Aberdeen University’s Rowett Institute is looking for people over the age of 18 who are overweight, healthy and eat a low fibre diet to take part in dietary research.

Funded by the Scottish Government as part of the ‘Healthy Diets for a Healthy Weight’ research theme, the Focus on Fibre study aims to understand the role of dietary fibre in relation to gut health and appetite control.

Unfortunately, people with food allergies, vegetarians and vegans are unable to take part.

Volunteers who participate in the seven-week study will be provided with all their daily meals for a six-week period in exchange for their time.

The process for volunteers will include an initial two-hour screening to check height, weight, blood pressure and the amount of energy used by that person’s body. A seven-day food diary will also be required.

Each volunteer will then have two weeks on a controlled diet, two weeks on a high fibre diet and two weeks on a low fibre diet, with testing every Friday to monitor weight, measurements, blood pressure, blood samples, faecal samples, urine samples and the motivation to eat.

Leading the research is Professor Alexandra Johnstone. She explained:

“Our research is reliant on volunteers to participate in our diet studies and we are excited to get started on a new project.

“This research will focus on dietary fibre, which we know tends to be low in Scottish consumers and is an important part of a healthy diet. We have designed some lovely new diets and are looking for men and women to participate in the study, with food provided. Let us do your healthy eating cooking for science.”

To get involved or find out more about the study, email Claire Fyfe at c.fyfe@abdn.ac.uk or Lynn Thomson at l.thomson@abdn.ac.uk or call 01224 438752