The science behind squatty potties
Japanese toilets are a mark of cultural superiority
January 23, 2007
Chami Nagai
“I know I’m being such a tourist, but I promised my friend back home!”
With this lame disclaimer, my friend stepped into a cubicle in a Japanese public bathroom and took a picture of a squatty potty made of pink porcelain (apparently pink is a universally-recognized gender specific colour). There is one thing positive about being a tourist in Japan: you can get away with taking pictures of squatty potties.
This anecdote is to prove that most of my North American friends have this idea of how squatty potties are gross, uncivilized, or, to say it more mildly, “interesting.” Thus, I have ventured into unveiling the mysteries of squatty potties and their superiority.
First of all, what are squatty potties? In many countries, toilets are merely holes in the ground. I remember going to a bathroom that the village people built for us foreigners in Papua New Guinea; it was a hole dug with plants on either side for stability. Squatty potties are similar in nature, but in Japan, they come with full plumbing. As seen in the picture, there is a “hood” part. Many people make the mistake of facing away from this hood. Please DO face it; the entire point of the hood is to prevent splashing. Once you’re finished, just turn the handle to flush. By the way, Japanese toilets often come with two-way adjustable flushing system: little water, or lots of water, depending on your situation. It conserves water, which deserves kudos for environmentalism.
There is also scientific evidence proving the superiority of squatty potties. I was talking to a friend who taught English in Japan for two years, and she mentioned how it is so natural for people to squat when using the toilet because it provides the perfect body alignment. My ears perked up, since I knew there had to be a scientific reason why my country still used squatty potties while being the most technological advanced society in the world. She mentioned how little kids would lean forward when sitting on the toilet seat because that is more natural.
So I did my research: I Googled “squat toilets.” (squatty potties didn’t give me many promising results). Lo and behold, there was an article written by a lady with a B.Sc. degree. She argued that it is quite unnatural for people to sit on seats and that it is a relatively new invention in the history of humanity, as many thought it was too uncivilized to squat. Thus, many Europeans and North Americans can’t squat anymore.
Why this shift from squat to sit is so detrimental to people iss that it caused all sorts of internal health problems. The author of this article suggests that sitting on the seat may be the cause of constipation, colon cancer, and hemorrhage, only to name a few. Bottom line: when sitting, the digestive passage gets unstraightened, hindering natural flow. Solution? Use squatty potties! There are even special squatty platforms that can be purchased and put around the toilet seat so you could have the wonderful health benefits of a squatty potty while still being in North America. Visit this website for further information: http://www.relfe.com/toilet_seat_constipation.html.
So despite the connotations that come with squatty potties, it is a manifestation of natural wisdom that has been passed on through the history of humanity. Next time you encounter a squatty potty, go ahead, take a picture, and then try using it. That may be the next step to your enlightenment from the east.
Now you go...
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