It may not come up in everyday conversation, but looking at our poop is something a lot of us do.
Health surveyed American adults about their poop habits, and found that 48% always look in the toilet, while 60% always check the toilet paper after they go.
An additional 35% and 27% said they at least sometimes look in the toilet or inspect the toilet paper after a bowel movement, respectively.
What you find in the toilet bowl may not be a pretty sight, but this habit shared by 83% of Americans is a healthy one, said Felice Schnoll-Sussman, MD, director of the Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medicine.
“There is nothing to be embarrassed of, and it could lead to early detection of a problem,” she told Health.
Here’s what experts had to say about the results of our survey, plus what the appearance of your poop can tell you about your health.
For this survey, Health asked 2,001 adults living in the U.S. to reflect on their poop habits and digestive health. The online survey was conducted from June 11–19, and respondents were broken down into the following age groups:
- Gen Z respondents, ages 18 to 28
- Millennials, ages 29 to 44
- Gen X respondents, ages 45 to 60
- Baby boomers and older, ages 61 and up
When asked, “After having a bowel movement, how often do you check the toilet paper?”, responses were similar regardless of age group.
But older people were more likely to answer in the affirmative when asked, “After having a bowel movement, how often do you look in the toilet?”.
Though millennials reported looking in the toilet bowl less frequently than any other generation, they also reported the highest rate of digestive issues; half said they’ve been diagnosed with a digestive condition, and 40% said they’ve recently experienced symptoms.
In comparison, only 40% of Gen Xers and baby boomers, and 30% of Gen Zers reported having a digestive condition.
So why aren’t millennials looking down after they go, even though their digestive health is worse off? Schnoll-Sussman said she suspects it might have something to do with this generation’s reliance on apps, health tech, and other devices to tell them about their overall health, rather than looking for physical clues.
Forty-nine percent of millennials, 48% of Gen Z, 47% of Gen X, and 44% of baby boomers (and those older) said they think that their bowel habits are “totally” connected to their overall health.
That’s certainly true, Mark Pimentel, MD, a gastroenterologist and executive director of the Medically Associated Science and Technology (MAST) Program at Cedars-Sinai, told Health.
Checking the toilet paper is more about hygiene. “People are more likely to look at toilet paper to make sure they’re clean,” said Pimentel.
But glancing in the toilet can provide valuable information about your health more generally, he explained.
Changes to stool color, shape, and consistency can be indicators that something is off—those aren’t things you can usually pick up on from checking the toilet paper, said Schnoll-Sussman.
These changes can indicate a number of potential issues, Pimentel said, including:
- Digestive disorders
- Issues with thyroid hormone levels
- Issues with blood sugar levels
- Poor reactions to medications
Day-to-day changes—unless they’re extreme—typically aren’t serious, and are usually a result of diet or hydration levels, added Pimentel.
However, “so many diseases affect the bowel,” he said. “It’s all about change. Any differences [in bowel movements] should be noted and checked.”
Understanding your own bowel patterns—both how often you poop and what it looks like—is key to knowing when something might be off, advised Schnoll-Sussman.
You can use the Bristol Stool Chart, a diagnostic tool that sorts poop into seven categories based on size and texture, to assess your stool. Type 4 on the chart is considered “healthy,” and frequent deviations can be a sign of constipation, diarrhea, or digestive conditions.
When you take a glance into the toilet after you go, here’s what you should look for, according to Pimentel and Schnoll-Sussman.
Color
Normal stool is typically brown, and any deviation can be a sign something is off. That includes:
Consistency and Shape
Healthy poop is the shape of a sausage and looks like a log with cracks and crevices, according to the Bristol Stool Chart.
Poop that’s small and hard like a pebble can mean you’re constipated—dehydration, not eating enough fiber, or certain medications can cause this.
Mushy or watery poop (diarrhea) can occur for many reasons, ranging from an infection to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Pencil-thin poop can be normal, but if it happens regularly, it can indicate an obstruction in the colon due to diverticular disease or, in rare cases, cancer.
While looking at your poop regularly is important, you don’t have to overdo it.
“You don’t need to look every day, but [check] on a regular basis,” said Pimentel. “You’re going to be the first to notice if something is wrong.”
There’s no need to fret over minor, daily changes, or self-diagnose to create “doomsday scenarios,” Schnoll-Sussman added.
Instead, if you notice something is off—especially consistent changes to your regular poop appearance or habits—consult a doctor. Many problems that show up in our poop are more treatable the earlier they’re caught, said Pimentel.
If you do notice changes, start tracking your poop using the Bristol Stool Chart and bring that data to your doctor. Or, you can take pictures of what’s in the bowel, Schnoll-Sussman advised.
And while talking to your health care practitioner about poop can be intimidating, don’t let that stop you from getting help, said Schnoll-Sussman.
“It is important to understand that doctors are very comfortable talking about stool,” she said. “You will not gross us out. This is what we do and love to do, especially gastroenterologists like me.”
