Constipation Nation: What to Know When You Can't Go

by Carmen Fong MD

A definitive guide to the science and history of constipation across the nation.

Most Americans have had constipation symptoms at some point in their lives. Statistics show up to 30% of Americans are affected with chronic constipation. This number reaches 60% as we age. At any given time up to 100 million people in the United States have constipation. During the pandemic, constipation and its related anorectal issues worsened because everyone was sitting at home.

Constipation has affected humans throughout history. Some called it “civilization’s curse.” Dr. John Harvey Kellogg (yes, of Kellogg’s cereal fame) promoted cold cereal as a constipation cure. Today, we have more probiotics and diets than you can shake your tushy at, and social media has popularized the Blue Poop Challenge to diagnose gut health. But what does it all mean?

After seeing thousands of patients in her practice as a colorectal surgeon, Dr. Fong realized that she was repeating the same information, sometimes twenty times a day. Yet, this information was not common knowledge. What was found on the Internet was confusing and conflicting, leaving people who Googled their symptoms with more questions than answers. As an academic clinician who has written peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Fong sought information beyond even what the medical textbooks taught her.

Constipation Nation helps readers who would rather research information themselves before seeing a healthcare professional to troubleshoot their poop chute. Drawing from 200 evidence-based sources as well as historical texts, Constipation Nation addresses all aspects of constipation, combining medicine, physiology, anatomy, microbiology, nutrition, history, and social sciences to get to the bottom of it all to explain why we doo… and why we don’t.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health

254 pages, Hardcover

Published November 5, 2024

Reviews

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a whole lot of information that was new, or that I could understand (a little technical). The gist I took away is that no two people are the same, what works for one doesn’t work for all, and everything in moderation. I did acquaint my spouse with the term ‘poop-shaming’, which exactly describes how he and his immature brothers behaved when they were young, and far into adulthood. Does bathroom humor ever cease to be funny?

[Elizabeth]

As heard on This Podcast Will Kill You (Ep 201 Poop Part 2: Flushed away)

Poop is an incredibly valuable and massively underutilized resource. However, most of us don’t see it that way because of our evolutionarily ingrained disgust towards poop. Flush toilets and intricate sewer systems have revolutionized health and hygiene by whisking our poop far away where we don’t have to think about it. But that poop has gotta go somewhere, and eventually, not thinking about it isn’t going to be an option. Similarly, not thinking about our individual poop is asking for disaster, since what we produce can reveal a great deal about our gut and overall health. In this episode, we explore the problems that poop can cause on both the individual and population level. From constipation to fiber, and the Great Stink to communal poop sponges, we’re continuing our journey into the curiously fascinating world of poop.

Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/3WwtIAu

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

https://omny.fm/shows/this-podcast-wi...

[Dianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! As a novice nurse, it was enjoyable and informative. Dr. Fong, please write more books!