AVEZZANO (AQ) – Avezzano, capital of Marsica and, since 11 May, also territorial capital for correct information on celiac disease and the gluten-free diet, thanks to the “National Celiac Disease Week”. The initiative, also for 2024, is promoted by the Italian Celiac Association and, in Abruzzo, for the first time, will concern the city of Avezzano. The awareness work will go on forward until May 19th and had its highlight on Thursday 16th, in conjunction with World Celiac Day. He is the city councilor Domenico De Angeliswho holds the role of treasurer of the Abruzzo association, to provide further details.
“In these days we will see activities in schools in the city – he says –, dissemination initiatives with experts and events in collaboration with other local bodies. The objective – he adds – remains to dispel false myths and fake news about the lifestyles of people with celiac disease and, in general, about the gluten-free diet. Without a doubt, after the sprint of the Giro d’Italia and after the strong awareness there was about sport, Avezzano could not fail to be the protagonist of an event of this type, which links culture and awareness together”.
Last year, this important initiative took hold in the capital of Abruzzo. “This year – concludes De Angelis – we strongly wanted to bring it to Marsica, to bring our fellow citizens closer to the knowledge of a pathology which, in our country, affects over 1% of the population. In fact, it is estimated that there are 600 thousand people with celiac disease today, of which around 400 thousand are still undiagnosed. An important space will be dedicated to younger people, thanks to the initiative “All at the table, all together: gluten-free menu days”. Specifically, a completely gluten-free menu will be distributed in the canteens of nursery and primary schools”.
In Marsica, the schools that joined the initiative, in addition to those of the city of Avezzano, and which therefore served the gluten-free menu on Thursday 16 May, are: the “AB Sabin” school of Capistrello, the “San Lidano” nursery school in Civita d’Antino, the “Ignazio Silone” comprehensive school in Luco dei Marsi, the “G. Di Girolamo” of Magliano de’ Marsi, the “Lombardo Radice” primary school of Sante Marie and the schools of the Municipality of Tagliacozzo.
He claims Marta D’Amico, President of AIC Abruzzo: “As an association, we have been using all our strength and our volunteers, for over 25 years now, to guarantee the dissemination of correct information on celiac disease and the reduction of the social discomfort of celiacs in daily life”.
National Celiac Disease Week, therefore, remains a fundamental cultural tool to shine the spotlight on false myths and fake news: only by increasing knowledge and awareness, in fact, is it possible to guarantee the improvement of the quality of life of people with celiac disease.
Last year, the initiative “All at the table, all together” was able to count on over 250 thousand gluten-free meals served during Celiac Week throughout Italy. There were over 400 participating municipalities.
