The report, titled ‘Going against the grain’, lays out the ‘worrying’ health consequences of the great British fibre gap while providing simple tips and hacks to boost roughage in the diet.
Dr Gill Jenkins, a GP with a special interest in diabetes, said: “The new report conducted on behalf of General Mills, the maker of FibreOne and based on UK dietary intake data tells us that Brits need to plug the fibre gap if they want to live long and healthy lives.
“The problem isn’t a lack of evidence but a lack of knowledge and communication. So, as a matter of public health importance, we need to encourage everyone to consume more fibre and give them the tools to do that easily within their busy lives.”
The report found national intake data shows that fewer than one in ten (9%) reach the recommended daily target of 30 grams. Most people (74%) surveyed claimed to know what dietary fibre is, but only a third (36%) were able to pick out the correct definition from a list.
Dr Carrie Ruxton, a dietitian and advisor to the General Mills fibre campaign, added: “This hazy knowledge surrounding dietary fibre intake poses a real public health problem when you consider that poor diets, are responsible for 11 million deaths worldwide and more than 600,000 of these directly relate to low-fibre diets.”
Particular areas of concern – when it comes to our huge fibre fail – include having an increased risk of getting type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or bowel cancer.
More than four in ten adults polled didn’t know that high fibre diets reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. Three quarters didn’t know that fibre can lower the risk of heart disease. Seven in ten didn’t know fibre can decrease the risk of bowel cancer.