If you’ve ever wondered why men take so long to defecate, you may have wondered if there’s a medical reason. Why if some men take much longer than women to take care of their business?
The answer, however, does not appear to be anatomical. In fact, men may be faster at carrying out their defecation duties than women. A 2009 study in the magazine. Gender medicine He sought to investigate the gender differences of various difficult poop situations. The researchers looked at constipation, stool consistency, the need to use your fingers to evacuate, and a host of other less pleasant conditions related to Doody. The team concluded that women were more likely to experience “abnormal bowel habits” and constipation than men.
In other words, women tend to have more bowel-related problems than men. So, in any case, it is women who should spend more time in the bathroom.
Related: Why is the poop brown?
A 1992 study in the magazine. Intestine He found similar results. A questionnaire designed to assess the gender differences in the bowel habits of almost 1,900 men and women in England showed that, while most people, regardless of gender, do not enjoy “conventionally normal bowel function”, statistically, it seemed that women were more likely than men to face bath-based challenges.
But men really do spend more time in the bathroom. A recent survey in the United Kingdom by bathroom appliances company UK Bathrooms, which The Daily Mail Covered, revealed that men spent an average of 1 hour and 35 minutes on the toilet each week, or almost 14 minutes a day, compared to women, who spend only 55 minutes a week in the bathroom, or almost 8 minutes up to date.
That may mean that men who spend eons in the bathroom are doing more than just defecating. For example, research has found that 86% of men do most of their reading while sitting on the toilet, compared to just 27% of women, according to the UK survey.
Another 2009 study, published in the magazine. Neurogastroenterology and MotilityThey found that of the 499 men and women surveyed, more than half of the men (64%) and less than half of the women (41%) said they regularly read on the toilet.
Perhaps these men do this because they are seeking solace from the problems of life in the bathroom, Johnathan Alpert, a New York-based psychotherapist who wrote about overcoming anxiety in the book “Be Bold: Change Your Life in 28 Days” (Center Street, 2012), told Live Science.
“In the absence of a medical medical explanation for someone who spends a lot of time in the bathroom, there may be psychological reasons,” he said.
They may see bath time as a way to escape the hustle and bustle of a busy house, he said. “It can serve as their sanctuary and perhaps the only place where they can really have time alone.”
It is especially true for parents with young children, who exploit the excuse of prolonged poop for a chance to remember their thoughts, he said. “Some clients have told me that the bathroom allows the perfect escape from parental tasks,” said Alpert. “It can be a hideaway for people because no one asks you what you are doing there, even if you take a long time. It really can be a safe place.”
(Let’s take a moment to note that fathers spend less time on childcare and household chores than mothers, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. These surveys also find that fathers have more free time than mothers, perhaps they are wasting their free time in the bathroom?)
Alpert added that “everyone deserves their privacy to go to the bathroom, and I think some people might be using it for a little more than that and to their advantage.” However, sitting on the toilet for a long period can have drawbacks. Doctors warn that sitting (and pushing) for too long on the toilet can cause a build-up of pressure in the anus that eventually leads to hemorrhoids.
Long grooming sessions can also bode well for more sinister behavior. “For some people, there may be reasons for concern that could be much more serious, especially if a phone goes with them to the bathroom,” Alpert said. “Many people have kept in touch with their secondary girlfriend or boyfriend while sitting in the can. Others have seen pornography or slipped left or right on their dating apps.”
But don’t be too quick to jump to conclusions if the man in your life is spending unfathomable time in the bathroom; in all likelihood, you probably just want a few extra minutes of time alone.
Originally published in Live Science.
