For those with a legitimate intolerance or condition like Celiac disease, it makes sense to go gluten-free. However, avoiding gluten has also become a trend followed by gym bunnies and self-proclaimed health and wellness gurus who believe it’s a better way of eating despite plenty of evidence disproving that theory. Whatever your reason for going gluten-free, one thing’s for sure: it could be keeping you single.
Research out of Western Connecticut State University revealed that a whopping 40% of people would be reluctant to date someone who was gluten-free, with 44% of survey respondents admitting that they think gluten-free people are “high maintenance.” Even worse, 30% think gluten-free diet followers are “selfish,” while 14% branded them “arrogant.”
The study involved asking 161 adults their thoughts on dating someone who’s gluten-free, as well as 132 people who took part in theoretical online dating where they were asked to imagine going on a first date with someone who follows the restricted diet. From there, they had to rate the fake date on how they imagined their mood and preferences to be.
In addition to the other negative adjectives participants used to describe gluten-free people, they also used words like “complaining, critical, judgmental and controlling,” and 10% of them claimed they’d feel judged by a gluten-free partner based on what they eat. However, it wasn’t all negative—6% of people say gluten-free eaters are “understanding” while 3% called them “happy, energetic, and self-disciplined.”
It seems silly, really—would anyone in the real world avoid dating someone they really liked simply because of their diet? It’s hard to say, but sort of hilarious to think about. As long as you’re not preachy about your way of eating and you don’t actually judge other people for what they eat, I’d say you’re good to go. If someone doesn’t want to be with you because you avoid baguettes and donuts, that’s on them.
