Is Nuts the new Aids

[DHCJr]

http://www.time.com/time/health/arti...tzero-featured

What is happening reminds me of what happened at the beginning of the diagnosis of Aids.

[noodle]

i was allergic to peanuts.

i got over it by eating peanuts.

nut allergies are common for younger kids.

[matt9476]

I have a severe nut allergy that has landed me in the hospital several times, including once last year. I have the utmost empathy for children dealing with it. I was the only kid in my elementary school with a nut allergy and needed to leave once a week during lunch to get shots. However, I am completely against some of these "precautions" schools are taking.
While accidents still happen, I have learned to deal with this issue, and so can everyone else. If the parents are really that concerned, home-school the child rather than demanding the school district outlaw nuts. Confiscating backpacks and forcing kids to wash their hands is ridiculous. Asking the town to chop down trees in your neighbor's yard is outrageous.
It is your problem. Learn what situations to avoid and what precautions to take in case of an emergency. Don't insist that everyone else change their lifestyles to suit yours. When someone in my office eats nuts, I simply get up and walk away, or I move my desk. I'm not going to demand that my co-worker never bring nut products into the office. At most, I ask the people around me to be aware of the situation and act with a little sensitivity. I can't ask anything more than that.
What's really concerning is that nut allergies have exploded in my lifetime. As I said before, I was the only student in my elementary school with it. Now, every school has several.

[tchwojko]

There are allergies, and then there is anaphylactic shock. My son has been hospitalized three times because being able to breathe is rather important, and it was made difficult by eating a nut. He carries an epi-pen everywhere he goes. Trying to rid this allergy by him eating more of his allergens would not be a good strategy.

That said, I have an attitude similar (but not the same) as Matt's. We inform the school and other parents, and whomever else needs to know when food is involved, and let them make their choices. We want to know what those choices are in places like the school, or when he goes and visits, but we don't make demands.

The article points out some extreme examples. We've found most policies about food in schools to be mostly rational and reasonable. Similarly, most parents and students are reasonable in their expectations. But the extreme cases get all the news.

[Phantom5588]

Imagine if this situation were applied to people who were allergic to sunlight...

[matt9476]

There are allergies, and then there is anaphylactic shock. My son has been hospitalized three times because being able to breathe is rather important, and it was made difficult by eating a nut. He carries an epi-pen everywhere he goes. Trying to rid this allergy by him eating more of his allergens would not be a good strategy.

This is absolutely right. I have carried an epi-pen with me. Thankfully, I've never had to use one. I could probably overcome my allergy to cats by spending more time with them, but eating nuts will kill me. That's not an exaggeration.

The article points out some extreme examples. We've found most policies about food in schools to be mostly rational and reasonable. Similarly, most parents and students are reasonable in their expectations. But the extreme cases get all the news.

I agree.

[tchwojko]

There's also some conflation of food intolerances ("My child gets sleepy when he/she eats gluten.") with severe allergies ("My child will stop breathing when he/she eats x.").

When calling 911 is the second thing you're supposed to do, it's serious.

In all cases, once the kid is old enough, training for the real world has to kick in. What will the kids do if they've been completely sheltered from their allergens, and then they go to college, where mom and dad can't control the environment? The kids need to know their risks, and know how to deal with the situation.

[Sir Alexander]

I am severly, anaphylactically allergic to all nuts. I'm actually so allergic to peanuts that I'll throw up and break out in hives if I walk through a room with a peanutbutter cookie in it. (I know, sounds impossible. That's what my allergist thought to, till I had a reaction near his office and he saw it).

I've had these allergies since I was BORN. I developed them IN THE WOMB and I will likely never outgrow my peanut allergy. I carry an epipen with me everwhere.

While accidents still happen, I have learned to deal with this issue, and so can everyone else. If the parents are really that concerned, home-school the child rather than demanding the school district outlaw nuts. Confiscating backpacks and forcing kids to wash their hands is ridiculous. Asking the town to chop down trees in your neighbor's yard is outrageous.

I am home-schooled mainly because of my allergies, and I agree cutting down someones trees would be ridiculous. But, not allowing children to bring nuts to school or having them wash their hands is most certainly NOT ridiculous. If you could keep someone from dieing or being hospitalized by washing your hands or not having peanuts for lunch would you do it?

[matt9476]

I am home-schooled mainly because of my allergies, and I agree cutting down someones trees would be ridiculous. But, not allowing children to bring nuts to school or having them wash their hands is most certainly NOT ridiculous. If you could keep someone from dieing or being hospitalized by washing your hands or not having peanuts for lunch would you do it?

Believe me, I understand your predicament. I empathize with you. But you can't tell hundreds of kids not to bring any kind of nut into the school just because of one student. It's not fair.
Let me give you a similar situation. Should someone demand that a flight crew not serve peanuts on an airplane because he/she is allergic? I've actually dealt with this problem myself. Luckily, most airlines will agree to serve pretzels or chips or something else if you call ahead and request it. However, they are fully in their power to tell you "no." If that's the case, you better make alternate arrangements. You might have to drive. Sure, that's an inconvenience, but you're the one with the problem, so you have to adjust.
Here's another situation. Would you demand a restaurant fry your food in vegetable oil instead of peanut oil? The restauranteer is under no obligation to do so. It is incredibly helpful that some restaurants post signs in the building or on the menu that read "fried in peanut oil." I know of several that do that. But here's the kicker. If a restaurant uses peanut oil, you better order something that isn't fried or go someplace else. Again, it's one person's problem.
The best course of action is to take control of the situation. When I'm ordering food, I ask about the ingredients and cooking method. When I fly, I call ahead and ask that nuts not be served on the plane. These are things I must do to ensure I don't have a problem. The responsibility is on me, and I can't expect anyone else to do anything about it. Luckily, the problem has become well known enough that people are very receptive to my requests.
Get this, I'm also allergic to evergreen trees, which causes a very big problem at Christmas. Naturally, I have an artificial tree, but I can't go anywhere with a real tree. That means turning down party invitations from friends. It sucks, but that's what I have to do. It wouldn't make any sense for me to tell my friend to put out an artificial tree, just because I'm coming over.

