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than half of patients with a common digestive illness have been bullied for ‘following a faddy diet’ and ‘making a fuss’, research has found.

Coeliac disease is an adverse reaction to gluten, the protein found in wheat and pasta. There is even a tiny amount in beer. For sufferers, eating gluten can lead to distressing digestive symptoms and weight loss and increase the risk of cancer.

Avoiding foods containing gluten is the key to treatment. Yet sufferers say that they have felt judged or criticised because of their dietary needs. ‘An insistence that “just a little bit won’t hurt” may result in serious long-term health complications for those with coeliac disease,’ said Professor David Sanders, consultant gastroenterologist at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield.