You've probably been pooping wrong your whole life, says doctor

Who knew there was a right and wrong way to poop?

Turns out most people in Western countries have been getting it wrong their whole lives, according to a UK doctor on TikTok.

In a video that has 126,000 views, NHS surgeon Dr Karan Rajan said we should be aiming for a better angle when we go to the toilet.

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Rajan has amassed 5.1m followers by offering advice on awkward medical topics like why we should never hold in farts, and gauging someone’s penis length without a ruler.

In his latest video the doctor explained how to have a “truly wonderful dump” without a “squatty potty, the floor-level toilet that is popular in some Asian countries.

“Focus on the angles, particularly the angle between your abdomen and your thighs,” said Dr Rajan. “Make this as small as possible.”

Meanwhile, people should raise their heels so they are leaning on the balls of their feet and lifting their knees above their hips. This can be done by resting your feet on a rolled-up towel or stool.

But what is the point?

Dr Rajan continues: “The puborectalis, the muscle that wraps around the rectum is now relaxed, causing the rectum to straighten, and giving you a smoother exit.”

A 2012 study published in the Digestive Diseases and Sciences journal, found that people who squatted on a 12-inch toilet took 51 seconds to poop, while bathroom-goers who sat sans crouching on a 16-inch toilet took a staggering 130 seconds.

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