Is lactose intolerance really as common as people often claim?

 I keep seeing numbers suggesting that a surprisingly large share of the population has trouble digesting lactose, sometimes even around 70%. That sounds pretty high to me, and I’ve always wondered how much of it reflects actual lactose intolerance versus people simply feeling uncomfortable after consuming dairy.

I found a simple poll that asks people directly: “Are You Lactose Intolerant?” https://en.referendum.social/poll/602

Obviously, a public online poll with voluntary responses can’t replace a proper medical study, but I still find it interesting to see how people describe themselves. The current responses are especially curious because the poll separates confirmed intolerance from people who just have some difficulty digesting lactose.

I’m wondering what the results will look like as more people vote. Do most people actually consider themselves lactose intolerant, or is the percentage much lower than those widely quoted numbers?