# TMI - Human evolution - did we evolve to poop standing up ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 23, 2016, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tmi-human-evolution-did-we-evolve-to-poop-standing-up/755486 "2016-05-23T20:59:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![am77494](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2016, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tmi-human-evolution-did-we-evolve-to-poop-standing-up/755486/1 "2016-05-23T20:59:34Z")
Sorry for the TMI question. I’ve seen gorillas in the zoo squat to do their business. Not sure if the other primates do so also. Also some Asian cultures have the squatting position toilets. I have heard some good arguments about how your diet is best when it matches that of the Paleolithic man. Today a colleague made the claim that Paleolithic man pooped squatting and that’s the best position to avoid constipation, and a myriad of other bowel related diseases. Any truth to these claims ? ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2016, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tmi-human-evolution-did-we-evolve-to-poop-standing-up/755486/2 "2016-05-23T21:15:35Z")
Well we definitely poop squatting if there are no toilets around. Have you never pooped in the woods? To what extent that’s better for us the jury is still out. Here for instance is a study on whether squatting reduces time and strain for defecation: [Comparison of straining during defecation in three positions: results and implications for human health - PubMed](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12870773) It did. Here’s one that get’s a small but not statistically significant increased risk for colorectal cancer for sitting toilets over squatting. [Squatting and risk of colorectal cancer:a case-control study - PubMed](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24829631) And here’s a very low quality study suggesting squatting increases the risk of strokes for those in high risk groups. [Squatting, blood pressure and stroke - PubMed](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11922227) And that’s about it for pubmed. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2016, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tmi-human-evolution-did-we-evolve-to-poop-standing-up/755486/3 "2016-05-23T21:17:05Z")
Are things good _because_ they reflect Paleolithic practice? Almost certainly not, since life expectancy then was around 33 (and even discounting infant mortality, it was still much lower than today). > **[Life expectancy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_expectancy)** > > Life expectancy is a statistical measure of the estimate of the span of a life. It is sometimes used referring to inanimate objects, i.e. a building, but is generally used to estimate the average life span of living things, more specifically human life. > This average is calculated based on the year of birth, sex, and region, factoring in the causes of mortality that would most likely affect the particular population. As of 2016, the overall worldwide life expectancy had reached the highest leve... So, I think we can do much better than asking “is the paleo diet healthy”. It seems to consists of some healthy elements for which there has been long standing good evidence, and some elements for which there’s no evidence at all. I see no good reason to embrace the elements that are unsupported by evidence just because they are paleo, any more than I plan to stop washing my hands after pooping or stop using antibiotics when needed. So, as regards the squatting-to-poop thing: forget about whether it’s “paleo”, let’s just ask if there’s any evidence that it works. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2016, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tmi-human-evolution-did-we-evolve-to-poop-standing-up/755486/4 "2016-05-23T21:18:06Z")
What positions are there besides squatting? Standing straight up? Lying down? I suppose sitting on a toilet isn’t exactly the same as squatting. I saw a very humorous video advertising a contraption sort of like a stepping stool you put your feet on that I guess simulates a squatting posture while on the pot. I wasn’t sure if it was a joke video or for real. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2016, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tmi-human-evolution-did-we-evolve-to-poop-standing-up/755486/5 "2016-05-23T21:24:58Z")
Found it. The Squatty Potty toilet stool. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/YbYWhdLO43Q/maxresdefault.jpg "This Unicorn Changed the Way I Poop - #SquattyPotty") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbYWhdLO43Q)