The chicken nugget guy was a very popular man at the Gluten Intolerance Group's Conference at the Sheraton Hotel on Friday afternoon.

Most of the people stopping by his table to grab a chicken nugget — or two, or three — hadn't eaten one for years, ever since being diagnosed with celiac disease. They were scarfing these up because nuggets met their dietary requirements: gluten-free.

For people with celiac disease, also known as gluten intolerance, a problem with the small intestine prevents nutrients from being absorbed correctly, said Cynthia Kupper, executive director of the Gluten Intolerance Group.

"What should have been like a shag rug in your small intestine is like linoleum," she said. "You can't absorb food at all."

Celiac disease can lead to myriad other problems, such as bone disease and cancer.

As many as one in every 133 Americans has celiac disease and approximately 97 percent of these people don't know it, said Barbara Shelley, a member of the Gluten Intolerance Group from Salt Lake City attending the conference.

The disease can manifest itself in a variety of ways, including migraine headaches, chronic fatigue and anemia. However, many people don't have any symptoms or don't connect their migraines with a disease of the small intestine, Kupper said.

Even those with gluten intolerance who go to a doctor looking for an answer can search for years for the proper diagnosis. "It is taking an average of 10 years of going to doctors to get a diagnosis," Kupper said.

The good news is that once diagnosed, the disease is very easily controlled and the small intestine begins repairing itself almost immediately, as long as a strict gluten-free diet is followed.

Tim Coda, a leader in the Salt Lake City Gluten Intolerance Group, said he didn't think he had any symptoms, but he discovered after following a gluten-free diet for several months that he felt an increase in energy. Kupper said her migraines went away once she began following a gluten-free diet.

Following such a diet isn't easy, though. It means no more wheat or wheat products, and that means no more cookies, bread, licorice or chicken nuggets.

Especially for those without any symptoms, these dietary restrictions can be hard to swallow, but shrugging off the disease can be dangerous. Kupper said she has a friend who chose to continue eating products containing gluten following her diagnosis. This friend now has severe bone disease, she said.