Almost half of Australian children complain often of tummy upsets, a new study shows.
Of about 1000 mothers of children aged between eight and 12 surveyed, 41 per cent said their kids regularly had bowel problems, The Gut Foundation said.
Foundation president, Professor Terry Bolin, said the study's findings, presented at the Dietitians' Association Conference in Adelaide on Thursday, were "extraordinary".
About 30 per cent of children complained of a sore stomach and almost 20 per cent experienced regular constipation.
Similar problems affected only 10 to 15 per cent of adults.
Prof Bolin told AAP most gut problems could be fixed by boosting fibre intake.
"My best bet is you should take your child to the supermarket and say: 'Look, I've found six or eight high-fibre foods. Which would you like to try?'
"Let the child make the decision and then the ball's in their court."
But 48 per cent of mums said their children didn't get enough fibre because they were fussy eaters, and about a quarter claimed their kids didn't like the taste of high-fibre foods such as brown bread, pasta and rice.
"Bowel problems early in life can continue in adult life and better understanding, better habits, need to be instilled at this young age," Prof Bolin said.
The Gut Foundation Study was conducted online by Galaxy Research, with the support of Kellogg's Nutrition.
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