Tuesday, 18 March 2014

In The Merry Old Land of Oz

Oh Doctor! Oh Doctor Oz. What have you done? Why why why did you say that and in that tone and with that context, or lack thereof? Why? Because now we all have to blog about you. We all do and to be honest, like really honest, I don't want to blog about you. But now I have to. I have to put my feet on one side of the line or the other and I have a sneaking suspicion that Celiacs aren't going to like what I have to say.
Dr. Oz isn't my favorite, I could not imagine a worse fate than getting a pap smear by the yippy yappy medical man. I think his show, although having the intention of being educational, breeds a level of hypochondrial panic that I don't enjoy. If one more person starts a sentence with 'On Dr. Oz, he said....' Ugh, no thank you.
And the other day, he decided to talk about Gluten Free Diets. Bad move my friend, bad move.
So here's the deal in case anyone was wondering. Doctor Oz, went on the Seth Myers Show and publically said that a gluten free diet is total bullshit. He said 'BS' and added 'a scam' for good measure. Sigh. Now everyone is pissed off that a Doctor is calling our lifestyle bullshit. Everyone is raging about the 'Celiac Community' and now we have taken a hit. That Oz had a perfect opportunity to educate the world on Celiac disease and didn't take it, instead he threw us under the bus.

As I am typing this, I am wincing.

I agree with Doctor Oz, the GF diet IS Bullshit.

Someone just threw a rotten head of lettuce at my head and screamed 'traitor'.

I agree with him because everyone is taking this quote out of context. Seth asks Oz about new diet crazes and then specifically mentions Gluten Free diet and gives Oz two options, real deal and bullshit and Oz picked bullshit. I agree.

A gluten free diet is not a weight loss diet, I have said this again and again and again. Stop thinking that you are going to lose weight if you switch out your bread or get gluten free cereal. You won't. I also agree when Oz goes on to say that if you have a problem with Gluten, you should swap the wheat out for other options, amaranth etc. He basically implies that processed gluten free foods are full of crap. Want to know why? Because processed gluten free foods are full of crap, that's why. He's right. Back off the good doctor.
Claiming that he has somehow insulted Celiacs by saying these things is ridiculous. Stop being so sensitive. He doesn't mean Celiacs, he means anyone who thinks that cutting gluten out of their diet will change their lives. He means the people who think that it will cure their child of Autism or ADHD. He means the people who just swap out their bread for GF bread and expect to look like Jillian Michaels the next day. He means the people that start eating gluten free pasta and are under the impression that they will be smarter, more athletic and happier. Gluten isn't making you sad. You make you sad.
Oz made a point of saying that if you want to help yourself, get real foods that don't naturally contain gluten. It's like he can read my MIND!
And no, Dr. Oz's job is not to spread the word about our disease. That's your job. You have Celiacs, not Oz. So represent. Your whinging and sensitivity and bitching and moaning isn't doing a very good job. So toughen up and cut it out. Show the world that we are strong and healthy.
While I seem to be on a roll of pissing everyone off, I will continue by being offended by the fact that other bloggers have said that Oz insulted "The Celiac Community". And I ask, what community? What the hell are you talking about? We share a disease, you haven't helped me move or babysat my kids. Is there a clubhouse I am missing out on? Secret handshake? No? In addition, I don't want to be a part of a community that just goes around complaining all the time. Quit your whining.
No one has to be an advocate for you but you, everyone else is icing on the cake.

So no, Dr. Oz is not my favorite guy on TV but I think in this instance, Celiacs' are being too sensitive and need to get thicker skin.