# Do You Visually Examine Your Poop? Why? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 7, 2004, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-visually-examine-your-poop-why/243974 "2004-05-07T07:57:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sisyphus\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sisyphus\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sisyphus_Stone)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2004, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-visually-examine-your-poop-why/243974/1 "2004-05-07T07:57:28Z")
I had the TMI experience today where a co-worker said that she always stands up (before wiping), turns around and visually explores her poop. Wiping first, she maintains, covers the poop so she can’t see it properly. When asked why she wanted to view her pile, she tittered, stammered, turned red and moved away quite swiftly. Another co-worker suggested that, in parts of Europe, there’s a little platform above the water line in the toilet that you aim the poo toward to make an observation tower. WTF? I’m still perplexed! What can you tell from a visual examination only? Consistency? Colour? What else? Undigested celulose stuff? What would it tell you in terms of planning your day? Your week? Your next Dr visit? Standing up with unremoved poo in your crack? Whew!! Wouldn’t it spread right along the crack so that the eventual wipe becomes a monumental task? This is **not** an opinion thread. I want to know factual reasons for the practice. ---
**Author:** ![RumMunkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@RumMunkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RumMunkey)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2004, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-visually-examine-your-poop-why/243974/2 "2004-05-07T11:21:25Z")
To make sure everything is copacetic of course. I mean, if it’s abnormally dark, or blue or something, it should be time to see your doctor. I don’t honestly see the confusion here. It sounds pretty normal…not pretty, or the kind of thing you’d normally talk about in public, but still normal. Obviously, if you’re hung up on seeing your own poo, you haven’t shared close quarters with babies or children yet… ---
**Author:** ![RumMunkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@RumMunkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RumMunkey)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2004, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-visually-examine-your-poop-why/243974/3 "2004-05-07T11:29:13Z")
> [@](#): > > Standing up with unremoved poo in your crack? Whew!! Wouldn’t it spread right along the crack so that the eventual wipe becomes a monumental task? I’ve seen this as a comment before, and never understood it. If you can’t stand up without smearing feces in your rear end, you’re not eating enough fibre. Have a bran muffin once in a while and you’ll find clean up almost unnecessary altogether (well, almost!) ---
**Author:** ![peculiar\_hailstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/46a35a/32.png) [@peculiar\_hailstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peculiar_hailstone)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-visually-examine-your-poop-why/243974/4 "2004-05-14T14:30:42Z")
I think it’s just to make sure it isn’t blue, as was said, or has worms coming out of it or something. But, after spending some time in Europe, i tried to find out why they have these sort of shelf-toilets, where the poop sits quite close to its origin, before being thrust down with the flush water. Well, the only reference I could find at the time, and I can’t remember where I read it, maybe even here!, said that the poop stayed on the toilet-shelf because farmers used to take the poop and use it! Far-fetched? I don’t know. I did read that though. No kidding! It was to make it easier for them to fish it out. Anyone know about this??? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-visually-examine-your-poop-why/243974/5 "2004-05-14T16:03:06Z")
I can’t speak for the rest of humanity, but I myself am a naturally curious person. I thirst for knowledge. I quest for answers to the unknown. Yes, I look at my own shit and I’m proud of it! As for why some people stand up to wipe – is there another way of doing it? Honestly, for my entire life I thought this was the only way. And it’s not like I observe other people in the act of wiping, so it’s not like I’ve had a chance to compare and contrast techniques. I stand because it’s my way. It’s the only way I know. And yes, I always look at the paper to see if I’m done. If the paper is white, then I know I’m alright. ---
**Author:** ![luluBahrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e5b9ba/32.png) [@luluBahrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/luluBahrain)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-visually-examine-your-poop-why/243974/6 "2004-05-14T16:04:09Z")
Since everyone keeps bringing up blue poop I thought I’d just mention I have had baby blue poop once in my adult life. 'Twas pretty in a very, very strange way. ---
**Author:** ![Chastain86](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Chastain86](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chastain86)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-visually-examine-your-poop-why/243974/7 "2004-05-14T16:13:48Z")
I just always thought of it as paying your respects before the “final burial at sea.” ---
