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Agree. Many previously diagnosed by the community as weirdo's (which went no further) are actually now medically diagnosed as autistic.

As far as food allergies go, I think it's very much a mix of real vs. overreaction. I think the gluten issue is largely overreaction. In most cases, I think the kids feel better because they are actually eating a better, more natural diet vs. a bunch of processed crap. Little or nothing to do with gluten; everything to do with eating too much garbage. And I'm sure some of the food allergies are overreactions, but to be fair, it's hard to tell where on the scale a kid's reaction is going to fall. I know our kid's reaction was a huge, scary surprise.

I don't know if it's correct or not, but the increasing food allergies make me suspect that the ever improving hygiene and conditions we all live in are playing a role. As generations pass, our immune systems are not fighting the same real challenges as in the old days, and as a result, I think sometimes the immune system is deciding to fight stuff that isn't a threat. And then that gets passed along.

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There's a lot of research which supports this hypothesis. Essentially, everything is over-sanitized to the point that our bodies don't know how to react to different irritants and become hyper-reactive.

My only allergic reaction in my life was to a medication I was subscribed in my early twenties. Didn't know I was allergic, just felt bad so I went to see the doctor. Turned, out my kidneys were shutting down. I say that to explain that I have no appreciation for allergies.

A good friend is "allergic to gluten". I understand the concept, but wasn't buying it. I finally got her to explain it to me. She is medically diagnosed with multiple allergies, however gluten is not one. After doing some research she discovered a link between over consumption of processed foods and gluten to be a trigger for other allergies.

She tried eating a diet similar to paleo and it worked for her. Allergies were reduced and she felt a lot better. Digestive issues disappeared. She isn't allergic to gluten, but if she tries to eat on her diet people ask too many questions and want to give her advice. If she says she's allergic, people not only leave it alone, but go out of their way to eat at places conducive to her diet.

Summary, because people are know it all *******s, it is much easier to claim an allergy than to eat healthy. We've done it to ourselves.

I was at a game at Olsen several years ago when the lady next to me asked me not to eat peanuts so that her peanut allergic daughter (who was like 20 yo) could sit next to them. She claimed the close proximity of me cracking open peanut shells and throwing them on the ground would set her off. I suggested they move to the non-peanut eating section.

Now imagine being a teacher.

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In all due respect boy scouts isn't what it was 50 years ago. Today it is filled with 92% of the kids that have no friends, un athletic, home schooled, and liberal helicopter parents....that is why your list looks the way it does.


long gone are the days of fathers signing their boys up to join scouts to learn outdoors/wilderness/survival information to be used for when they mature. Today is it used for nothing but a way for precious snowflake to make friends. Hopefully

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Bull***it.

There are always going to be dorks but there are many boys in our troop whose parents decided that you can be a boy scout and athletic at the same time. Many boys in our troop are elite soccer players, elite gymnasts, baseball and football studs, etc.

It's up to you and me to change the attitude above. I'm trying to do that. Are you?

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In all due respect boy scouts isn't what it was 50 years ago. Today it is filled with 92% of the kids that have no friends, un athletic, home schooled, and liberal helicopter parents....that is why your list looks the way it does.


long gone are the days of fathers signing their boys up to join scouts to learn outdoors/wilderness/survival information to be used for when they mature. Today is it used for nothing but a way for precious snowflake to make friends. Hopefully

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The local troop where I grew up was pretty pitiful 25 years ago. I got out after Webelos and the whole Arrow of Light thing.

The guys running the troop were the epitome of the unathletic, home-schooled, nancies. They did almost no camping or survival stuff. It was literally about arts & crafts and weaving key fob lanyards. Had they been more into the outdoors I probably would have stayed in it despite my athletic & academic commitments.

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I don't know if it's correct or not, but the increasing food allergies make me suspect that the ever improving hygiene and conditions we all live in are playing a role. As generations pass, our immune systems are not fighting the same real challenges as in the old days, and as a result, I think sometimes the immune system is deciding to fight stuff that isn't a threat. And then that gets passed along.

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There's a lot of research which supports this hypothesis. Essentially, everything is over-sanitized to the point that our bodies don't know how to react to different irritants and become hyper-reactive.

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I think this is highly accurate.

I remember several years back after my dad got back from a trip to Thailand he was talking about how they ate dinner one night at a restaurant overlooking the Chao Phraya River and while they were enjoying their bottled water and beer he was watching a group of kids playing and swimming in the water. One of them dove in and came up and spit a mouthful of water out like it was no big deal. Had he or any of us gotten a mouthful of that water, our immune system would have gone haywire trying to fight off everything that might have been in the water.

Our sanitized society is a good thing, but the body also needs to get dirty occasionally so that we don't end up creating problems within ourselves that really don't need to exist.

