Comedian Jessica Fostekew is launching a new ‘sit show’ – to help people improve their gut health.
The comic teamed up with Holland & Barratt to run the ‘Great British Poo Taboo’ – watching in the toilet.
The initiative comes after the health and wellness business found that more than half of people have stomach problems but are too embarrassed to talk about the “taboo” subject.
The program tackles common gut health symptoms such as bloating, constipation and diarrhoea, with 39 per cent of respondents attributing the cost of living crisis to the worsening condition of their stomachs.
The ‘Great British Poo Taboo’ means the public endures everything from bloating and gas and constipation (33 per cent) to heartburn and diarrhoea.
Jessica Fostekew launches new ‘sit show’ to help people improve their gut health after research shows more than half of people have health problems
The new survey found 37 per cent had experienced severe symptoms in the past three years, with a third saying symptoms had worsened in the past 12 months.
In addition to the crisis in the cost of living and the inability to afford enough healthy food, other causes of poor gut health are overindulgence, lack of adequate sleep and poor diet.
Poor gut health has a huge impact on people’s overall well-being. More than half say they are in a bad mood about their gut health, and 52 percent say it affects their sleep quality and stress levels. One in ten even claims that their stomach problems have a negative impact on their relationships.
People are willing to suffer the same problems over and over again, with 41 percent finding it difficult to break the cycle of bad habits for gut health.
More often than not, education about the problem is the real barrier to good gut health, with a third (32 percent) claiming they simply don’t know the cause of their stomach problems.
Alex Glover, senior nutritionist at Holland & Barrett says: “At H&B we are committed to breaking the faecal taboo and we have trained gut health professionals in every H&B store to offer personalized advice and solutions, and we also offer free 1-2 – 1 online consultations at a time convenient for our clients. In addition to our expert advice, we’re so confident in our products that we offer our customers a 90-day Gut Health Challenge so they can try any of our featured products and if they don’t feel a difference after 90 days, your money back.”
Holland & Barrett also works with The IBS Network, a national charity which helps people with IBS to manage the condition and better manage their symptoms.
Although people suffer from bowel problems such as bloating and constipation, most patients are too embarrassed to talk about the “taboo” subject, which led to Fostekew’s program
Alison Reid, Chief Executive Officer at The IBS Network, says: “IBS can be extremely life-debilitating, but this chronic, long-term condition can be addressed through lifestyle and dietary management, and people really shouldn’t be nervous about talking shit. . . .
“Learning about your triggers and making small changes can make a big difference. The IBS Network provides expert guidance to further enhance the training program for H&B colleagues and articles from the IBS Network can be found in the Gut Health Hub on the H&B website.
“We hope this gives people living with irritable bowel syndrome the confidence to find a supportive ear from the charity, help them shop and even raise awareness of the importance of speaking out about bowel problems.”
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
