🧑‍⚕️ Dietitian

A dietitian is a nutrition specialist. They help a person choose food that improves health or helps manage an illness. A dietitian asks about how the person feels and their habits, looks at test results, and advises what to eat and what to avoid. They make an eating plan that takes into account the person's tastes and budget, and then check the results.

Dietitians often deal with milk. Dairy foods provide protein and calcium, but their calories vary: skimmed milk and rich cream are very different. A common topic is lactose intolerance. This is when the body digests milk sugar poorly, and milk causes bloating or tummy pain. According to the US National Library of Medicine, about 65% of people digest lactose less well after infancy. It is most common in people of East Asian origin and least common in people of Northern European origin.

For lactose intolerance, a dietitian may suggest lactose-free milk, fermented milk products or plant-based drinks. Dietitians work in hospitals and clinics, schools and canteens, and in private practice.