Primarily constipation. It can also lead to gallstones, elevated cholesterol, increased heavy metals, decreased intestinal flora. Decreased intestinal flora can lead to lowered immune function, decreased metabolism of metabolites such as estrogen metabolites, decreased vitamin formation, and decreased bone density. Our primary silica source also comes from fiber. A lack of silica can lead to bone loss, tendonitis, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, diverticulitis, emphysema, arteriosclerosis, etc.
There is a calculator for that:
http://www.healthcalculators.org/calculators/fiber.asp
Also remember that there are different fibers, soluble and insoluble. For the flora you want insoluble fibers. Rice bran and oat bran are my favorites.
Insoluble means that they do not dissolve in water. An example would be cellulose. But you are right, we are incapable if digesting these fibers. The flora feed on these fibers though, so insoluble fibers help to increase their growth.
Insoluble fibers are the ones that gel up. For example psyllium is high in soluble fiber.
I disagree with that. IBS and spastic colon have been linked to low levels of flora. The flora need the insoluble fibers to feed and grow. On the other hand there are hard insoluble fibers and soft insoluble fibers. I prefer the soft insoluble fibers, such as rice bran, oat bran and FOS because they are less irritating to the intestines than hard fibers like wheat bran.