The Inequities of Celiac Disease

By Aditi Avinash

Introduction
Imagine a world where you live in paranoia, constantly regulating every single thing you eat. A life spent scouring grocery stores for gluten-free aisles or reviewing restaurant menus for safe options. For many, this is not a hypothetical scenario—it’s every day. At least 3 million people in the US alone suffer from celiac disease, meaning they can’t eat any gluten-containing products and undergo horrible symptoms when they do [1]. While awareness of gluten-free diets has grown, the disparity in access, affordability, and safety of gluten-free foods exposes a glaring inequity in the food system—revealing a system that prioritizes convenience and profit over equity and public health.

This reality brings forth pressing ethical questions: what consequences exist when one has restrictions on food in a world driven by diet culture? How do socioeconomic factors shape access to medically necessary diets? And, most importantly, how can society ensure a fairer, safer food system for individuals who rely on these diets to live?