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Actors, Athletes, News Anchors, and More Follow the Gluten-free Diet

JenniferAnistonWhether people are eating gluten free for medical reasons or non-medical reasons, the plain fact is more and more people are following the examples set by celebrities and athletes who attribute eating gluten free to losing weight and for its ability to increase athletic performance. Whatever the reason, celebrities, athletes, reporters, etc. continue to follow a gluten-free diet, so it is time to update the lists I started back in 2010.

I think it is important to separate out those who are eating gluten free for medical from those who eat gluten free for or non-medical reasons, so there are five lists below: Celebrities with Celiac Disease, Celebrities with non-celiac gluten sensitivity/wheat intolerance, Celebrities who eat gluten free by choice, Athletes with Celiac Disease, and Athletes who eat gluten free by choice. These lists were compiled using multiple sources.

Celebrities with non-celiac gluten sensitivity or wheat intolerance

  • Malin Ackerman (Actor)
  • Jayson Blair (Actor)
  • Bill Clinton
  • Miley Cyrus
  • Dana Delany (Actor)
  • Zooey Deschanel (Actor)
  • Cody Gifford (son of Kathie Lee Gifford reportedly needs to avoid gluten)
  • Elizabeth Gillies (Actor on Nickelodeon)
  • Geri Halliwell (Singer)
  • Mariel Hemingway (Actor)
  • Juliette Lewis (Actor)
  • Howie Mandell (Actor)
  • Gena Lee Nolin (Actor) – follows a gluten-free diet due to Hashimoto’s & Hypothyroidism
  • Ryan Phillipe (Actor)
  • Ian Somerhalder
  • Terence Stamp
  • Anna Silk (Actor)
  • Billy Bob Thornton (Actor)
  • Rachel Weisz (Actor)
  • Rumer Willis (Actor)

 

Celebrities with Celiac Disease

  • Avery Aames (Author)
  • Neil Boortz (Radio personality)
  • Sarah Joy Brown (Actor)
  • Meg Cabot (Author)
  • Chelsea Clinton
  • Heidi Collins (former CNN anchor)
  • Jennifer Esposito (Actor)
  • Susie Essman (Actor on Curb Your Enthusiasm)
  • Shannon Ford (Miss USA 2011)
  • Scott Michael Foster (Actor)
  • Rich Gannon’s (NFL Quarterback) daughter, Danielle
  • Thom Hartmann (Air America Radio)
  • Elizabeth Hasselbeck (“The View”)
  • Katherine, Duchess of Kent
  • Laura Kaeppeler (Miss America)
  • Jilly Lagasse (Daughter of Emeril Lagasse)
  • Jessie Lagasse Swanson (Daughter of Emeril Lagasse)
  • Melissa McCrady (Reporter)
  • Dean McDermott (Actor)
  • Tenley Molzahan (Bachelorette contestant)
  • Dannii Minogue (Younger sister to Kylie Minogue the singer)
  • Keith Olbermann (TV personality)
  • Emmy Rossum (Actor)
  • Brandon Rudat (Reporter)
  • Aarti Sequeria (Food Network)
  • Joe Stanton (Cartoonist who draws Batman, Green Lantern, Archie & Scooby-Do)
  • Jane Swift (former Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor)
  • Sarah Vowell
  • Brandy Wendler (Mrs. Alaska International)
  • Amy Wheaton (Wil Wheaton’s Sister)
  • Deb Wheaton (Wil Wheaton’s Mom)
  • Deborah Ann Woll (Actress)

 

Celebrities who eat gluten-free by choice

  • Jessica Alba
  • Jennifer Aniston
  • Victoria Beckham
  • Fran Drescher
  • Hillary Duff – rumored to be considering a gluten-free diet to drop her baby weight
  • Shannon Elizabeth
  • Lady Gaga – she publicly went on and off a gluten-free diet to drop 10 pounds
  • Jennie Garth
  • Kim Kardashian
  • K.D. Lang
  • Jenny McCarthy
  • Bill O’Reilly
  • Gwyneth Paltrow
  • Al Roker
  • Peter Sarsgaard
  • Kyra Sedgwick

 

Athletes with Celiac Disease/Gluten Sensitivity

  • Amy Yoder Begley (Competed in Beijing Olympics as a Runner)
  • Cedric Benson (NFL)
  • Timmy Curran (Surfer)
  • Drew Brees (NFL)
  • Tom Kostopoulos (Canadian NHL hockey player)
  • Raul Ibanez (MLB)
  • Sabine Lisicki (Tennis)
  • Allie Martins (Nordic Skier)
  • Justin Morneau (MLB)
  • Martina Navratilova (Tennis)
  • Timothy O’Donnell (Triathlete)
  • Mickey Redmon (former pro hockey player)
  • Josh Schieffer (Triathlete)
  • Sarah Jane Smith (LPGA)
  • Jenn Suhr (Pole Vaulter)
  • Hayley Turner (English Flat Racing Jockey)
  • Dana Vollmer (Swimmer)
  • Venus Williams (to treat Sjorgren’s syndrome)
  • Carrie Willoughby (Paralympic Swimmer)

 

Athletes who eat gluten free by choice:

Andy Murray has been removed from the list because according to a recent article, he stopped eating gluten free when he lost too much weight and strength.

 

Do you think celebrities/athletes talking about the gluten-free diet benefits or hurts those who eat gluten-free for medical reasons?

 

——————————–
Author Information: Jennifer D. Harris, Atlanta, GA
Jennifer D. Harris, http://www.jenniferglutenfreeingeorgia.blogspot.com
Marketing Coordinator, Pure Knead
President, Just Gluten Free
Program Chair, Atlanta Metro CeliacsTwitter@jenniferGFinGA

About Jennifer Harris

Avatar photo
Author Information: Jennifer D. Harris, Atlanta, GA Jennifer D. Harris, http://www.jenniferglutenfreeingeorgia.blogspot.com Atlanta Gluten-Free Examiner Program Chair, Atlanta Metro CeliacsTwitter@jenniferGFinGA

8 comments

  1. As a Celiac, I believe that celebrities that go gluten free, that don’t have to be, hurt the Celiac and gluten intolerant community. These celebrities claim that you can lose weight and be thin like them, when you go gluten free. Have they lost their minds? Do they know how much sugar and fat goes into gluten free foods? Many gluten free foods have more calories than regular food. These celebrities give us a bad rep.

    However, the only good thing that comes out of all of this, is the increase of gluten free products available to us. I just do not like that it comes with negative publicity.

  2. How did you confirm this list? With the celebrities themselves? You should be careful about claims about the health conditions of the individual celebrity or athlete, especially when they are not true. People look up to celebrities and misinformation could lead individuals looking for medical help down the wrong path.

    Chelsea Clinton does not have Celiac.
    http://celiac-disease.com/talking-gluten-free-with-president-bill-clinton/
    http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Allergies/slideshow/celebs-gluten-free-17828847

    Aarti Sequeria does not have Celiac.
    http://www.aartipaarti.com/2010/05/11/going-gluten-free/

    Keith Olberman does not have Celiac.
    https://twitter.com/KeithOlbermann/statuses/334783098917109760

  3. You can see on Drew Brees facebook he’s eating a Jimmy John’s sub on BREAD which I am assuming is wheat based. Rumor is, his children may be gluten intolerant. Frankly I do not look up to any celebrity that I hear has Celiac or gluten sensitivity.

  4. Erin, and what makes your sources correct??? Did you interview those celebrities yourself since apparently the writer of this article did not. For one thing, neither one of your “sources” for Chelsea Clinton don’t claim she isn’t Celiac. The one article only mentions Bill C. has a wheat allergy and he mentions Chelsea is vigilant about eating GF. Nothing states if she is Celiac or not. And the other article is celebrity pictures with captions below each picture. Ummm, I don’t consider that an accurate source with in stating that Chelsea isn’t Celiac. Which incidentally, those pictures do say Keith Olbermann has Celiac and you make the claim he isn’t. So which is it?

  5. Ann, you are correct. I did not interview the celebrities but I do not think the author did either. I just worry about too many people believing false information and then listening to celebrities and following their eating habits instead of doctors. This is a VERY dangerous path to follow. The point of my post was that not all of the information is true and the reader should be careful. Too many people glamorize celebrities for their gluten-free path in life and this is not safe. Celebrities may eat gluten-free but this does NOT mean they know what they are doing any more than you or I when it comes to being safe.

    As far as Keith Olbermann is concerned, I am not sure which pictures you are talking about since I didn’t post any pictures. In my original post, I included a DIRECT link to his personal Twitter account where he states he does not have celiac.

    I notice you do not have an email or website, but I would be happy to discuss this with you further. gfreefun at gmail

    In the meantime, I choose not to sensationalize gluten-free or Celiac disease by supporting celebrities. I will continue to be proud of the real advocates in our society that are working to make a change for us with Celiac Disease.

  6. I agree with shauna s. Th e gf is just as bad. I have seen people including myself gain weight on this diet. However I love that everyday I find a new product or restaurant that includes me. I like that celebrities promotwe this diet because I don’t feel as alone and it makes people aware and can help in self diagnosing since going to the dr. For this will take years for them to figure out.

  7. I enjoyed reading this. Do we know if any of the [possible] GF athletes or celebrities live in Atlanta or even Georgia? Thanks so much!

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