Is "wheat belly" really a thing?

Not real.

If you don't have symptoms then I wouldn't be concerned. If you do have symptoms see your doctor.

I've got health issues. My doctor didn't think I had gluten issues but I just wanted to be sure so I did an elimination diet. There was no difference for me.

There've been a couple of recent studies that found no evidence of gluten sensitivity in those who self-diagnosed. Here's one of them:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23648697

http://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2014/05/gluten_sensitivity_may_not_exist.html

Follow the money

Not real. This gluten fad is just a way for companies to make money on their products. Also, folks who claim to be allergic to gluten, or gluten messes with their bodies, is completly false. A study recently came out on Fox News that proves gluten does not affect the human body. People's minds cause this gluten fad. Gluten does not cause any negative problems. It's all in their mind.

There are people who have celiacs and people who have wheat allergies.

As for non-celiac gluten sensitivity, one study can't prove that it exists and one study doesn't prove that it doesn't. However, it's existence is definitely more up for debate due to that study (which is the one I linked above) than it was before. But, small sample size (37) and not yet replicated, so we'll see.

Celiac disease is COMPLETELY different from the "gluten fad." The gluten fad, is coming from people who think they have an intolerance to gluten and eliminate it without going through the procedure with their doctors. Celiac disease is an auto immune disease which your body cannot handle gluten. It actually shortens your life to continue to eat it in any amount higher than 20ppm. For these people, and ONLY these people, it really is worth cutting out gluten.

I am not a nutritionist neither a doctor. I work at a high end restaurant/resort where every 3rd guest request gluten free items.
Very rarely I come across someone who is REALLY sensitive of gluten. People who have serious OTHER health issues like celiac disease
gluten can cause allergy like symptons. Again,they usually bring doctors notes or send emails month before they arrive to the hotel and make reservations with managers ,speak to chefs . They require to have all equipment to be wheat free and to ensure cleanliness of equipment.
Now,the fake gluten people don't ask to have food to be handled separete from other food. They do not ask if we use shared equipment.
I spoken to some people ,they said when they eat bread,pasta now they really do puff up,and before they started their gluten free diet they did not have these issues.. I guess we will find out in 5 years or so...

Apparently a study with 37 people proved that gluten may not be the problem for most people, but FODMAP foods (fermentable, short-chain carbohydrates) may be. Coincidently wheat is a food that most people associate with gluten sensitivity and one that is on the list for foods to avoid on a low FODMAP diet. Also gluten free foods are recommended for those same people.

Gluten isn't harmful unless you have Celiacs--an (autoimmune?) disease that makes you sick with flu-like symptoms whenever you have gluten. They just came out with new research debunking the usefulness of gluten-free living if you are otherwise healthy.