Talkshow: the impact of allergies
What if the food you eat and the air you breathe make you ill? For many people, this is a daily reality. But nowadays, it seems like almost everyone suffers from some kind of allergy. Are we all becoming more allergic, or is it just our perception? In the third episode of the Science and Society talk show, we explore the causes and consequences of allergies and possible solutions.
This time, we are joined by:
Expert by experience Hanne van Veldhoven. She talks about what it is like to live with a life-threatening food allergy and what to do in case of an allergic reaction.
Geert Houben, professor of Food-related Risk Factors for Allergies and Inflammatory Diseases. Together with colleagues, he ensured that allergen warnings on food labels were tightened.
And Professor of One Health and Environmental Epidemiology, Lidwien Smit. She provides clarity: do children who grow up on a farm suffer from allergies more or less often?
A conversation about the impact of allergies on people's lives and society, about the (un)clarity of (the regulations surrounding) information on food labels, and about the complexity of and interaction between possible causes of (environmental) allergies.
About Science and Society
As societal challenges become more complex, they cannot be solved from a single perspective. Science and Society is a talk show produced by Utrecht University, in which scientists come together with others (citizens, politicians, representatives of organisations, etc.) to offer new perspectives on some of today's most pressing issues.
Watch also the first two episodes: