New Movie, Monster-in-Law, Insensitive to Millions of Americans With Food Allergies

New Movie, Monster-in-Law, Insensitive to Millions of Americans With Food Allergies

New Line Cinema Sends a Message of Carelessness Towards a Life-Threatening Condition During National Food Allergy Awareness Week

FAIRFAX, Va., May 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Brought to life on the big screen in the newly-released movie, Monster-in-Law, is an insensitive and vindictive portrayal towards individuals with food allergies. Ironically, the movie debuts during Food Allergy Awareness Week, May 8-14, which brings attention to the serious nature of food allergies through a national grass-roots campaign.

In the movie, Jane Fonda's character, Viola Fields, sets out to derail her son's marriage to Charlotte "Charlie" Cantillini, played by Jennifer Lopez, who has a serious nut allergy. In one scene, Fields mashes up nuts and laces a gravy boat with them in hopes that this will rid her of her unwanted daughter-in-law.

Not only does the movie make light of the food allergies, it also sets the stage for "copycat" incidents where kids may think food allergies are just a funny subject matter and imitate Jane Fonda's character by exposing kids with food allergies to unsafe allergic situations -- just to get a laugh or be vindictive.

"Better examples need to be set. I doubt New Line Cinema would permit a scene where a diabetic would be given an overdose of insulin," said Anne Munoz-Furlong, Founder & CEO of The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN). "We are seeing more Hollywood movies and shows portraying food allergies in an unsafe and very uneducated light. Just recently the movie Hitch and an episode of The Simpsons poked fun at individuals with food allergies. In real life, food allergies are no laughing matter."

Food allergies are a life-threatening condition. Approximately 150-200 Americans die each year from ingestion of foods that, unbeknownst to them, contained the food to which they were allergic. Food allergy reactions result in 30,000 emergency department visits each year.

According to FAAN, an estimated 11 million Americans suffer from food allergies and recognizing the symptoms and seeking immediate treatment is critical.

About food allergies

A food allergy occurs when the immune system mistakenly believes that a harmless substance, in this case a food item, is harmful. In its attempt to protect the body, it creates specific IgE antibodies to that food. The next time the individual eats that food, the immune system releases massive amounts of chemicals and histamines in order to protect the body. These chemicals trigger a cascade of allergic symptoms that can affect the respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, skin, or cardiovascular system.

Eight foods account for 90% of all reactions in the United States: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (walnuts, almonds, pistachios, etc.), wheat, soy, fish, and shellfish (lobster, shrimp, etc.). There is no cure for food allergy. Strict avoidance of the allergy-causing food is the only way to prevent a reaction.

Source: The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network

CONTACT: Eileen Sexton of The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network,
+1-703-563-3052

Web site: http://www.foodallergy.org/

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