Food allergy woes

I have many food allergies and intolerances, but when I'm alone they're quite manageable. I find plenty of foods to eat as long as I prepare them myself. It's not the allergies themselves that make my life miserable, it's people! There is this constant, relentless pressure to EAT! When I go to a social function people can't seem to understand that I'm perfectly content to just nibble on a few vegetables or skip the food altogether and just have a drink. It often turns into a circus, with everyone running around in a futile effort to find me something to eat and me saying "No thanks, I'm fine, really," and no one listening. I know they mean well but they make me feel like a freak. I am so tired of being the center of attention at every party! I just want to forget about food and enjoy everyone's company. How can I politely tell these food fanatics to back off?

I do tell people I have allergies, basically I can't eat any processed food or foods with high protein content. Which doesn't leave much! And then comes the horrified reactions where everyone interrogates me: "Can you eat this? And this? What about this?" Some people take it as a challenge and bend over backwards trying to find me something I can eat, even though I tell them not to. I hate being the center of attention like that! I know this sounds awful but it's kind of a comfort to me that so many people have allergies these days. When I was a kid I was the only kid in our school who had severe allergies. Many adults didn't even believe in allergies and some tried to bully me into eating foods I was allergic to in order to prove allergies didn't exist. At least now society is more informed about them. But there is still a stigma about the subject. Just think of characters on TV or in the movies who have multiple allergies or asthma. They're usually portrayed as annoying losers, even the children. For some reason the media has decided allergy victims are fair game. I've decided to start writing the producers of these shows and complaining. It's hard enough for children to speak up about their condition without worrying about being labelled as a loser. I think I'd also like to write a magazine article about the psychology of allergies.

When I had problems with hives, and foods aggravated them (but they were not the cause), I took my own food if I was invited to a party or someone's house. That way I had something to eat, and they didn't have to try and fix something special or find anything for me.

I told them in advance I would be doing that, and never had a problem.

Sometimes you just have to be matter of fact & tell what can happen if he/she eats foods they are allegic to.