Are some allergies real and simply a result of genetic mutations? Absolutely, but I'd bet that they are in the vast minority (changed in edit!) of diagnosed allergies. I'm cynical, but a lot of these recent diagnoses are the result, in my opinion, of a few factors - most of which revolve around the financial benefit of having these issues medically diagnosed. It's good for pharmaceutical companies to sell drugs, it's good for doctors to write prescriptions, and it's good for schools because they get more government funding for students that are classified as special needs (which all of the issues mentioned here fall into that category).

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**** need gluten-free, no wheat

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This one always makes me wonder if it's a real allergy or just paleo crazy people.

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Considering the prevalence of Celiac disease is estimated at less than 1% of the population...

and yet Gluten free seems to be everywhere.

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According to 3 of the 6 girls at my office, they don't have celiac disease, they just have "gluten sensitivity" and feel awful after eating gluten.

I tried to post a link to an article about 2 studies suggesting parents to feed their babies peanut products to avoid these allergies.

Here goes again:

http://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2016-03-04/peanuts-for-babies-studies-back-allergy-preventing-strategy

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We were talking about this the other day at work: As children of the 70's, do you ever remember anyone with a peanut allergy? No one could. Somehow all of us lived.

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I ask this all the time! I never remember anyone in my classes ever allergic to peanuts! Now if you bring one to school someone will die?? Crazy.

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I tried to post a link to an article about 2 studies suggesting parents to feed their babies peanut products to avoid these allergies.

Here goes again:

http://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2016-03-04/peanuts-for-babies-studies-back-allergy-preventing-strategy

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Neither of my boys will eat peanut butter, which I find appalling because I grew up on the stuff and still love it today. I will get a big spoonful straight from the jar for a snack. But we know neither have peanut allergies because they've both tried it with no ill effects.

Tell them to lay off of the junk. It's the bad food, not the gluten, that's doing that I warrant.

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I was a Scoutmaster for 12 of the 15 years my boys were in scouting. This is a common issue in the big cities. When I left Spring and came to Bandera those issues went down and the single parent poor family issues went up.

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FWIW...I used to believe this kind of thing, then my nephew who did not grow up organic, ultra sterile, etc and in quite honestly a very poor living situation ended up with a peanut and tree nut allergy.

I'd be very curious to know what the hell is going on, but I don't think it's very fair to paint a broad stroke as this being some kind of fad. It's a real thing...eat a peanut...stab with epipen...go to hospital.

Also...he's still a Cub Scout. Dad isn't around so I go and my sister picks up food for me to cook that's "safe". I assume when he's a Boy Scout we'll just volunteer to be the food buyer for the patrol.

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I don't know if it's correct or not, but the increasing food allergies make me suspect that the ever improving hygiene and conditions we all live in are playing a role. As generations pass, our immune systems are not fighting the same real challenges as in the old days, and as a result, I think sometimes the immune system is deciding to fight stuff that isn't a threat. And then that gets passed along.

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There's a lot of research which supports this hypothesis. Essentially, everything is over-sanitized to the point that our bodies don't know how to react to different irritants and become hyper-reactive.

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I think this is highly accurate.

I remember several years back after my dad got back from a trip to Thailand he was talking about how they ate dinner one night at a restaurant overlooking the Chao Phraya River and while they were enjoying their bottled water and beer he was watching a group of kids playing and swimming in the water. One of them dove in and came up and spit a mouthful of water out like it was no big deal. Had he or any of us gotten a mouthful of that water, our immune system would have gone haywire trying to fight off everything that might have been in the water.

Our sanitized society is a good thing, but the body also needs to get dirty occasionally so that we don't end up creating problems within ourselves that really don't need to exist.

Are some allergies real and simply a result of genetic mutations? Absolutely, but I'd bet that they are in the vast majority of diagnosed allergies. I'm cynical, but a lot of these recent diagnoses are the result, in my opinion, of a few factors - most of which revolve around the financial benefit of having these issues medically diagnosed. It's good for pharmaceutical companies to sell drugs, it's good for doctors to write prescriptions, and it's good for schools because they get more government funding for students that are classified as special needs (which all of the issues mentioned here fall into that category).

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I know you hear a lot more about breastfeeding and the right to feed anywhere etc. However, plenty of moms don't feed and go straight formula. Has there been any research looking at allergies in relation to breast feeding?

**** allergic to latex tape...


I think that means, you're allergic to latex...

Lots....

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In all due respect boy scouts isn't what it was 50 years ago. Today it is filled with 92% of the kids that have no friends, un athletic, home schooled, and liberal helicopter parents....that is why your list looks the way it does.


long gone are the days of fathers signing their boys up to join scouts to learn outdoors/wilderness/survival information to be used for when they mature. Today is it used for nothing but a way for precious snowflake to make friends. Hopefully

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You haven't spent a lot of time around Boy Scouts, at least not the troops I have been around. My son just finished Webelos and joined Boy Scouts so we visited a bunch of troops and I didn't see this at all. In fact I saw exactly what I remember seeing when I was a scout 30 some years ago. All the troops we were around had a separate adult camping area, many with a sign reading something along the lines of "go ask your senior patrol leader." They also had a specific set of rules that if the scout needed to talk to an adult it be an asst. scoutmaster other than their parent.

