Gen Z’s habit of adding the suffix ‘maxxing’ to any habit or trait they want to improve is catching on. Straight-faced fmcg industry leaders now talk about ‘fibremaxxing’ and ‘proteinmaxxing’ – trends that refer to shoppers’ desire to boost their intake of the macronutrients – in boardroom meetings. But will Gen Z’s latest online term, ‘poopmaxxing’, enter their parlance?
Yes, that’s right. Influencers are now unashamedly talking about bowel movements online. Take nutritionist Kristen Stavridis, who this week posted a “pasta sauce for girls who love to poop” recipe to her 243k followers on Instagram. Then there’s IBS dietician Erin Judge, whose latest TikTok video shares tips on “how you can poop better”.
For the most part, the poopmaxxing is fibremaxxing by another name. Many of the poopmaxxing posts shared on social media focus on how viewers can incorporate more fibre into their diet to regulate their toilet habits.
Frank conversations like these are needed. According to the latest National Diet & Nutrition survey, which analysed eating habits from 2019 to 2023, 96% of adults fall short of the NHS-recommended 30g daily fibre target, putting them at increased risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
And despite the fibremaxxing trend reaching its peak in May – when year-on-year Google searches for the term rocketed by 170% – populational fibre intake appears to be falling. Fibre volumes across total take-home food and drink fell by 0.5% to 433.1 million kilos in the year to 9 August 2026, exclusive Worldpanel by Numerator data shows. This represents a 1.9% decline in fibre volumes since 2022, according to Worldpanel [5 y/e 9 August 2026].
The say-do gap
Dr Megan Rossi, (aka The Gut Health Doctor) founder of Bio&Me and Smart Strains, attributes declines to the say-do gap. “Awareness is certainly improving, but knowledge doesn’t always translate into behaviour change.” To make matters worse, “many consumers underestimate how much fibre they actually need”.
Indeed, a survey commissioned by the Food & Drink Federation last May found just 7% of Brits knew they should be getting 30g of fibre a day – instead placing the figure at an average of 12.4g [Censuswide survey of 2,000 adults]. So, influencers are right to destigmatise conversations about fibre’s digestive health benefits.
But poopmaxxing isn’t a silver bullet, Kirsten Jackson, consultant IBS dietician warns. “As a gut health dietician, one of my biggest concerns is the idea that there is an ideal number of times we should be opening our bowels.”
“Normal bowel habits vary hugely from person to person, and what’s healthy for one individual might be completely different for another.
“Generally speaking, anywhere from three bowel movements a day to three a week can fall within the normal range. What’s more important is whether you’re passing stools comfortably, without excessive straining, pain or a feeling of incomplete emptying.”
So, good news; rather than aiming to be on the toilet as often as we can, we should simply aspire to getting 30g fibre from a diverse, plant-rich diet. And recipes like Stavridis’ pasta – which contains pumpkin purée, butter beans, carrots, onions and garlic and provides 16g fibre per serving – can help us achieve that goal. So don’t let her poop chat put you off.
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