each side of the argument and specifically introducing the sides in
your introduction. I would also consider introducing your sources as experts and incorporating
their quotes into the text. Overall, great paper!