**Author:** ![Amethyst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/919ad9/32.png) [@Amethyst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amethyst)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-visually-examine-your-poop-why/243974/8 "2004-05-14T16:36:07Z")
Having a gastro-intestinal disease that is in remission, I always like to ensure there aren’t any signs of blood. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-visually-examine-your-poop-why/243974/9 "2004-05-14T16:49:35Z")
Indeed, visual inspection of what comes out of you is an indication of the conditions inside of you. ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-visually-examine-your-poop-why/243974/10 "2004-05-14T17:08:49Z")
Agreed. Visual inspection gives one an indication of colonic health, and also some feedback to help adjust the amount of fiber in one’s diet. And also a clue as to when one has consumed too much grape Kool-Aid. Also, I like to admire the big ones. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-visually-examine-your-poop-why/243974/11 "2004-05-14T17:55:45Z")
Anyone who’s spent any time raising babies knows that a wealth of vital information can be gleaned from a quick visual scan of poo. It’s the olefactory scan that’ll kill ya. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-visually-examine-your-poop-why/243974/12 "2004-05-14T18:02:42Z")
I had a kidney stone last year and a few lingering comlications remain. One question my doctor asks me every time I see him is “What color is your stool?” “Um, brown?” is an unnecessarily wiseass answer, in is view. ---
**Author:** ![luluBahrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e5b9ba/32.png) [@luluBahrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/luluBahrain)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-visually-examine-your-poop-why/243974/13 "2004-05-14T18:05:31Z")
> [@bughunter](#): > > Agreed. Visual inspection gives one an indication of colonic health, and also some feedback to help adjust the amount of fiber in one’s diet. > > And also a clue as to when one has consumed too much grape Kool-Aid… And that is exactly where the blue poo originated from in my case. ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-visually-examine-your-poop-why/243974/14 "2004-05-14T18:50:04Z")
Also, the “shelf” on euro toilets is not specifically there so you can inspect your fecal friends, it’s there so that when you drop the kids off at the pool, they don’t immediately do a cannonball and make the toilet do a brief impression of a bidet. I always hate when the splashback makes a bullseye. So I learned on my own to float a few pieces of TP in the center of the bowl before sitting down. And, I must recommend the newsgroup [alt.tasteless](http://groups.google.com/groups?q=alt.tasteless) for any and all poo-related questions. Believe me, the folks there are the internet excretory experts. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-visually-examine-your-poop-why/243974/15 "2004-05-14T19:09:43Z")
Well since everyone else has addressed the point of the OP better than I could ever have done… I just gotta say that there should be a legal requirement to display some kind of tactful warning anywhere that Red Velvet Cake is served. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-visually-examine-your-poop-why/243974/16 "2004-05-14T19:36:55Z")
Speaking of “blue”, I wonder how Lieu missed this thread. I miss him so… ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-visually-examine-your-poop-why/243974/17 "2004-05-14T20:38:21Z")
Once, a couple of years ago, for a day my poo was blue-green. I still don’t know what caused it to be that color, but ever since, I’ve at least taken a quick peek before flushing to make sure any odd colors haven’t suddenly appeared. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-visually-examine-your-poop-why/243974/18 "2004-05-14T20:47:33Z")
> [@DakotaDog](#): > > If you can’t stand up without smearing feces in your rear end, you’re not eating enough fibre. Actually eating a lot of peanuts will eliminate this problem as well. ---
**Author:** ![wisernow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@wisernow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wisernow)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-visually-examine-your-poop-why/243974/19 "2004-05-14T20:57:38Z")
> [@Sisyphus' Stone](#): > > Standing up with unremoved poo in your crack? Whew!! Wouldn’t it spread right along the crack so that the eventual wipe becomes a monumental task? Looking at my poo after I am done makes my day! I also watch the colour of my pee when peeing! A visual survey of whatever comes out can serve as an early warning in case something is going wrong. And as for the “monumental task” in wiping a post-poo-stood-up-butt, why not try giving it one wipe and the standing up without letting go off the TP? ---
**Author:** ![xvxdarkknightxvx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/34f0e0/32.png) [@xvxdarkknightxvx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xvxdarkknightxvx)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-visually-examine-your-poop-why/243974/20 "2004-05-14T22:02:03Z")
For other poo related websites, there’s always [Rate-My-Poo](http://www.ratemypoo.com). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-visually-examine-your-poop-why/243974.md?page=2)