Allergy Planet

Claiming that allergy rates have more than tripled in the last few decades in some parts of the world, this BBC report by filmmaker Naomi Austin profiles sufferers and researchers in on-location interviews filmed around the globe. What accounts for the extraordinary increase in allergic reactions to commonplace triggers such as dust, pet fur, nuts, chocolate, and latex? On the Welsh island of Tristan da Cunha, virtually every family has one or more members afflicted with asthma, but careful genealogical detective work reveals that three of the five early matriarchs of the island had asthma (scientists have further isolated what they believe to be significant changes in the ESE-3 gene of asthma sufferers, leading to the production of excess collagen that blocks the airways). In metropolitan Los Angeles, however, asthma triggers are both harder to specify and certainly beyond merely hereditary, with strong evidence suggesting that environmental factors—such as air pollution and industrial toxins—may be responsible (one segment looks at the epidemic increase of asthma in modern Barbados, where a doctor argues that the protective antibody IGE—once meant to combat parasites common in subtropical zones—now binds with allergens and increases asthmatic symptoms). Other topics covered include the mysterious and debilitating Netherton syndrome (featuring allergic responses characterized by painful red and scaly skin and brittle hair) and the controversial condition MCS (multiple chemical sensitivity), which was the subject of Todd Hayne's odd 1995 feature film Safe, starring Julianne Moore. A thought-provoking documentary on an alarming health trend, Allergy Planet is recommended. Aud: C, P. (R. Pitman)