How Times Have Changed: The 80s vs Now

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Eat PB&J in School

Picky Eater Blog

Now, there aren’t necessarily more allergies in the world today than there were when we were growing up — but we certainly are more aware of them. This is largely due to the fact that anaphylaxis is a serious and potentially fatal allergic reaction and can occur when you are exposed to peanuts. A teenager with a severe nut allergy died in Canada in 2003, and soon after Canadian legislation required school boards to have an anaphylaxis policy and a plan for students with known food allergies. Unfortunately, many schools took this “plan” to mean a food ban on all peanut products, particularly peanut butter, across all levels. Which is sad, really — because exposing children to foods at an early age makes an allergy less likely. A culture of avoidance tends to make allergies more common, which creates a self-reinforcing loop.