My intolerance of fussy people

A miniature dog like those hauled about by Britney and Geri, a mini Ipod, a furry Gilet or a food allergy?

Yes as mad as it may sound, scientists believe the thing most people want for the new year is an intolerance to their dinner!

No doubt people around the country will be turning their backs on the last few weeks of indulgence and starting a diet in the coming weeks.

But watching what you eat and cutting whole food groups out of your diet and two very different things.

Women who feel bloated after a bowl of pasta are now claiming they are allergic to wheat while those who have been burning the candle at both ends and going to bed with a milky drink are blaming lactose intolerance for their tiredness rather than their life style.The British Nutritionist Foundation has found that leaving things out of your diet for no reason can lead to vitamin and mineral deficiency So as well as suffering from water retention and bloating, those people blaming pasta for feeling off colour are making themselves feel worse by turning their backs on bread and cakes.

Some new research suggests one in five people claim to have a food allergy while other nutritionists, who love these food-combing ideas, claim as many as 45 per cent of the population would benefit from eating a much less balanced diet.

In actual fact only two per cent of the population have a food intolerance that would cause them discomfort and only one per cent have a possible fatal reaction to food.

My dad is part of that one per cent and I am sure that is why I am so intolerant of made-up allergies and fussy eaters.

In his early 20s my dad was diagnosed with Coeliac Disease which means he cannot eat anything containing with in it.

He would love to tuck into properly baked fresh bread or drink a pint of hand-pilled beer but he can't.

He has spent decades making sure he stays well by monitoring what he eats - he doesn't want to live like this but he has to.

The explosion in food intolerances has helped him in some respects - there is a lot more choice in the supermarket now and whole gluten-free ranges are available which were unheard of in the 1970s.

But most of the people filling their shopping trolleys with wheat-free biscuits and diabetic chocolate could indulge in regular treats but for some reason they think looking different is looking better.

These food-phonics want to be able to tell a dinner party host that their special diet will have to be catered for because it makes them feel exotic and unusual.

Believe me there is nothing exotic about avoiding most take-aways and eating endless steak and chips while your family try the latest pub grub.When my dad informs a waiter he has a 'special diet' I always want to explain that he isn't being fussy, precious or pretending -for him it's deadly serious.If faddy eaters turn up for tea and are faced with their worst nightmare of cream cakes and a bowl of peanuts they can dig in if they want - a luxury that people with real allergies can not enjoy.

Would these people with fake allergies also claim to have halitosis, eczema or varicose veins? Of course not - because it's not about loving any illness it's about the national obsession of food.As a society we have become so obsessed by grub that to be cool you have to be able to have something interesting to say about it.

I think the most interesting thing you can say about food - is "I love everything and want to try as many different dishes as possible." There's nothing wrong with having likes and dislikes but anyone with an imagined allergy would soon be crossed off my guest list.