subject: The Causes of Constipation [print this page] There are a number of ways that health experts define constipation. Some define it as a condition where you have three bowel movements or less per week. Others define it as having a hard time of passing stool. And still others define it as the inability to completely empty the large intestine. However it is defined, it is one of the illnesses that affect more Americans than practically any other condition.
There are a number of reasons that constipation happens. Most of them, however, boil down, in one way or another, to your choices in food. Whether it is not eating enough fiber, taking too many laxatives, or taking medicines that cause constipation - most instances involve food choices.
There have been a ton of studies that show that, if you eat a diet that is rich in fiber, you are among the least likely to have constipation problems. The USDA Food Pyramid has breads, cereals, rice and pasta on the bottom layer. Just above it are vegetables and fruits. If Americans were simply to follow the suggestions of the food pyramid, they would get enough fiber in their diet through simply eating their normal meals each day.
Most people, however, do not follow the food pyramid suggestions. In today's world of high stress, more and more people are taking shortcuts and eating unhealthy refined foods. And fewer people are eating the types of foods that would alleviate most of their digestive problems.
As people begin to reach the age of sixty and above, the odds are that their bouts of constipation will become more frequent. This is mainly due to two things that happen as we get older. One is that we tend to drink less water as we get into our sixties, seventies, and so on.
Health professionals have a variety of hypotheses as to why this occurs. A main theory is that as we get older, we consciously drink less water so that we can avoid having to go to the bathroom as much. Another is that the thirst mechanism works less well as we age, so the proper triggers that prompt us to drink, don't kick in as well.
The secondary reason that we have more frequent bouts of constipation as we get older is that we tend to move around and exercise less. Studies show that those who lead a sedentary life style experience much more incidences of constipation than those with an active lifestyle that includes plenty of exercise.
The majority of people with constipation tend to self diagnose and treat it themselves instead of visiting their doctor. And the way that most consumers choose to treat it is via laxatives. This is good news for the laxatives industry which enjoys increased profits year after year.
At the present time, laxatives industry in this country is pulling in almost a quarter of billion dollars each year. And until we, as a nation, start to eat smarter, their profits are guaranteed to increase.
