VIDEO: TikTok’s fake ‘No Poop July’ challenge could cause real harm
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
In a Healio video exclusive, Austin Chiang, MD, MPH, discusses an annual TikTok trend, “No Poop July,” and warns of the potentially harmful effects of participating in this type of fake, health-related challenge.
According to Chiang, a gastroenterologist and chief medical officer at Medtronic Gastrointestinal, the trend was started by TikTok influencer Evan Cronin, who goes by @okcron on the popular social media platform.
“He’s been doing this every year for the past couple of years,” Chiang said. “Every July he proposes this fake challenge — I have to emphasize that it’s fake — of not pooping for an entire month.”
Cronin’s video clips, which can be viewed by more than 1.7 million followers, show him pretending he has not had a bowel movement and looking increasingly uncomfortable as the month goes on.
Chiang notes that while most people recognize the challenge is a joke, it is important to understand that not having a bowel movement can be harmful. “Stool can harden and sit in the rectum, which can cause ulcerations and potentially lead to more serious complications,” he said.
“There is a reason why our bodies naturally want to excrete waste,” Chiang continued. “We should really listen to our bodies when it comes to that sort of thing.”
Reference:
- ‘No poop July’ jokes are all over TikTok. Some doctors urge users not to try it for real. https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/no-poop-july-jokes-are-tiktok-doctors-urge-users-not-try-real-rcna39891. Accessed Aug. 8, 2023.
Collapse
Healio Interviews
Read more about
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts