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Book Science

Is reading while in the bathroom good for you?

Uncle John's Bathroom Reader
Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader

Show of hands: how many of you read while sitting on the toilet?

Yeah, we thought so — reading (or using your smartphone or iPad) while dropping the kids off at the pool has become a habit by almost everyone.  Web Watch cringes at those who take their office paperwork with them to the bathroom stall before a meeting, knowing that the next stapled handout we receive may be covered in fecal matter.

Yeah, not a pretty image to think about, is it?  But you’re going to think about it next time you see your boss head to the bathroom before your next staff meeting, aren’t you?  Yeah, we thought so.

It so happens that Dr Ron Shaoul, a specialist in pediatric gastroenterology, also was disgusted by the filthy habit of reading while in the bathroom, that he decided to conduct a study entitled TOILET READING HABITS IN ISRAELI ADULTS to see if reading while sitting on the toilet had an effect on one’s health.

They found that, according to the research, 52.7% of the population reads and poops at the same time.  It’s more likely to be done by men than women (64% vs 41%), and more often than not to be those with a higher education level who works a white-collar job.

Those that read in the bathroom did spend more time contemplating life than those who “sat and go”, but there were no noticable differences in poop styles.  Those that read reported less constipation, but may have more instances of hemmoroids — but these stats could not be related directly to the reading habit.

The net result of the study?  Reading on the toilet is most likely done for fun and does not lead to any medical issues.