The biggest drain on scout attendance hasn't changed, it's the smell of perfume and gasoline. Something that hasn't changed.

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I think it is a mix. Scouts has always been a place for the awkward but if a kid sticks it out in the right program they will quickly adjust and become more mainstream. That is what is great about youth led troops that do a good job of taking a goofy 11 year old and having a 16 year old capable of leading, planning and mentoring younger youth. A good troop can take those goofy misfits and make them strong good kids, but make no mistake there are lots of goofy kids in scouting.

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Have you been in a 5th or 6th grade class recently? They are all goofy and awkward.

I have no idea. Wouldn't surprise me if there is plenty of research supporting both sides of that issue though.

I was told by one of my doctors one time (good dude, down to earth and avoided prescribing meds if there were other methods of treatment) that my [at the time] project being at the local wastewater treatment plant was a good thing for my immune system because I was constantly exposed to all kinds of things and that the exposure forced my body to boost my system as a result and that being outside as much as I was back then and constantly being exposed to various things throughout the duration of my projects was a good thing for the most part.

I don't think sanitary is a bad thing, don't get me wrong. But i do think that here we are over sanitized and that as a result we collectively don't have the ability to ward off common germs and diseases found in other parts of the world that don't have the luxury of hot water on demand, not crapping in the drinking cistern, etc. And as one of the other posters pointed out - my completely uneducated non-MD self agrees with the fact that being too clean is just as bad as being too filthy in terms of how our body reacts.

Germs, dirt, grass under bare feet, mud, etc. are not all bad things. In moderation. Except the mud, especially when two womensses are wrestling in it. Then you want copious amounts.

I'd bet 99% of those "allergies" are based on skin allergy testing without actual ingestion confirmation under the supervision of a MD.

I sure do want a couple of PB&J's on fresh white bread and a big glass of cold whole milk right now.

It's a messed up deal guys, but I can tell you from first hand experience, the threat is real.

My child has had life threatening food allergies since birth. Both my wife and I are extremely vigilant in managing this risk in her life. It's a 24-7 job.

My child is so severe, ingestion of a slight trace of the allergen results in immediate anaphylactic reaction. Because of this risk, we all eat the same allergen free diet in our house. We have instilled mitigative and preventive measures in her daily life outside of the house to help protect her. Our risk mgmt plan is designed with her safety in mind first. But, we also try not to interfere with the freedoms of those around to the extent we can and still keep her safe.

I like to think that my wife and I do one heck of a job protecting our daughter. Even still, to-date, my daughter has had over 10 life threatening reactions in her life. Everyone of them resulted in the administration of multiple epi-pens to stop the reaction and long stays in the ER until her body stabilized. Her last reaction resulted in a helicopter life-flight, 6 epi pen injections over a 24 hr period and 3 days in pediatric ICU. This was from the accidental ingestion of no more than the equivalent of a spoonful of milk.

Some of the comments on this board make me sick to my stomach. But I understand the reaction is based completely out of ignorance. It's hard to believe that something most people rely on for life-nourishment is more poisonous than cyanide to ingest for others cursed with food allergies.

Until you actually experience someone going through a severe life threatening reaction first hand you will never understand. All I ask is that you be patient, protective and caring of any child that may have to deal with this. And let's all pray that someday we find a cure and hope that I never have to make that dreaded post followed by the collective "here".

What is she allergic to?

Don't make the other kids adjust to your diet. Had a vegetarian in my troop as a kid, tried to bring his "preference" a couple times. It was not appreciated.

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Don't make the other kids adjust to your diet. Had a vegetarian in my troop as a kid, tried to bring his "preference" a couple times. It was not appreciated.

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Eating nut free is a non-event, it's just a matter of avoiding certain brands. If kids want PBJ on a camp out they could have it...

In my experience this much more of an issue with white city kids from a good part of town and is largely total bs. It's amazing how this issues seemingly disappear in rural settings. I attribute a lot of it to mom blogs and Facebook. Honestly there might be nothing worse than mom blogs. That said, there has definitely been an increase in true allergic reactions, see the above mentioned hygiene hypothesis.The biggest problem with this is that people are starting to just roll their eyes whenever somebody claims an allergy which can lead to dangerous situations for people.

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Would you say food allergies are prevalent now or we're just better at diagnosing them? Same goes with autism. you hear about kids having some form of autism all the time now. Is something causing that or are doctors able to identify it better?

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There is some really terrible genetics at play as well. Modern medicine helps mask a lot of problems that would have killed people at an early age 150 years ago. But now we can mask it (we don't "cure" anything), raise that person to an adult age, let them breed with another person who also has massive problems and *voila* kids that are even more terrible.

I'm convinced if we looked at the human race like a cattle breeding operation we'd cull 70% of them on Day 1.

OP, youneed to find a new pack

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**** allergic to latex tape...


I think that means, you're allergic to latex...

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I found out I am allergic to the adhesive, not latex itself.