An Italian man has been dubbed an a**hole for allowing his girlfriend to share his pizza, despite it not being gluten-free.
In a viral post on Reddit, u/MedSTUDentOntatio has explained that his partner is on a gluten-free diet to maintain her physique, as opposed to having a medical condition. The post has received over 6,100 upvotes.
He wrote: "My 24-year-old girlfriend works as a model and she has an incredibly strict diet. Virtually all she eats is organic and gluten-free so it makes it very difficult to cook for her (we take turns cooking for each other).
"At first, I tried to look on the bright side and appreciate that this would get me to eat healthier, but there are only so many times I can eat salads and sushi for dinner."
The Redditor admits he was at "breaking point" during the last week of September, so he cooked a homemade pizza.
He points out he has made gluten-free pizzas before but doesn't enjoy the taste, so opted for white flour.
He explained his "original plan" was to eat the pizza while his girlfriend was out and then cook a couple of Western omelets for dinner.
But when she came back early, he said: "She was so surprised and happy that I made pizza for dinner that I didn't have the heart to tell her that it wasn't gluten-free. A couple of days later, she discovered that I lied and accused me of being selfish and unsupportive."
"I tried explaining to her that she's gorgeous just the way she is, and that eating 'regular food' now and then won't change that. I also brought up my concerns about her feeling the need to fixate on her diet when she already has 10k+ followers on Instagram. This literally brought her to the verge of tears, because in her mind it makes me unsympathetic to the beauty standards expected of her."
In 2020, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln revealed 25 percent of Americans follow a gluten-free diet by choice. This means they opt for wheat-free doughnuts, pizzas, bread and more.
The research also revealed celiac disease and gluten sensitivity prevent an estimated 1 in 20 Americans from consuming gluten, the mesh of proteins that gives wheat doughs their structure.
Losing weight wasn't a significant reason for adopting the diet, even though the most common belief among survey respondents was that avoiding gluten promotes weight loss. The survey indicated that the hope of clearing up acne was a more significant reason for those who adopted a gluten-free diet.
The original poster has edited the post to clear up a few things, starting with how she found out.
He said: "I did not make her sick, she found out because when she was looking for gluten-free flour and couldn't find any she confronted me about the pizza and I confessed."
He then states she doesn't have a medical condition and reiterates the reason behind his lying in the first place.
He said: "I wasn't trying to deceive her intentionally. The main reason why I said it wasn't gluten-free was that she was excited when she saw the pizza and I didn't want to take that away from her."
'What Else Could He Lie About?'
Newsweek spoke to Ollie Pearce, a UK-based Online Dating Coach.
Ollie Pearce told Newsweek: "There's no doubt that the guy was in the wrong for not being honest about the ingredients in the pizza. He should have the confidence, to tell the truth, and express himself and not hide behind a big white lie."
"If he can lie about a small but important detail then what else could he lie about? It really does undermine his integrity, both as a person and partner."
'A Lie Is a Lie'
Newsweek also spoke to Emyli Lovz, Co-Founder of Em Lovz dating agency.
She told Newsweek: "Any lie is a lie. Doesn't matter if it's small or big, white or black. Lies erode trust which is the foundation of any relationship. If you lie once, the other person will never know if you're telling the truth.
"On the flip side, if you tell the truth, especially when doing so is not the easiest path, the other person will know they can always trust you, whether what you're saying strokes their ego or not. As such, I would never recommend lying to anyone for any reason."
Thousands of Redditors have flocked to the comments to slam the original poster.
One said: "Four months ago he was single (in his history). So he's been dating this chick less than four months and already lying to her about food."
Another wrote: "Girlfriend of fewer than 4 months, with him for his money because the only way a woman will tolerate him is if she's getting paid. He expects her to give up her "hard to maintain" model diet and lifestyle, but he absolutely is with her because she's a model."
Newsweek reached out to u/MedSTUDentOntatio for comment. Newsweek could not verify the details of the case.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Lucy Notarantonio is Newsweek's Senior Lifestyle and Trends Reporter, based in Birmingham, UK. Her focus is trending stories and human ... Read more
