My Friend Keeps Pressuring Me to Eat Risky Foods

You're bound to encounter people who, purposely or not, make your having food allergies a very … character-building experience. These are the people who don't understand the seriousness of your allergy, the people who tell you it's all in your head, the people who persuade you to take "just one little bite" of the food to which you're allergic.

Clearly, you know that eating foods without labels can be a sure-fire recipe for disaster. Pat yourself on the back for resisting urges to take unnecessary risks with food. Although resisting peer pressure can sometimes be uncomfortable, isn't it better than having a reaction?

Continue to remind yourself — and your friend —that if you follow his or her advice and have a reaction, you're the one who suffers the consequences. You're the one who will suffer the dangerous discomfort of sudden illness, and you're the one who will have to own up to the risky behavior you've engaged in.

Often people will persuade you to take risks when they're unaware that food allergies can be life threatening. Education is the best way to combat this problem. Maybe your friend doesn't understand the seriousness of food allergies — how sick you could get if you were to eat the food to which you're allergic. Explain the seriousness of your allergy — what could happen if you ate just a little bit of the food that contained an allergen.

Sometimes people are more responsive when they see food allergies explained by another source. Try showing him or her a video such as “Friends Helping Friends: Make It Your Goal” (available from FAAN), to explain the seriousness of food allergies.

Or, maybe you'd feel more comfortable educating him or her indirectly. For example, you could ask a teacher if you could give a presentation to your class about food allergies, or you could talk to your principal about inviting a speaker to talk to your school about this topic.

Finally, if your efforts to educate this person don't pay off, don't sweat it. You sound like you have a great handle on your food allergies. Stick to your guns and ignore this person's efforts to persuade you otherwise. Aren't you worth it?