Posted on 01/09/2008 10:43:12 AM PST by Born Conservative
ROBYN O’BRIEN likes to joke that at least she hasn’t started checking the rearview mirror to see if she’s being followed.
But some days, her imagination gets away from her and she wonders if it’s only a matter of time before Big Food tries to stop her from exposing what she sees as a profit-driven global conspiracy whose collateral damage is an alarming increase in childhood food allergies.
Ms. O’Brien has presented her views, albeit in a less radical wrapper, on CNN, CBS and in frequent print interviews. Frontier Airlines and Wild Oats stores distribute the allergy-awareness gear she designed.
Her story is one of several in a new book, “Healthy Child, Healthy World” (Dutton, March 2008), whose contributors include doctors, parents and celebrities like Meryl Streep.
Sitting at the table in her suburban kitchen, with her four young children tumbling in and out, Ms. O’Brien, 36, seems an unlikely candidate to be food’s Erin Brockovich (who, by the way, has taken Ms. O’Brien under her wing).
She grew up in a staunchly Republican family in Houston where lunch at the country club frequented by George and Barbara Bush followed Sunday church services. She was an honors student, earned a master’s degree in business and, like her husband, Jeff, made a living as a financial analyst.
Ms. O’Brien was also the kind of mom who rolled her eyes when the kid with a peanut allergy showed up at the birthday party. Then, about two years ago, she fed her youngest child scrambled eggs. The baby’s face quickly swelled into a grotesque mask. “What did you spray on her?” she screamed at her other children. Little Tory had a severe food allergy, and Ms. O’Brien’s journey had begun.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
LOL
That food allergy ate my baby!
So they’ve proven that it is the foods that have caused the supposed increase in foo allergies? Or is it the typical Leftist assumption and demonization process?
Meryl Streep triple crown!
Meryl Streep played Karen Silkwood (conspiracy theorists believe she was deliberately run off the road)
Meryl Streep became a spokeswoman for the cause of banning Alar
And she support this woman. Wonderful.
Sounds like "demonization process" to me....
Now that's one I hadn't heard before. I guess none of the executives, managers, etc. of "Big Food" have kids and, if they do, they obviously are intentionally trying to hurt them. Rubbish!!
Ping
We are eating a more diverse diet now with more ingredients processed from different foods. Play the odds and those with allergies to those foods are more likely to encounter the things they may never have touched before.
I'm gluten intolerant. That puts limits on what I can eat. When my boss offers a pizza party as a celebration of success on a project, I find something else to do. I don't inflict my limits on my co-workers. It's not their problem. If the celebration is at a restaurant that offers alternatives, I order a grilled chicken salad (no croutons) and join the activity. If the menu offers no good alternatives, I order ice tea and pull a meal replacement bar out of my pocket.
She strikes me as nothing more than a “food truther”. Personally, I think many of the food allergies are caused by the combination vaccines they are giving children these days. Maybe I should start playing six degrees of separation and expose that “conspiracy”.
From the article....
“Don’t eat food with ingredients you can’t pronounce.”
She better make sure she never gets into any dihydrogen monoxide. 100% of the people who ingest this chemical die.
I think women having kids later in life when they are 45 or 50 has a lot to do with this.
All these crazy food allergies in my daughter's school are NUTZ!
This was never the case when I was going to school.
I know what you’re saying, but...
I’ve got a fragrance allergy. Certain substances that are added to cosmetics, candles, even cleaning products, give me massive headches, dizzy spells, and trouble breathing. They aren’t necessary to most of these products but companies put them in anyway. And it’s increased a lot in the past few decades, apparently. So maybe food is similar.
Of course, I handle my allergy by keeping smelly stuff out of my house and trying to avoid bad situations, not going on tv or trying to pass laws, but that’s because I believe in taking responsibility for myself.
Not guilty!
Yet another “My kid’s allergy is everyone’s problem!” story. We’re turning into a nation of nanny-state ninnies.
I hope this is greatly appreciated by your co-workers because I don't go out to lunch anymore with mine. There is always one or two vegans in the lot and we wind up going to an Indian or some other crap restaurant out of being considerate.
Notification of potential allergens have already gone too far. I got a bag of peanuts with the warning "Produced on equipment that processes peanuts." NO $H1T!!!
What's the inference here, Kim?
I can think of about 3 Freeper Moms here who have kids with severe allergies and who had them at young-ish age.
Not a very good health standard for those of us who remember chemistry class. Of course, some of the advertising is annoying, "Cookies just like grandma used to make."
Yeah, maybe if grandma had a PhD in chemistry.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.