I am seriously thinking of contacting Oprah and/or Good Morning America to ask them to do an expose about soy and peanut allergies. I might contact other shows, as well.
I know a producer at GMA, so it's possible it might get done. I don't know anyone at Oprah, so that is a total shot in the dark.
I am just so FED UP with soy flour and soy protein showing up in EVERYTHING these days. And if it doesn't have soy flour, it has a peanut warning on the label.
We work from an increasingly shrinking list of packaged food products we can safely buy. It is really starting to get to me. My kids asked me the other day, "Mom, if it continues like this, what will we be able to eat?" The answer, unfortunately, is not much that is packaged.
Would you guys want to participate in a letter-writing (or email writing) campaign to some TV shows to illustrate how many people are affected by these allergens showing up in foods where they do not belong?
Somebody in the food industry has got to start being held accountable for this. It just isn't right. What is soy flour doing in bagels, bread, rolls, Twinkies, pancake mix, and donuts? What can we do to help stop it?
I would be intersted in helping them do a story on food allergies, not just soy and peanut allergies. My son isn't allergic to soy and I know that is a difficult allergy and is in many things. Our son is allergic to dairy, egg, peanuts, nuts, and sesame (and sesame doesn't have to be labeled at all. My son has had serious reactions to foods that didn't have sesame on the label in any way but had sesame X-contam due to lack of awareness that it is even an allergen.)
We do not have a wide variety of foods that are prepackaged that DS can eat. I would *guess* that we have no more than you, probably less, so your topic would interest me. I would like better labeling, better cleaning practices, to get sesame covered by the labeling law (should be covered already because it already has the #'s to support it being covered.) I would like to see more products that DS could eat.
However, there are *many* other issues related to FAs that I would prefer the story cover--social issues especially. I would love to see a 'how to help your FA friends and family stay safe.' I would love to see these shows give America a view of what our lives are like so that people will be more understanding when we ask them to make changes that keep our children safe.
I think it's a great idea! Getting exposure on what we deal with every day would be wonderful (and might help to push research along). GMA did a piece on Wesley Burks last summer - maybe you could spin it as a follow up?
When the Rachel Ray show started recently, she did a piece on severe food allergies, mostly peanut, if I remember.
I'm with lakeswimr - my dd (6) is also allergic to dairy, eggs, nuts, peanuts, and sesame as WELL as soy. My infant is allergic to both peanuts and eggs. Feeding her has been a challenge over the past 6 years, but she is a very healthy, happy child.
Another interesting topic when it comes to food allergies is discrimination. We have been attending BSF (Bible Study Fellowship), a wonderful international bible study program, for 7 years. All of a sudden they have a policy that states if your child has an EPIpen, they may not enroll! They are concerned about putting the teachers or volunteers in an uncomfortable position! I am very upset about it.
Anyways, here in Albuquerque I have a network of mothers with food-allergic children and I would be happy to help out.
Thanks,
Angela Morris
About a year ago, maybe longer, I saw a story on GMA about peanut allergies. I think it was more related to the Duke study. Juju Chang reported and if I remember correctly, she said her son had the allergy also. Maybe you could try to get in touch with her?
I've often wished Oprah would do a show.
Check out Allergykids.com
On her blog she tells out O Magazine has invited them to a workshop. You can register to win a free trip.
It is worth a chance!
Do it. I think that would be great.
There is too much soy in everything packaged.
Good luck.
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Allergic to all soy, all nuts, peas, beans, sunflower. Started at age 40.
I think it would be great! Everyone should write- I will write both and I will also write Martha Stewart- she has gotten into a lot of things regarding health.
I just thought I would put my two cents in. A number of us have written to Oprah over the past few years. I don't think any of us have received a true responce. My feeling is, after she had her confrontation with the Beef Industry she is reluctand to wander in to another volitile area such as peanuts. The peanut industry has deep pockets.
I'm not saying don't write but you might not hear back from them beyond the automated email saying they have received you email blah, blah, blah.
Take care,
Katiee
good luck with Oprah. I, personally, wrote to Larry King show after seeing the interview with Jenny McCarthy ( her son was diagnosed with autism.) And not surprising, no reply. The sad thing is, it might take a celebrity's kid to be diagnosed with severe food allergy for the media to take action.
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