What do the UK population think about fibre?
Ahead of launching Action on Fibre, the FDF wanted to find out what people really thought about fibre and the benefits it brings to the diet. The FDF commissioned Censuswide to conduct polling research. The results might surprise you!
Why should we eat more fibre?
Eating a healthy balanced diet helps us to maintain good health and feel our best. A healthy balanced diet involves eating a wide variety of food and drink in the right amounts to provide us with the right amount of energy and nutrients our bodies need.
Fibre is an important part of a healthy balanced diet and is provided by a wide range of foods, such as fruits and vegetables, breakfast cereal, bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, biscuits, beans, nuts and pulses and many more.
Pie chart is based on data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey: results from years 9 to 11 (2016 to 2017 and 2018 to 2019)
The benefits of fibre
There are many benefits to consuming a diet high in fibre, these include:
- Having a healthy digestive system
- Reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer
- The higher volume and lower energy density of higher fibre foods can play a role in energy balance.
Healthy balanced diets
For more information on healthy balanced diets, fibre and foods containing fibre:
BNF Dietary Fibre information page
“Average fibre intakes across all sections of the population have been low for many years despite the well documented health benefits of fibre. This gap-bridging initiative is a welcome boost to ongoing efforts encouraging improvement - higher fibre choices need to be easy and appetizing options.”
