-Andrea
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Kelsey Miller
Trend Story
There’s no twelve-step plan. No guided relaxation or spiritual connection, and rarely a tearful testimony. But there is cake.Gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free and dairy-free cake, that is.
As combination support and social groups, college and university students with food allergies are forming new clubs to share their experiences, lobby for change and exchange stories over allergen-free treats.
At schools such as Utah State, Northern Illinois University and the University of Oregon, students are aiming to improve the lives of those living with food allergies by creating these unique clubs, showing equal amounts of support and activism.
Though college and university dining halls have made improvements in their allergen-free practices, there are still flaws and limits in the system, students say. Clubs work with their school’s dining services to introduce more allergen-free options on and off campus. But this cannot happen without awareness, club leaders say, and students aim to help others realize the prevalence of the issue and the unique difficulties accompanying it.
Isabel Reckson, a junior University of Maryland student, has learned to manage her food allergy, but it was hard at first, especially when she faced the dining halls and late-night junk food of college life.
“I was diagnosed with Celiac disease a week before starting at school,” Reckson said, learning she had a gluten intolerance where wheat, rye, barley, oats and malt can degenerate the lining of her small intestine. “One of my main concerns was that I was never going to be able to eat bagels and pasta again. I started to freak out,” she said.
After the initial shock, Reckson began finding gluten-free options at home. The true struggles, however, began when she walked into the dining hall, unsure of what was safe to eat.
“It was a really hard adjustment because freshmen are forced to have meal plans,” she said. “I was still learning what was okay and what wasn't.”
More than 15 million Americans have food allergies, according to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network. This number is on the rise, as a 2008 study by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported an 18 percent increase in food allergies between 1997 and 2007.
Jane Jakubczak has been the campus dietician for the University of Maryland for 10 years. She has seen an increase in students seeking her guidance for food allergies and intolerances to dairy, nuts, seafood or other ingredients.
A food allergy is defined as when the body creates antibodies against a food component, Jakubczak said. The result could be as mild as hives or a much more severe reaction, “as if the body is turning against itself,” she said.
Students with intolerances, however, are merely sensitive to particular irritants. Some even omit certain ingredients from their diets for religious, moral or other health reasons. This can be equally difficult, Jakubczak said.
“I let them know what nutrients will be absent from their diet,” she said. “You can’t just drop a food, you have to replace it.”
For most, this delicate balance is hard to maintain on their own and Andrea Garza, a junior at Arizona State University began as most do – searching the Internet.
Garza was in middle school when she was diagnosed with allergies to gluten, milk, eggs, corn, soy, peanuts, tree-nuts, garlic and other foods. After doing research on her own, she realized the need to create a forum where those with allergies could find resources and information. In the 8th grade, Garza started FoodAllergyTalk.com.
“I wanted to localize all of the research and information I was having to track down to provide others with a one-stop website with all the information they would need,” Garza said.
When Garza entered her freshman year at Arizona State, she knew she wanted to start a club to give her online outlet a personal touch.
“I had to help people face to face,” she said. Garza founded her school’s Food Allergy Talk club that year.
Reckson also noticed the need to centralize information and provide support for those experiencing the same diificulties as her. This fall, she founded the University of Maryland’s Food Allergy Awareness Club.
“A lot of students have food allergies and the number is increasing,” she said. “I thought it would be nice for students to get together, so people can talk about their own experiences.”
Reckson is working to gain membership. At meetings, she makes allergen-free food and sets the chairs up in a circle, support-group style.
“Club members have the opportunity to meet students who have the same struggles as them,” Reckson said. “We want to help them learn the easiest and best ways to be gluten-free, dairy-free, whatever-free on a college campus.”
Students at Arizona State’s Food Allergy Talk begin by going around the room discussing recent experiences or concerns. The group then changes course, switching back to the social club format. Members discuss fundraising and events they are hosting, including an upcoming Health and Allergy Expo and Food Allergy Walk, Garza said.
Not all members have food allergies, and some students are just there to show support.
“It takes everyone to help those with food allergies, including family, friends, coworkers.” Garza said. “It means a lot to have a loved one with no allergies offer their time to learn about them.”
Though meetings are often social opportunities to chat with fellow students, club leaders emphasize their desire to raise awareness for a serious issue.
“We want people to understand we are not simply being difficult or picky,” Chelsey Lavere, a member of Ithaca College’s Food Allergy Awareness Club, said. “For some of us, if our dietary needs are not met it is risking our health and can even be a matter of life and death.”
“When people with food allergies consume something they can't, it can lead to serious health risks, sometimes anaphylactic shock,” Reckson added. Cross-contamination of ingredients and incorrect labeling can also be dangerous, she said.
Overall, clubs hope to make it easier for students living with food allergies, whether its through sharing tips or lobbying for safer dining halls.
“We hope to continue to expand our club and achieve dietary equality so everyone can feel comfortable eating on campus despite their needs,” Lavere said. “We act as advocates and supporters for each other. And [we] are almost always eating allergy friendly foods.”
Jakubczak feels clubs such as these are a great resource for students living with food allergies.
“Peer education is powerful,” she said. “[These clubs] show the university and administration that this is an important issue to students. There’s power in numbers and that can create change.”
Sources:
Isabel Reckson, ireckson@gmail.com, 201-563-2906
Andrea Garza, amgarza2@asu.edu 480-343-5036
Chelsey Lavere, icfaac@gmail.com 315-456-8122
Jane Jakubczak, 301-314-8149
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