Many picky eaters only allergic to truth

MORE than one in five Queenslanders have self-diagnosed themselves with a food intolerance or allergy, even though a third of them have no understanding of the health condition.

In the state, 16 per cent of people say they have a lactose intolerance and almost half have cut out dairy from their diet, without any medical consultation.

The worrying trend of selfdiagnosing is sweeping the country, with many claiming to have intolerances to gluten, shellfish, nuts and even wine.

And the craze has sparked a warning from the chief of Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia, who says widespread self-diagnosing is watering down the life-changing and life-threatening reality of those who have a confirmed allergic disease.

“We also see alternate practitioners diagnosing with little evidence or knowledge,” Maria Said said.

According to the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, 20 per cent of the population has a confirmed diagnosis.

“True food allergies impact the quality of life of sufferers. They have to be careful with everything they eat or their health will be seriously impacted. We now have many people saying they have an allergy when they simply don’t like a food,” Ms Said said.

The data was gathered by YouGov and commissioned by Liddells.

Gut health specialist and dietitian Nicole Dynan has warned against the elimination of important food groups.

“Dairy contains nutrients like calcium and vitamins that can be more difficult to obtain in other food,” she said.