Don't sit on the toilet for more than 10 minutes, doctors warn
Doctors’ warnings about sitting on the toilet for more than 10 minutes prompt debate over hemorrhoid risk, constipation, and whether prolonged bathroom sessions signal deeper diet or exercise problems. Commenters contrast Western sitting toilets with squatting postures, arguing over which is more anatomically healthy and hygienic, and extend the hygiene concern to smartphones, handwashing, and fecal bacteria spread. Others branch into related topics such as water-intake guidelines, the slow U.S. uptake of dual-flush toilets and bidets, and broader skepticism toward public-health advice.
Toilet time & health concerns
- Several anecdotes link long toilet sessions (e.g., reading entire books) with hemorrhoids and even surgery; others report decades of toilet reading with no issues.
- Some see “toilet time” as valuable ritual and are willing to accept hemorrhoid risk; others say needing >10 minutes regularly signals dietary or exercise problems.
- Question raised whether kegels could help; one reply suggests they might for prolapse but not hemorrhoids, and that long sitting itself is problematic.
Squatting vs sitting
- Multiple comments argue western sitting toilets weaken pelvic/hip muscles and worsen constipation; squatting (on squat toilets, with a “squatty potty,” or even on top of a western toilet) is promoted as more natural.
- Others find squat toilets confusing, messy, or “disgusting” and worry about stepping in waste; defenders say half the world uses them successfully and explain how clothing is positioned.
- One commenter raises a specific concern that male genitals can touch western toilet surfaces, allegedly causing chronic urinary infections; others do not directly confirm or refute this.
Smartphones, hygiene & disease
- Strong concern about people using phones on the toilet, then touching them while preparing food; focus is on invisible microbial contamination rather than visible feces.
- Emphasis on handwashing after bathroom use and before eating; some see declining hygiene standards in “the West” compared to places like Japan or certain immigrant-run food shops.
- Toilet flushing aerosols are cited as a contamination source for phones and surroundings; suggestion to periodically wipe phones with alcohol.
Water intake, sitting & coding
- Confusion over high water-intake recommendations; clarification that guidelines often include fluids in food.
- Some report drinking 2–3+ liters per day; another raises concern about excessive intake (hyponatremia).
- Question whether prolonged sitting and coding can cause the same issues as long toilet sitting; one reply suggests not, due to different posture/pressure.
Bidets, dual-flush & toilet design
- Several discuss bidet adoption in the US: some see rapid uptake in their social circle, others insist usage is still rare.
- Debate on whether bidets increase or reduce overall water use; some describe routines that significantly reduce toilet paper.
- Concerns about “aerosolizing” feces with bidets are raised and disputed.
- Dual-flush toilets: common elsewhere but perceived as rare and often unreliable in the US, possibly due to poor designs or mismatch with bowl size.
- Some users dislike dual-flush buttons for aesthetic or hygiene reasons; others like water savings and note hidden dual-flush mechanisms (e.g., handle hold vs tap).
Attitudes toward medical advice & public health
- A few comments portray doctors or “they” as overreaching or trying to remove small pleasures like extended toilet sitting.
- Others defend public health measures as necessary to protect people from each other’s poor hygiene.
- COVID-era public health failures are cited as a reason for declining trust in authorities.