Celiacs: not so slender?(News flash)(Celiac disease )(Brief article)

PEOPLE with celiac disease traditionally have been thought to be underweight because of nutrient malabsorption. But celiacs are overweight more often than underweight and the majority who go on a gluten-free diet gain additional weight, according to a study in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder caused by an intolerance to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and other grains. The study reviewed data on 371 patients diagnosed with celiac disease over a 10-year period in a clinic in Northern Ireland. Only 4 percent of the patients were underweight when diagnosed while 39 percent were overweight and 57 percent were normal weight. After strictly eliminating gluten from the diet for two years, 81 percent of the patients gained weight, including 82 percent of the initially overweight patients. The proportion of patients ...