People are turning away from dairy but not for the reasons we thought

Chances are you could be part of the one in six adults in Australia that aren’t getting enough milk and dairy foods in your diet.

A survey by the CSIRO and University of Adelaide found that a whopping 74 per cent of adults are making this choice because they believe it could make them fat or bloated, but don’t actually discuss these concerns with a medical professional.

“The scale of people restricting their diet without medical reason is very concerning in terms of the public health implications, especially for women,” CSIRO behavioural scientist Bella Yantcheva says.

By avoiding milk and dairy products you risk nutritional deficiencies or imbalances, and any underlying health condition could go untreated according to the report published in Public Health Nutrtition.

The survey results suggest that most adults are avoiding the products because of fad diets, celebrity culture, the influence of friends or encouragement by alternative health practitioners.

According to the Australian Dietary Guidelines, most of us aged 60 or older need at least 2.5 to four serves of milk, yoghurt, cheese and/or alternatives a day.

A serve of dairy is equal to 250ml of milk, two slices or 40g of cheese or a 200g tub of yoghurt.

Have you ever been influenced by popular culture to avoid certain foods in your diet? Are you getting enough dairy and milk products?