Self-diagnosed allergies

It is now almost fashionable to have a food 'allergy'. While adults and children with genuine allergies can find themselves in life-threatening situations, experts have identified a growing trend towards incorrectly self-diagnosing the condition.

A survey by the Australian Food and Grocery Council has shown that about one third of all Australian adults believe they have food allergies, but the Australian Society of Clinical Immunology and allergy estimates that in Australia 1-2% of adults and 5-8% of children have some form of allergy. The number of people suffering food intolerances is harder to put a figure to, but 5-10% of the population is the most common estimate.

Genuine allergies exist and can be life threatening for those unlucky enough to suffer them. Eight foods account for 90% of all food-allergic reactions - peanut, egg, tree nut (cashew, walnut etc), fish, shellfish, wheat and soy. People with these allergies need to know what is in the foods they choose and have to make lifestyle decisions to avoid their problem foods.

However, food intolerances and simply disliking foods does not make the consumer 'allergic'. Maree Garside, dietitian at Dairy Australia, says that many people wrongly attribute gastrointestinal symptoms to lactose intolerance and there is a growing trend towards incorrectly self-diagnosing the condition. She says perception of lactose intolerance is far higher than actual prevalence.

"A study of 827 young adults found that the majority of those who reported gastrointestinal symptoms wrongly blamed milk and dairy foods, which were rarely the cause," Garside said.

According to the last National Nutrition Survey, more than half Australia's children did not meet the recommended dietary intake for calcium. Unnecessarily ditching dairy food due to real or perceived lactose intolerance could make kids and teens even less likely to meet their daily calcium needs. Garside said: "It is crucial that lactose intolerance in all age groups be properly diagnosed by a medical practitioner."

The diet of people with lactose intolerance can be managed by offering small amounts of milk spaced throughout the day and with food. Alternatively, hard cheeses, like cheddar and parmesan, which are virtually lactose free, or yogurt, which is well digested due to the natural bacterial cultures it contains, can provide a source of calcium for the lactose intolerant.

Those who self-diagnose (or, perhaps even worse, diagnose their children) allergies and then modify their diets accordingly can end up making themselves ill.