Maybe you should send him or her to a gluten-free summer camp for kids with celiac disease!
A study was done at the University of California San Francisco, and researchers found that a week at gluten free camp improved the lives of children with celiac disease. The kids, age 7 to 17, also had improved self-perception. 104 kids attended the camp and were tracked by researchers. At the beginning and the end, the kids were asked how they felt about themselves.
The researchers wrote, “All kids seemed to benefit from [gluten free] camp, no longer feeling different from other kids or feeling frustrated with a restricted diet.” Measuring three areas, well-being, emotional outlook, and self-perception, the researchers found improvement in all three areas.
The scientists felt that celiac disease camp let the kids enjoy camp without feeling the anxiety or preoccupation with the food they were eating, or the stigma of having the disease.
Positive effects have been shown with other camps for children with illnesses too. Have you thought about sending your kid to a gluten free camp?
Here is our list of gluten free camps.
