Artists Rose Blake, Coco Lom and Yee Poon break poo taboos with a fresh stool chart

Rose Blake, the daughter of pop artist Sir Peter Blake, Coco Lom and Bristol-based Yee Poon have transformed the classic Bristol Stool Chart into the Beautiful Stool Chart. It's part of a campaign by health and wellness retailer Holland & Barrett to kickstart a conversation around the importance of gut health after research revealed nearly three-quarters of the population have experienced gut health problems ranging from feeling bloated, suffering heartburn and constipation, but nearly half do nothing about it.

"Whilst talking about poo is a taboo subject for many people, we're hoping that making it beautiful will prompt people to think about their gut health, identify if they have any issues, and consider how best to manage them," says Dr Subashini M, director of Science, Health and Wellness at the retailer. "The gut plays a part in everything from your mental health to getting a good night's rest so it really is important to seek help and support if you’re not regularly doing healthy number twos."

Rose Blake's Beautiful Stool Chart is a playful illustrative take on the original design and will be displayed in Holland & Barrett stores across the country throughout February. Coco Lom's contemporary graphic design incorporates colourful patterns and shapes while Yee Poon's artwork, features anthropomorphic poos – both will be showcased online alongside gut health tips and advice.

"To be asked to create an artwork highlighting gut health was certainly an unusual project for me," says Coco Lom, "but the issue is not so unusual for many people in their daily lives and I hope my Beautiful Stool Chart will encourage people to think about their gut and seek advice if they need to."

According to an independent survey by Holland & Barrett, the most common issues caused by bad gut health are bloating and heartburn while people that address their gut health say they do so to support general mental and physical health, support their immunity and counter stress, anxiety and low moods or depression. Londoners have the worst gut health, closely followed by people living in the West.

Want to find out more? Holland & Barrett has created an online hub of information including the various Beautiful Stool Charts, advice and tips for those wanting to know more about gut health. The retailer is also offering free one-to-one 15-minute virtual consultations with its health and wellness experts, which are available to book online.