Oprah Insensitive to Celiac Disease......

Oprah Magazine ^ | September 2003 | Satelite Sisters

[davidosborne]

In the September issue of O Magazine in the Satelite Sisters section there was a very insensitive article.. that was brought to my attention by Celiac Kids E-group..

For more information about celiac disease go to CELIAC.COM

Copy of message I recieved.....

The September issue of O Magazine ridicules gluten-free kids in its one page, monthly feature called "Satellite Sisters." The feature is about how to avoid socially undesirable people who are trying to befriend you. It is titled "Sorry, But I Think I'm Sick That Day," and the first line of the subtitle is "The neighbor with gluten-free children itching to join your mother's group." The other examples are "your dull office mate" and a career climber who is dying to get into your industry.

Frankly, I was outraged and insulted by this piece. I doubt very seriously they would have made fun of children with Down's Syndrome, or diabetes, or even dyslexia. The social aspects of celiac disease and/or a gluten-free diet are hard enough without people like Oprah making fun of these children. I plan to write to the magazine and I think others should also. Just my two cents.

Barbara Drumheller, TX
andybarb@houston.rr.com

[davidosborne]

Please contact Oprah and express your disapointment over this insensitive article...

[davidosborne]

Please pass this on..... *** Action Alert ***

[davidosborne]

We have asked Oprah to apologize by having a show on the Celiac Disease, which is the #1 autoimmune genetic disease in the world, that often goes undiagnosed due to lack of knowledge.....Celiac.com

[Gunrunner2]

Internet hoax? Link to actual article may help.

[davidosborne]

article is not available on line.. but this article is being widely discussed on celiac related e-groups and websites, as well as Oprahs own message board... we were alerted to this article because our daughter has this disease....

David

[MindBender26]

Please remove me from your ping list. The issue of one television hostess' "insensitivity" to some diease is not an issue on which the world will turn.

I'm sorry to sound so "insensitive" but with Americans dying in Iraq, a huge religion trying to kill most Westerners and a US liberal political party and its leaders trying to do everything they can do to destroy this country, it's time for all of us to suck it up and stop being offended.

Sorry to be harsh, but your problem can be cured by diet. Bullet wounds or the death of the Republic cannot be!

[75thOVI]

No offense my friend, but please take me off of your ping list. My sympathy is with you for your child's problem. However, the "sensitivity" or "insensitivity" of anyone, much less a zero like Oprah is not of the least importance to me.

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!! Good afternoon, david. How are things in the Everglade state?

[Ken522]

Oprah is just getting back at the Europeans for the scourge of Sickle Cell on the brothers.

[DManA]

Satelite Sister should learn to be nicer to people on the way up cause she might meet them on the way down. She doesn't sound like anyone I'd care to spend 5 minutes with anyway.

and a career climber who is dying to get into your industry.

[Trust but Verify]

Actually, from what you posted, it looks like they are being insensitive to the mother of the gluten-free children by keeping her out of the mother's club. Maybe the person who wrote this has had a bad experience with such a mother. I can relate.

[Gunrunner2]

Okay. . .but one must be careful.

[FormerlyAnotherLurker]

How about a link to ANYTHING that supports this.
I checked your link to CELIAC.COM, used the site's search for;
"Oprah" - nothing
"O Magazine" - nothing.
Strange.
I went to Oprah's site - 3 messages (widely discussed???) - it appears that only one of them read it(maybe), the others just heard of it.
I even looked up Satellite Sisters - nothing. A Google search of Satellite Sisters - nothing.

One would think that the Celiac site would at least mention this in passing.

Scan the article and provide a link to it or did you not read it, also?

[FormerlyAnotherLurker]

[ FROM:http://www.celiac.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/st_sresults.html

Search Results for " OPRAH "

Sorry, nothing was found.

Back to: Search Page ]


Why doesn't the CeliacDOTcom site have one word of this?

[I got the rope]

I'm sorry david, but I don't get it. The #1 autoimmune genetic disease in the world? I've never heard about it until now. I think everyone on this ping list would be better served with more info. BTW, I can count on 1 finger the amount of time I've even watched Opra. I can't even remember what she said or why I watched it. I must've have been sick that day...to lazy to get up and turn the channel.

My point is that Opra is irrelevant my friend.

[loratalk]

Hi, everyone,

This was recently the subject of the week, basically, on another yahoo
group. We all sent letters to both Oprah and Satellite Sisters.
Here's my letter to Satellite Sisters and their response. I also sent
this letter to Oprah Magazine. If more of us write, it will be like
Arlo Guthrie says in Alice's Restaurant: a movement. Then they can't
help but listen, and hopefully educate the masses.

Heidi

--

Dear Editor:

I was shocked by your Satellite Sisters column in the September issue of O
magazine, where it uses the example of "the neighbor with gluten-free
children
itching to join your mothers' group" as an "uninvited overture". My
intelligent,
charming, and very social four year old son, Jacob, is a celiac,
and to think that he would not be wanted at a playgroup because of a
medical
condition is horrifying. Celiac disease is quite prevalent, affecting as
many as 1 in 133 Americans and Europeans. Celiacs cannot eat gluten,
ever,
or they risk serious health complications. My son had failure to thrive
and chronic diarrhea until we removed gluten from his diet. Now, he is a
very healthy and happy little boy.

I must count myself fortunate that
all of the people who I have told about Jacob have been understanding and
accommodating. Your article shows not only an extreme lack of
empathy, but
also a serious degree of ignorance. I only hope that you will
enlighten yourselves
in regards to celiac disease and any other medical disorder which you feel
inclined to represent so negatively in such a public setting.

