I did not see the posts of Carol and Kris. I recently got installed the grab bars in the toilet, like the ones shown in Carol's photo. The second photo of Kris is interesting - using pipe network as grab bars. I reckon that design would come in handy, if the walls are weak, and you cannot nail deep enough to fix the bars properly so as to withstand the force of grabbing.

F H Mughal

Well from my own experience I would have found it quite hard to squat during the last say 2.5 months of pregnancy. I am quite a sporty person, so perhaps a less sporty person would find it even harder.
Then again, perhaps women who are used to squatting for using the toilet (or for "sitting" around and waiting, like I have observed vendors to do in Thailand for example), are less impacted even during the later stages of pregnancy. Perhaps you could ask around amongst women that you know in Pakistan where squatting is the norm for toilet use? Could be interesting.

I have read that also the elderly may find it harder, and that grab bars attached to the wall would make a bit difference (also for people with disabilities).
See also posts by Carol and Kris here: forum.susana.org/component/kunena/93-inc...ars-in-squat-toilets

Dear Elisabeth,

Would the pregnant women still can squat, if she is a bit over-weight?

Regards,

F H Mughal

My involvement with Wikipedia's article on defecation postures (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defecation_postures) brought me back to this forum thread. That's because one of the other Wikipedians posted some interesting information on the article's talk page here:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Defecation_po...ap-around_foot_rests

He posted a link to this promotional video for the squatty potty:



Accompanying article:
www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding...ted-sales-600-168526

"Squatty Potty's CEO Ignored Everyone, Made an Insane Video and Boosted Sales 600% Bold marketing helps bring in $15 million"

My fellow Wikipedian also asked:

I can't help but wonder whether it makes a difference whether you squat with a toilet seat supporting your body, as seen in the Squatty Potty video above, or whether you support your weight with your legs/feet, as is done in Japan. --Guy Macon (talk) 17:44, 7 December 2016 (UTC)

He also provided some references for health benefits from squatting although I think none of them stacks up as being good enough for Wikipedia's really high level of references for medical/health content which is explained here en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Identify...e_sources_(medicine)
- and which disqualifies primary research and individual small study results.

I guess it is an under-researched topic so not easy to come by the very high quality large studies that would be required to be sure of the possible health benefits from squatting versus sitting ("sure" in the sense of Wikipedia articles' citations, not "sure" in the sense of your own personal experiences).

This is just another example of how Wikipedia work can help us in learning and identifying knowledge gaps and connecting with other interested people.

Regards,
Elisabeth

The book by German medical student Giulia Enders which Emma mentioned above in this thread has also been translated to English and is apparently a bestseller, at least in Germany.

In English it is called "Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body's Most Underrated Organ".
(bookshop.theguardian.com/catalog/product/view/id/286789/)

It is discussed here in an article in the Guardian Livestyle:

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/ma...ing?CMP=share_btn_tw

The article says:

And, yes, we have been pooing all wrong. Enders tells me about various studies* that show that we do it more efficiently if we squat. This is because the closure mechanism of the gut is not designed to “open the hatch completely” when we’re sitting down or standing up: it’s like a kinked hose. Squatting is far more natural and puts less pressure on our bottoms. She says: “1.2 billion people around the world who squat have almost no incidence of diverticulosis and fewer problems with piles.

But not to worry, you don't need to convert your sitting toilet to a squatting toilet according to the article:

We can iron out the kink by sitting with our feet on a little stool and leaning forward. The book even has a helpful drawing by Enders’ sister.

-> that's the squatty potty that was at the beginning of this thread on Page 1.

What I am wondering about: as you might have seen from my qualitative survey about squatting toilets worldwide (see here on the forum: forum.susana.org/forum/categories/141-ot...lets-in-your-country ; most recently we heard there from Afghanistan and Jordan), nearly every respondent is saying there seems to be a slow change in preferences happening:
Particularly the city dwellers in many countries are moving more and more from squatting toilets to sitting toilets, it seems.

This could be quite a large scale experiment in health. Will we see an increase in certain conditions in those countries, such as hemorrhoids (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemorrhoid)? Time will tell.

Regards,
Elisabeth

* If anyone has these studies at their fingertips, please let me know as I would like to cite any high quality ones in the Wikipedia article about defecation postures: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defecation_postures
(haven't yet done a Google search for them).

Apparently people in the „western world“ start to overthink their habits. Same happens in Germany, here is a funny YouTube video where medical student Giulia Enders does a poetry slam on the often forgotten charm of our gastrointestinal tract (in German only):



And, with focus to the health impact of a sitting position, please have a look at the reading sample you can get on her homepag: www.darm-mit-charme.de/ (page 24 onwards, also in German). Her writing and language is a mix of humor and use of “abusive”, informal words like “shit” etc., which is, concerning the Shit Flow Diagrams, a good example on how effective the use of an informal, slightly “abusive” language breaks the taboo of talking about sanitation.

For non-Germans:
Health impacts of a sitting position:
• Constipation
• Hemorrhoids
• Irritable Bowel Syndrom (IBS)
• Pelvic Floor Issues
• Bloating
• Straining


+++++++
Note by moderator: see also a related discussion thread about squatting in different countries here: forum.susana.org/forum/categories/141-ot...lets-in-your-country

Ha, how did you find this video, Christoph? It's always nice to see sanitation discussed on mainstream media (with a bit of humor, too)!

Here is the direct link to the video in the right spot:



If they have these very impressive sales numbers then why are they looking for further investors, I wonder? (interesting that they are hoping to get approval to be a "medical product" with rebates from health insurance companies).

I wonder how obesity (a growing problem in the US and elsewhere) affects the sitting versus squatting debate.

And I also wonder how one knows if one's colon is healthy or not? I.e. these people who start using this squatty potty, what health improvements do they notice? I guess less constipation is the main thing?
Does that mean if one doesn't have problems with constipation then one also doesn't need this product?

Greetings,
Elisabeth

had a look at the video and saw the product here: www.squattypotty.my

The squatty potty is a great concept product for the western world (ie the land of the sitting toilet:)

Elderly and sick in developing countries (ie squatting toilets land)

Something like this may also be a way of addressing the issues of the elderly and the sick in the normal squatting toilets; it could mean we can do away with (or minimise) the need for hand rails, lift points etc as the elderly and sick can simply move their feet from the squatty potty stand to the normal sitting position before standing up.

I like it; I think I will incorporate the concept (if not the specific product)in future design and planning thinking

Very interesting - impressive sales numbers - never expected that.

You have to watch it from 20:26 on:



have a look if you have time for 5 min.

Christoph

Dear Florian,

From my own experience (some years ago...), I would say that squatting as a highly pregnant woman is not really a problem. Women also give birth while squatting... The thigh muscles are strong. But I would say it can be harder for older people. And of course people with disabilities.

By the way, we had a detailed discussion on this issue on the forum in the past (thanks to Juergen for summarising the discussions from the old ecosanresforum). Thus, I have moved this post into that existing thread (please scrol up to see it).

Cheers,
Elisabeth

A question that recently crossed my mind: how do women in the last months of pregnance use squatting toilets? I mean is it a problem or not for them to use squatting toilets?

It looks like westerns are discovering the benefits of squatting (and commercializing it, of course!)

Just out of curiosity! The video is from July 2012.


Best regards,
Cecilia.