Dec. 27, 2020

Food allergies are not funny

"If we do not raise objections to this kind of comedy, we are teaching those around us that food allergies can be funny. It is no that surprise that data indicates kids and adults are anxious, embarrassed, and bullied due to food allergies. When we...

"If we do not raise objections to this kind of comedy, we are teaching those around us that food allergies can be funny. It is no that surprise that data indicates kids and adults are anxious, embarrassed, and bullied due to food allergies. When we make light of anaphylaxis, we perpetuate the misleading stigma regarding food allergies.

It has been my steadfast belief that in educating the greater public on the potential severity of food allergies, we will reach a point where it will be taboo to make these kinds of 'jokes' publicly. I hope for a day that it is simply unacceptable to joke about food allergies. Clearly, we are not there yet."

Lianne Mandelbaum is founder, the No Nut Traveler, and can be reached on Twitter @nonuttraveler.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Food allergies are not funny." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/07/food-allergies-are-not-funny.html)