About two years ago, George Maag got a flu he just couldn't shake.

When he went to the doctor, he discovered he'd lost 10 pounds in seven days.

Doctors searched for what else could be wrong. A series of tests revealed that Maag had celiac disease.

The autoimmune intestinal disorder found in individuals who are genetically susceptible affects 1 in 133 Americans, according to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness.

Many, like Maag, whose sister also has the disease, have a family member who has been diagnosed.

For people with celiac disease, ingestion of gluten interferes with the absorption of nutrients. "Gluten" is the common name for the proteins in specific cereal grains, including wheat, barley, rye and oats.

For Maag, that meant a dramatic and permanent change in diet.

Without such a change, people with celiac disease can develop complications, like cancer, osteoporosis, anemia and seizures.

"What happens with celiac — it's more than an allergy; it's actually an autoimmune disorder. My body sees gluten as an invader and sends out white blood cells to attack it, and it actually winds up damaging my intestine," says Maag, a 29-year-old architectural designer who lives in Elizabethtown.

But fortunately for Maag, the availability of gluten-free foods has increased dramatically in recent years, largely due to awareness and more accurate diagnosis of the illness.

Once Maag switched to a gluten-free diet, he noticed an immediate improvement.

In Lancaster, Maag has found a growing group of others diagnosed with the disease, through the Lancaster Area Celiacs support group.

At 1 p.m. Sunday, the group, which meets four times a year, will gather at Lancaster General Hospital.

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Lancaster Area Celiacs was founded five years ago by six women, including Sue Polachak.

"We were going to Philly, to York (to support groups), and we decided we had enough people to start our own little branch here in Lancaster," she says.

At that time, Polachak says, the availability of gluten-free food was limited, and there wasn't a great deal of support for people with the disease.

"We were willing to help each other, and it just worked," she says.

Today the group has some 300 members. Maag says 100 have joined just in the past year.

The group stresses education, offering information on dining out and where to shop for gluten-free foods.

In addition, group members who have dealt with the illness for a while work one-on-one with new members, to help further educate them, Maag says.

"When you first get diagnosed, it's pretty overwhelming to walk through the grocery store and think about all the things you used to like to eat that you can't eat anymore."

Government labeling standards have improved, he says, so it's easier to determine if foods are gluten-free.

The support group also has a food co-op, which allows members to purchase gluten-free products in bulk at a reduced price, through Garden Spot Distributors.

"One of the problems with celiac disease is that the foods that are available are very expensive," says John Bridgen, of Elizabethtown, who helps coordinate the co-op and whose wife, Joan, has celiac disease.

"It's close to $7 for a loaf of bread."

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Celiac disease was originally considered only a rare disease of childhood.

But the availability of more accurate tests for diagnosis — including bloodwork and a biopsy of the small intestine — and a growing sensitivity among the medical community have led to a realization that the disease is actually more common than once thought.

More informed consumers and publicity about the disease are also leading to more correct diagnosis, says Lancaster Gastroenterology nurse practitioner Julie Callender, who also has celiac disease.

She says she believes the disease is becoming more prevalent.

Still, celiac disease is often confused with other disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome, lactose intolerance (problems digesting foods like milk), Crohn's disease or intestinal infections.

"The symptoms (of celiac disease) are quite varied and elusive, from mild to severe," Callender says. "There can be constipation or diarrhea, weight gain or weight loss — a whole spectrum of symptoms."

In addition to digestive problems, people with celiac disease can suffer from an itchy, blistery skin rash, called Dermatitis herpetiformis.

On average, it can take up to nine years for a correct diagnosis, Callender says.

"If someone does suspect that they have a gluten allergy, they shouldn't self-treat, as it can interfere with the diagnosis," she says. "They should be seen by a professional for testing."

Maag says he believes he was fortunate to have been diagnosed pretty readily.

For the most part, he has adjusted well to a gluten-free diet.

"He's very disciplined," says his wife, Becky.

But there are still some foods he misses.

"Pizza," he says. "There's not like a real pizzeria-type (gluten-free) pizza."