Wherever and whenever we can, the Celiac Disease Foundation will advocate for the celiac patient community.
Recently, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force released a research plan to better understand how hunger is assessed by the healthcare community. This is a complicated and important issue as failure to recognize and address hunger, or the conditions contributing to hunger, among patients can be a significant factor in developing effective disease and condition management.
The Celiac Disease Foundation, along with the Society for the Study of Celiac Disease and Boston Children’s Hospital, has submitted comments about the proposed research to ensure that celiac disease is included in the list of chronic diseases addressed and that interventions are tailored to adequately accommodate the gluten-free diet, the only approved treatment for celiac disease. The reality is that identifying and proposing solutions to address hunger among celiac disease patients is more complicated than in the general public because gluten-free food is more expensive to buy (a particular problem for individuals receiving SNAP benefits), and the availability of gluten-free options in congregate food settings and from food banks is limited.
You are invited to read our comments here.