It really upsets me that this tv show would suggest to fake a food allergy. My daughter has multiple food allergies some life threating some not, however any allergy at any time can turn life threatening. I and people who live with food allergies everyday have been fighting to get the proper recognition that allergies should be taken seriously. Not a day goes by that people don’t roll their eyes when I ask questions about cross contamination or the ingredients. Allergies are very real and very serious. Please don’t be so reckless with your suggestions. A person lying about these things is a step in the wrong direction for allergy awareness. I mean seriously how hard would it be to say no butter please? I have to ask a million questions when I go out with my daughter (which I don’t mind asking to be safe) and the majority of the time there is nothing on the menu she can eat so we just go home. Be thankful you only have to say ‘hold the butter’ for fat intake reasons. Please don’t suggest something so foolish that causes such serious problems for allergy sufferers.

You doctors are usually right on about health issues, and I enjoy your show when I can watch it.  But you blew it with the “butter allergy” recommendation.  You should rethink, retract, and do a show that deals with allergies.  It is obviously a problem much bigger than you realized (C’mon, you ARE doctors!).  A little insensitive, I think!

Regarding your segment on “Faking a Butter Allergy”: Absolutely no medical condition should be discussed in flippant, misleading or quasi-humorous (sarcastic) terms – especially by health care professionals, pharmaceutical companies, the media, or others who have a public platform. A physician diagnosed food allergy is a very serious condition, can be life-threatening and creates significant burdens on patients/families and communities. It is not to be taken lightly. Adding to inaccurate nomenclature issues is extremely harmful. As a health care professional and food allergy educator,, I request that you rectify the offensive consequences of your remarks. I suggest you bring foard certified allergists, with a subspecialty in food allergy, on your show to clarify and properly educate the public. 

bring foard certified ……typo…should be board-certified allergists

Many people, myself included,  have expressed very emotional responses to this segment. I think we represent a larger population than you anticipated (keep in mind every response has a bevy of supportive friends and relatives behind it). I think you need to address this on an emotional and medical level.  I would suggest you contact FAAN, the Food Allergy and Anaphalactic Network.  This organization is a provider of acurate info from doctors, parents and patients.  There are some great blogs also. Theallergistmom posted in this thread. Smart allergy-friendly education is another. Food allergies are very misunderstood.  I didn’t believe in them until my daughter almost died in the emergency room.  I used to think they were just picky kids. Karma slapped me in the head, luckily it didn’t result in her death.  I did everything wrong.  We were very lucky.  It needs a voice.  Your voice is loud.

My grandson has a life threatening allergy to nuts.  After putting a single cashew in his mouth at the age of two he spent the entire night at the emergency ward and then in a hospital bed hooked up to a monitor.  How dare you suggest someone lie about a butter allergy.  Food allergy parents have an overwhelming task protecting their child and educating the community, schools, daycares, and other parents and you just minimalized it over some calories.  Shame on you.

As a mother of a 5 year old son with life threatening anaphylactic food allergies to milk and egg, I am both saddened and horrified at your show’s MEDICAL advice to “fake a butter allergy”.  I watched the clip in shocked awe that 4 medical professionals could go against all medical ethics and the commitment as doctors to “do no harm” and give advice that has such profoundly detrimental and scary consequences for children and adults with REAL life threatening food allergies.  My son was diagnosed as a baby with life threatening food allergies and in order to keep him safe we must be extremely vigilant and he must strictly avoid milk, egg, and all dairy in all forms, including skin contact.  Restaurants and trusting food service staff to safely prepare food for him is a minefield of dangers and we typically bring food from home and take extreme caution in ordering even things like fresh fruit since he reacts to cross contact with dairy residue.  As others have pondered in these posts, NOTHING about this horrible advice makes any sense.  The fact that this is not some random private practice Dr. giving bad advice in a 1:1 setting but rather a team of doctors with celebrity credibility and a huge public audience makes this a truly shameful incident.  You are not only taking major steps backwards in our advocacy and fight for awareness about food allergies (for the sake of our children’s lives), but are actually creating an environment of trivializing food allergies.  The detrimental affect of your “little white lie” advice may have life threatening consequences if restaurant staff think food allergies are equal to a dietary preference.  As doctors would you also advise faking diabetes when you order a dessert to cut down on the amount of sugar you get?  Advising people to LIE about a serious medical condition not only affects your viewers and their attitudes but also their children as well.  What will a child think when his mommy lies about her “fake butter allergy” when they are out to eat….imagine how he will start to think about his school classmate with a milk or peanut allergy now….is she for real or just saying that ?  How very, very sad and disappointing on so many levels!!  I think you owe families who live with the daily challenge of keeping their children safe in a world where one bite of the wrong food could be life threatening an apology and a show dedicated to food allergy awareness, education, and the reality of living with food allergies in a world where most people (including your doctors and show) do not understand.  Please take responsibility for your harmful actions and completely inappropriate advice.  I used to be a fan, but your show broke my heart on behalf of my sweet son who never asked to have a severe medical condition that affects every aspect of his life (and our family’s life).  Please be aware of the amount of power you have to do good (or in this case harm) to the people who watch your show.