Summary
A mother in Guernsey, a British island, finds that buying gluten-free food locally is expensive, so she orders it from the UK, which is cheaper despite shipping costs. Guernsey's government provides prescriptions for some gluten-free foods, but the mother chooses to buy her own due to quality preferences.
Key Facts
- Debbie, a mother in Guernsey, and her children must eat gluten-free and dairy-free diets due to coeliac disease.
- Coeliac disease is a condition where the body reacts to gluten, found in wheat, barley, and rye.
- Gluten-free food in Guernsey is costly; once, a loaf of gluten-free bread cost £4.68.
- The States of Guernsey offers gluten-free foods on prescription for coeliac patients.
- Debbie orders gluten-free products from the UK because even with postage, it costs less than buying locally.
- Coeliac UK reports gluten-free food can cost up to six times more than regular food.
- Only 36% of people with coeliac disease in the UK are diagnosed, and the disease is more likely if a family member has it.
- Coeliac disease symptoms include stomach pain, tiredness, and diarrhea, but they vary widely among individuals.
