- VIVA.co.id/M Ali Wafa
Jakarta – Men usually take longer than women in the bathroom, especially when it comes to the act of defecation. In recent years, this concept has even become a meme and a source of jokes on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
Recently, experts and scientists have shed light on the actual reasons why men tend to spend an extended amount of time in the bathroom.
The inclination of men towards prolonged bathroom breaks may help explain why they generally have better digestive health than women.
"Anyone who knows a man knows that it is indeed true that men spend more time in the bathroom than women, but in reality, they are much less likely to experience chronic bowel issues and constipation than women," Gastroenterologist Kyle Staller stated.
Gastrointestinal psychologist Madison Simons from the Cleveland Clinic explained that the reasoning behind this phenomenon could be The body needs to relax for everything to move smoothly.
Men tend to feel more relaxed while on the toilet compared to women because they have a "binary switch" that suddenly shifts between the instinct to fight or flee, known as the sympathetic (stressful) and parasympathetic (relaxed) states.
Ilustrasi toilet.
- Dok. Istimewa
To ensure proper digestion, the body must be in the latter state. This transition encourages what Simons calls the "rest and digest function."
With the body in relaxation mode, and considering the daily lives of many adult men are relatively high-pressure, it's not surprising that they choose to spend a bit more time in the bathroom. Men may enjoy spending time in a relaxed state before they return to their activities, he added.
"You won't be asked to make meals for the kids or solve workplace problems if you're just sitting in the bathroom,"
Previous research also found that men are generally more inclined to read in the bathroom, making them occupied for longer than the average five minutes needed by most people in the toilet, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Another study from the University of Oxford found that men tend to use their phones more often than women while in the bathroom. In the end, according to Simons, bathroom time can be a great way to take a break, recharge, and regain focus.
"There's a sense of safety that comes with it; at this moment, you are fully aware that there is only one task you are accomplishing, which is going to the bathroom,"
