It's time to 'Pooright' in the Victorian town of Poowong
It's the Victorian town showing why you should give a crap about your gut.
Poowong has a population of about 400 people, and yes, those people are very aware of its name.
The tiny rural town in South Gippsland has recently undergone a major rebrand - Poowong, now Pooright, in the hope its residents can do just that.
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It's the Victorian town showing why you should give a crap about your gut. Nine
However, this goes beyond toilet humour. It's part of a public health push for Gut Health Month, which was launched in the town today.
Residents have also taken part in the Poowong Challenge, seven days of consultations with dietitians to improve their health.
"This was a really good opportunity for locals to receive advice from dieticians on their health," South Gippsland Shire Mayor Nathan Hersey said.
"We know that often health outcomes for rural and regional areas are nowhere near as high as they are for metropolitan or city."
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It's the Victorian town showing why you should give a crap about your gut. Nine
Research commissioned by Dietitian Connection suggests that younger people are more likely to often or always experience gut health issues than older Australians.
"The research shows that younger generations – Gen Z and Millennials – are more likely to always / often experience gut-related issues compared to older generations across Gen X and Baby Boomers," dietitian Nicole Dynan said.
The signs of poor gut health include bloating, burping, constipation and diarrhoea. These symptoms can be linked to poor diet, stress and lack of sleep.
"People can improve their gut health in really simple ways," Dynan said.
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"It's not complex, it's not expensive.
"It might just be that they're making simple swaps like swapping their white bread to wholegrain bread.
"It could just be adding a probiotic yoghurt to breakfast each morning."
This is not the first time the town, affectionately known as 'Pooey', has garnered attention for its name.
It even hosted the premiere of classic Aussie film "Kenny" in 2006.
Even if it is only temporary, the people of Pooey have proven, with a bit of help from experts Poowong can in fact, Pooright.
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