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• Celiac Disease affects one in 100
Americans, or an estimated 3 million
people. The incidence of Celiac Disease
in Canada is estimated to be similar.1
• The average length of time for a symptomatic person to be diagnosed
with Celiac Disease is four years. Celiac Disease may begin at any age.
Children tend to have the more classic signs of Celiac Disease, such as
growth problems, chronic diarrhea/constipation, abdominal bloating and
pain, and irritability. Adults tend to have symptoms that are not entirely
gastrointestinal in nature. Most commonly, adults present with iron
deficiency anemia that does not respond to oral iron therapy.
• According to one recent study, the prevalence of undiagnosed Celiac
Disease has dramatically increased 4-fold in the U.S. during the past
50 years. Reasons for the increased prevalence of Celiac Disease over
time are not known.2
• Because Celiac Disease is a genetic disease, the incidence among
those with a first degree relative (parent, child or sibling) with Celiac
Disease is one in 22.3
• More than 12 million Americans have food allergies–
that’s one in 25, or 4% of the population. The prevalence of food allergies
is thought to be similar in Canada.4
• In the U.S., an estimated 3 million children under 18 have food allergies (3.9%).5
• While the reasons are still not clearly understood, the prevalence of food
allergies appears to be on the rise. From 1997 to 2007, food allergies
among children under 18 increased +18%.6
• Eight foods account for 90% of all food allergic reactions in the U.S. – dairy,
eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish and shellfish. In all, 160 foods
have been identified to cause reactions in sensitive individuals. Canada
has 11 common allergens: the eight recognized in the U.S. plus sesame
seed, sulfites and mustard (new).7
• 30 million Americans (10%) are believed to have at least
one food intolerance. Lactose Intolerance (LI) is the
most common form of food intolerance in the U.S.8
• A national study of parents showed the prevalence of
autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) is approximately 1 in
91 U.S. children (ages 3-17). The odds for having an
ASD were four times higher for boys than for girls.
Canadian prevalence rates are assumed to be the same.9
1 Dr. Peter Green, Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University/ University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center
www.celiacdisease.net
2 Mayo Clinic, Increased Prevalence and Mortality in Undiagnosed Celiac Disease, Gastroenterology, July 2009
3 University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center
4 Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network
5 U.S. Centers for Disease Control, Food Allergy Among U.S. Children, October 2008
6 U.S. Centers for Disease Control, Food Allergy Among U.S. Children, October 2008
7 U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Health Canada
8 National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases
9 American Academy of Pediatrics, Prevalence of Parent-Reported Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder
Among Children in the United States 2007, Pediatrics Journal, October 2009; Autism Speaks Canada