Sincerely,
Heidi Parthena White
Charlton, MA


--



Dear Heidi,
We apologise for our insensitivity. We had never heard of celiac's
disease or its dangers. In our ignorance, we misused the phrase
"gluten-free", not knowing its real meaning and connection to the
genetic disease, Celiac's. We feel awful that our careless and
ill-informed use of words has caused you and your family pain.
Your letter and many others have served to educate. We can only assume
that lots of people are in the dark about celiac's and the issues you
and your family face. We do intend to educate ourselves with all the
information we received so that we can add our voices to the chorus of
the informed about this subject ( rather then the point of view of the
ignorant and stupid which we represented so adequately).

I am a mother myself and there is no way I would knowingly shun a kid
with a genetic disease. In our O piece, which is meant to be humorous,
we tried to poke fun at a mother who is overly vigilant about her
child's diet, in a "no white sugar" kind of way. Obviously, we were
way off base on the real implications of the phrase "gluten-free".
Again, my deepest apologies. And my best wishes for your son's
continued good health.

Lian Dolan
the youngest sister

--
Register for our free weekly email newsletter Sisterlogue at
www.satellitesisters.com to receive show updates, questions for
listeners and opportunities to appear on the show with us.
Satellite Sisters on the ABC Radio Network
1007 Montana Ave., Box 103
Santa Monica, CA 90403

[cyborg]

I think clarification would be better. You have to pick your battles. I work in a health food store and get the gluten free crowd a lot, which is impossible since many veg dishes are made with wheat gluten. I find that most are just allergic which is not the same as having an actual disease like celiac or IBS which I think are pretty similar. Having said that, if it was my mother's group I would try to be accomodating but you can only do so much. It's like having children who have severe peanut allergies.

[JennieOsborne]

Please understand that Oprah is a woman that a great amount of influence in society, and rightfully so. Woman gravitate to her, because of her generosity, and seemingly real grace on TV. I don't get the chance to watch her, because I am an at home Mom, that home schoosl, and runs her children all over God's green earth. So, when she puts out an article that states children at are on a gluten free diet are socially unacceptable, I think that is socially unacceptable. To not realize that there are people that have a genetic disease in correlation with that diet is in poor taste to print it, without doing the research. We should expect more from our newspaper, and magazine editors. Would we be tolerant to someone that said people with Cystic Fibrosis, down syndrome, or of a different color or nationality were socially unaccepted? These are all things that the person couldn't help but be affected with, like Celiac disease. All David and I, and many others are saying is that you have to do your research, and be considerate in what you print, and how it will affect others. Politic bashing is one thing, but bashing someones disease, or nationality is totally "socially unacceptable!". For a references, check it out at your local magazine rack...pg 87

[JennieOsborne]

Some emails I have received: I just posted a copy of the article from the Satellite Sisters September 2003 column of "O" magazine. It is posted under "Photos" because it is a jpg file. Once you go there and click on it, you can view it in full size... just click on that option. Hope this helps some of you who were interested but have not seen it yet. I have written Oprah and the Satellite sisters and have rec'd the same "cookie cutter" responses they are sending out through automated emails.

This is horrible! You can write to them on line at the following link also... I already did. http://www.oprah.com/omagazine/omag_wehear.jhtml Click here: O Magazine: We Hear You

OH my, please let me know how i can write as well. THAT IS HORRIBLE! Laurie

> "The neighbor with gluten-free children itching to join your mother's group." Holy....! I can't believe they actually printed that!!! Do you have a link? Or and address? I don't buy O - but I'll certainly write a letter about that! Good grief. Like kids don't have enough troubles. Julieanne

Hi, everyone, This was recently the subject of the week, basically, on another yahoo group. We all sent letters to both Oprah and Satellite Sisters. Here's my letter to Satellite Sisters and their response. I also sent this letter to Oprah Magazine. If more of us write, it will be like Arlo Guthrie says in Alice's Restaurant: a movement. Then they can't help but listen, and hopefully educate the masses. Heidi -- Dear Editor: I was shocked by your Satellite Sisters column in the September issue of O magazine, where it uses the example of "the neighbor with gluten-free children itching to join your mothers' group" as an "uninvited overture". My intelligent, charming, and very social four year old son, Jacob, is a celiac, and to think that he would not be wanted at a playgroup because of a medical condition is horrifying. Celiac disease is quite prevalent, affecting as many as 1 in 133 Americans and Europeans. Celiacs cannot eat gluten, ever, or they risk serious health complications. My son had failure to thrive and chronic diarrhea until we removed gluten from his diet. Now, he is a very healthy and happy little boy. I must count myself fortunate that all of the people who I have told about Jacob have been understanding and accommodating. Your article shows not only an extreme lack of empathy, but also a serious degree of ignorance. I only hope that you will enlighten yourselves in regards to celiac disease and any other medical disorder which you feel inclined to represent so negatively in such a public setting. Sincerely, Heidi Parthena White Charlton, MA

HI Jennie, I heard about the "O" article on the ST Johns web site, and someone brought about a very important and interesting point. Yes, I agree, they should not have written what they did without further research. There are several that have written in to Oprah/Satallite Sisters. The sisters have sent out emails stating they apologize for what was written,,,they knew nothing about the disease,etc, I would like to see them research the topics before they publish. Someone mentioned, if they are willing to learn more about the Auto Immune Disease Celiac/Sprue, and other diseases/Allergeries associated with it,,,then we should be willing to supply them with the information. Now, having said that,,,we don't want to 'burn our bridges' and not even have a remote possibility of 'air time' on the TV show Oprah? The way Oprah does things, from what I have heard/seen,,,,,there could be a very good possibility of this happening. Just my 2 cents worth, but I don't like people making comments about things they know nothing about. Have a good weekend, Diane, Iowa

[mountaineer]

Please remove me from your ping list. Whether Oprah "dissed" people with real or imagined food allergies does not concern me.