# Up to 20 lbs of poop! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 12, 2021, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-to-20-lbs-of-poop/944148 "2021-06-12T21:56:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-to-20-lbs-of-poop/944148/21 "2021-06-13T15:36:33Z")
I remember decades ago this idea was going around and a relative breathlessly telling us that the colon could hold on to ‘old food’ for weeks, or months!..Now, here’s something similar: I think I read once that morbidly obese people (the 600 pounders who never leave their beds) only poop once a month. Is this true? ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-to-20-lbs-of-poop/944148/22 "2021-06-13T15:54:45Z")
Around post #7 there is a link to Hirschsprung’s Disease with the symptoms you describe but no mention of morbidly obese people. Not exercising to the point of never leaving your bed should play havoc with your peristalsis, but only once a month? I doubt it. And as for the colon storing old shit for weeks or months, well, if my brain can remember bullshit for years, why should the colon, _mutatis mutandis_, not do the same? 💩 (Spoiler: because it’s not the same) ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-to-20-lbs-of-poop/944148/23 "2021-06-13T16:54:52Z")
I worked with a guy that believed in the benefits of high colonics. He started doing this after listening to an interview with singer James Brown. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-to-20-lbs-of-poop/944148/24 "2021-06-13T17:07:56Z")
Weirdly, I remember a Spy Magazine article that said that James Brown had a related kink or fetish. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-to-20-lbs-of-poop/944148/25 "2021-06-13T17:42:26Z")
Was a glass coffee table involved? ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-to-20-lbs-of-poop/944148/26 "2021-06-13T20:29:38Z")
> [@Bootb](#): > > But don’t worry–just drink alkaline water, and detox your body, and you’ll be fine. Wrong! It’s carrot juice and black strap molasses. If you will just drink carrot juice and black strap molasses for 120 years, you’ll live to a ripe old age! [![](https://www.chick.com/images/tracts/0072/0072_05.gif) ](https://www.chick.com/images/tracts/0072/0072_05.gif) ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-to-20-lbs-of-poop/944148/27 "2021-06-13T22:07:45Z")
About 15 years ago I worked for awhile with a weightlifting trainer at my local gym. His saying: > You just need fish oil and squats. If you can’t fix it with fish oil and squats, well … you’re gonna die. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2021, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-to-20-lbs-of-poop/944148/28 "2021-06-14T10:08:43Z")
The Chinese don’t waste anything. On back roads, I saw villages with their community latrines up on risers, to facilitate collection of shit as an agricultural fertilizer. Assuming a pound a week per capita , a billion Chinese would produce 25-million tons of annual outpoop., In a rural roadhouse restaurant, there was a trough under a wall accessible to both sides. People squat-shit on one side, and hogs could be heard noshing on the other. Best Canadian bacon I’ve ever tasted. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2021, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-to-20-lbs-of-poop/944148/29 "2021-06-14T14:31:29Z")
jtur88, on first reference I fixed your typo in the word “Chinese” to ensure there was no misunderstanding. You’d omitted a letter. RickJay Moderator ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2021, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-to-20-lbs-of-poop/944148/30 "2021-06-16T22:20:06Z")
I don’t know much about John Wayne final weeks, but Elvis was a junkie when he died. Any doc can tell you that opioids will stop you up, even at legal doses. ---
**Author:** ![Ranch\_Dip](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranch_dip/32/5238_2.png) [@Ranch\_Dip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranch_Dip)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2021, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-to-20-lbs-of-poop/944148/31 "2021-06-16T23:48:12Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Surely there wasn’t five to twenty pounds of fecal material when my doctor had that camera up my ass? If you did the prep right, it’s clean as a whistle. I used to have to file these into these into the patient charts. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2021, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-to-20-lbs-of-poop/944148/32 "2021-06-16T23:55:48Z")
I know that. I assume when the patient isn’t sufficiently clean, the doctor cancels and reschedules the procedure. (Although the idea of losing twenty pounds just by going to the bathroom has a certain appeal.) ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2021, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-to-20-lbs-of-poop/944148/33 "2021-06-17T00:22:56Z")
IIRC there was a program like “Inside Edition” that talked about colonics as a way for celebs to get ready for the Oscars or whatever. Patricia Heaton from Home Improvement was getting one, I think. Every little bit helps? **Ron White:** _You ever take a crap so big your pants fit better?_ ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2021, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-to-20-lbs-of-poop/944148/34 "2021-06-17T01:37:33Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > (Although the idea of losing twenty pounds just by going to the bathroom has a certain appeal.) Whenever I leave the dentist after a cleaning (next Tue in fact) I always say goodbye to the receptionist on the way out. And end with “Golly, that was the easiest 5 lbs I’ve ever lost!” Usually gets an Ewww! in response. Which I consider a success. 😀 ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2021, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-to-20-lbs-of-poop/944148/35 "2021-06-17T15:57:48Z")
When going on a longer hike, I carry [dehydrated water](https://www.wittyyeti.com/products/witty-yetis-dehydrated-water-16oz-can-new-formula-essential-camping-survival-supply-funny-gag-gift-adult-stocking-stuffer-for-men-women-hilarious-novelty-practical-joke); much, much lighter weight than carrying regular water in the backpack. The only downside is you need some regular water to rehydrate it. 🤔 ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2021, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-to-20-lbs-of-poop/944148/36 "2021-06-17T15:59:35Z")
No, you don’t understand. No need to carry water. All you have to do is add some dihydrogen monoxide and you’re good to go. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2021, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-to-20-lbs-of-poop/944148/37 "2021-06-17T16:14:33Z")
Dihydrogen Monoxide??? I’m not putting your fancy-shmancy chemical concoctions in my body, no-sireebob; they’re what cause the ‘toxins’ that need to be flushed out. I want some plain old-fashioned H2O\* for me, TYVM!!! - is there any way to do sub/superscript like we could in vBulliten?..or to start a line w/ an asterisk as opposed to having it converted to a bullet point? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2021, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-to-20-lbs-of-poop/944148/38 "2021-06-17T16:24:19Z")
What looks like this: X2 and X2 is typed like this: X\2\ and X\2\. What looks like this: \* blah blah is typed like this: \* blah blah The points being: 1. The words “sup” and “sub” in angle brackets give super- and subscript tags respectively. 2. To display a character that Discourse considers a formatting code, put a backslash “\” in front of it. 3. To display a backslash itself, put in two of them. So \*this\* with backslashes ahead of each asterisk is not italic and \*\*this\*\* is not bold. That’s also how to prevent > 3\*4\*5\*6 = 360 from looking like > 3_4_5\*6 = 360. Oops. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2021, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-to-20-lbs-of-poop/944148/39 "2021-06-17T16:48:07Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > is there any way to do sub/superscript like we could in vBulliten?..or to start a line w/ an asterisk as opposed to having it converted to a bullet point? angle brackets _sup_ slash angle brackets Like this_sub_ works too and no space after the asterisk \*Like this ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2021, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-to-20-lbs-of-poop/944148/40 "2021-06-17T17:31:06Z")
Didn’t think a woo thread about nonsense bullshit would teach me anything, and yet, here we are. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-to-20-lbs-of-poop/944148.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/up-to-20-lbs-of-poop/944148.md?page=3)