[Sean Butler]

I am home-schooled mainly because of my allergies, and I agree cutting down someones trees would be ridiculous. But, not allowing children to bring nuts to school or having them wash their hands is most certainly NOT ridiculous. If you could keep someone from dieing or being hospitalized by washing your hands or not having peanuts for lunch would you do it?

While I do empathize with your condition, I disagree, it is ridiculous to expect schools to force children to stop eating nuts and to wash their hands because of them. If a person is that allergic to a food, it is their responsibility to defend themselves. We cannot make all of society change its behavior to accommodate less than 0.1%. Besides if exposure to peanuts would help a large percentage of children overcome their allergy, why would we want create an environment where none of them would ever have that opportunity? Also, what should we do about people allergic to wheat, egg, fish, shellfish, soy, or milk?

[Sir Alexander]

While I do empathize with your condition, I disagree, it is ridiculous to expect schools to force children to stop eating nuts and to wash their hands because of them. If a person is that allergic to a food, it is their responsibility to defend themselves. We cannot make all of society change its behavior to accommodate less than 0.1%. Besides if exposure to peanuts would help a large percentage of children overcome their allergy, why would we want create an environment where none of them would ever have that opportunity? Also, what should we do about people allergic to wheat, egg, fish, shellfish, soy, or milk?

What about children whose parents can't homeschool them? Whose parents have to work all day? Should those children be asked to risk their lives every day just so they won't 'inconveinence' others?

[Phantom5588]

What about children whose parents can't homeschool them? Whose parents have to work all day? Should those children be asked to risk their lives every day just so they won't 'inconveinence' others?

No, they should be taught how to manage their allergy so that they can exist in the world as we know it. By providing them with an environment free of allergens and contaminants what are we preparing them for? A world that simply does not exist. I'm not unsympathetic with their plight, but I do recognize that teaching them about how to manage their allergy is an essential responsibility which we cannot and should not avoid.

[tchwojko]

What about children whose parents can't homeschool them? Whose parents have to work all day? Should those children be asked to risk their lives every day just so they won't 'inconveinence' others?

Should an entire class's curriculum be matched to the one having trouble? To the one who is excelling? Where is the line? I'm not saying that you can't make concessions, and come to agreements, but you do have to realize that the rest of the world isn't going to conform to your needs.

What will you do after you're done with school? Should a workplace ban peanuts if you work for them? Does a delivery truck need to make sure they don't come down your street?

Isn't an inconvenience for 99.9% of the population more than just an inconvenience? Shouldn't there be some compromise?

I'm not claiming any answers. There's lots of gray.

[Sir Alexander]

I agree there's a gray area.

But there is a HUGE difference between someone having trouble with the curriculum and putting someone's LIFE at risk just so everyone else can have what they want for lunch. Why can't they have them after school instead?

[Gav]

I agree there's a gray area.

But there is a HUGE difference between someone having trouble with the curriculum and putting someone's LIFE at risk just so everyone else can have what they want for lunch. Why can't they have them after school instead?

With respect perhaps that person is in the wrong place...

[Sir Alexander]

With respect perhaps that person is in the wrong place...

You are legally required to go to school, and a lot of people do not have the option of homeschooling.

How can they be in the wrong place?

[matt9476]

But there is a HUGE difference between someone having trouble with the curriculum and putting someone's LIFE at risk just so everyone else can have what they want for lunch. Why can't they have them after school instead?

The school isn't putting anyone's life at risk by allowing peanuts. The student is putting his/her own life at risk by attending that school. Educators have much more important things to worry about. The onus is on the child and his/her parents to deal appropriately with the situation. You can't expect other people to make your life easier. You have to do it yourself. That is the way of the world. Does it suck that we are allergic to nuts and could die from mere exposure to it? You bet. But we have to take precautions. We have to be responsible for ourselves. The world owes us nothing.
Think about this. If schools forbid nuts because someone in the school is allergic, it could lead to a slue of demands that other things be outlawed. And if a district makes allowances for one student, it has to do it for all children with ailments. Imagine what a society that would make.

[Sir Alexander]

The school isn't putting anyone's life at risk by allowing peanuts. The student is putting his/her own life at risk by attending that school. Educators have much more important things to worry about. The onus is on the child and his/her parents to deal appropriately with the situation. You can't expect other people to make your life easier. You have to do it yourself. That is the way of the world. Does it suck that we are allergic to nuts and could die from mere exposure to it? You bet. But we have to take precautions. We have to be responsible for ourselves. The world owes us nothing.
Think about this. If schools forbid nuts because someone in the school is allergic, it could lead to a slue of demands that other things be outlawed. And if a district makes allowances for one student, it has to do it for all children with ailments. Imagine what a society that would make.

What option does the student have other than going to school?

[tchwojko]

What option does the student have other than going to school?

There are lots of possible solutions that don't go to extremes in any particular direction.

[Sir Alexander]

There are lots of possible solutions that don't go to extremes in any particular direction.

Alright. Name a few.