The commode is carefully molded to gently encourage people to scoot up their legs, so that their posture rests in more of a 45-degree angle, rather than the conventional 90-degree sitting position. To achieve this, the toilet seat is reconfigured to sit atop a raised platform. This design allows people to subtly transition to what was apparently a previous habit proven to be healthier, and it does it in manner that still accommodates what most are used to.
“The biggest challenge was the fact that people don’t even like to talk about the subject,” Pierre Papet says in an email. “The discomfort of talking about as well as doing it the previous way was probably the reason why squatting disappeared as a ‘normal’ posture in the rest of western society.”In the comments Jonathan says
While the inventors admit that the wellbeing toilet is very much a concept and “quite far from ending up in retail,” the demonstrated advantages suggest that this idea might not be one to sit on.
I’m afraid that these designers have made a big mistake. Sitting with your feet propped up is not squatting. The ergonomic squatting position puts the body’s full weight on the feet. All infants automatically assume this posture. Yes, I know that the elderly will never be able to squat, but that’s no reason to force young, flexible people to behave like old, decrepit ones. A toilet has already been designed that allows the elderly to continue sitting (with or without a footstool) and also allows flexible people to really squat. It’s called an “anglo-indian” toilet, and you can see one here: http://naturesplatform.com/images/anglo-indian-pan.gifSmithsonian online
Learn why genuine squatting is far superior to just elevating your feet at http://www.naturesplatform.com/faq.html#footstools
25 comments:
Looks like it would be quite difficult to read or text while using Pierre's pooper.
I worked for a time at an Italian campground back in 1979. That's where I discovered the "poor man's" version of what we're talking about here:photo. It looks messy, and indeed it was -- mostly from dirty feet rather from mis-targeting. Clean-up was a breeze though. The one at the camp could be hosed down and everything swirled into the little hole.
And where is Titus to learn us about the virtues of the "anglo-indian" toilet?
OK Lem, we get it. You sit down to pee because it's "healthier". Look, nobody here is judging you, and nobody called you a girl, besides you can't control what people think, sweetcheeks.
When you go into a small town bar in Italy they have what looks like a huge urinal. There's no place to sit, just squat and let it fly. Well, I had the Hershey squirts and a real bad aim. I hit the back wall and the flush pedal. Oh, and they were outta toilet paper. I did what I could, chugged my Negroni, left a $5 euro tip, and got the fuck out outta there. I spent the outrageous fare @ the hotel to have my clothes cleaned by valet.
I hope none of you were eating lunch.
In my time with rural Vietnamese and rural Koreans I noticed that most climbed up and squatted on conventional toilets when confront with them. The foot steads certainly would have been improvements. Otherwise, most of the "quaintly" modern toilets looked like El Pollo's Italian one...usually in unisex facilities no less. The more rural the more crude they became, on down to just squatting in the boonie bushes or shrubbery.
Say hey, who know they had it right and we didn't :-) ?
Nick, sounds like any Saturday night on State Street at bar time.
I've often wondered why the toilets at a public rest stop are different heights from the floor. Usually the handicap stall has the "tall" toilet. The others are standard height. For a short guy like me if only the handicap stall is available when I sit my shoes barely touch the floor, no help from gravity at all. Anyway, I don't see why a compromise couldn't be made with the squat by simply introducing a shorter standard toilet height toilet.
The squat potty keeps coming back around.
Big favorite (at least in theory) of hippies back in the 60s and 70s.
Don't know anybody who actually converted to the squat potty, buy it was hip as hell, because Asians squat to poo.
Hippies thought Asians were hip as you could get.
@Nick: You out Titus'd Titus at 11:39.
Take The Toilets of the World Quiz
Lem, I got 6 out of 10.
Same here... I started off well, ran into trouble later.
chick, Only mine was nonfiction.
A hint for women. When I was a house dick @ the Drake Hotel in Chicago I had a female thief hitting the women's restrooms. It seems, women instinctively hang their purses on the door hook in the stall. This thief would grab 1 or 2 @ a time and by the time the victim got her knickers up the thief was gone.
The thief favored one bathroom in the shop area street level. She had 3 routes of escape. I hung out in the shop across from the bathroom. I saw a suspicious woman go into the bathroom, got ready, heard a scream, a gave the thief a forearm shiver when she tried to run around me. A litany of profanities ensued as I cuffed her. I would later learn this is common and still happens fairly often. So women, do you put your purse on the toilet floor, or roll the dice and hang it up? I'm a gambler and I would hang it up, the odds are greatly in your favor. But, you could crap out.
I Was a House Dick @ the Drake Hotel would be an awesome name for your first novel, Nick.
I don't doubt the health aspects, but I do sort of miss the mechanics of squatting while wearing pants... or underwear.
A lady I know who was in the SCA from it's inception explained the utility of medieval robes. One went without undies or bloomers (and even much much later bloomers did not have a "bottom" in any case) and when you needed to go you didn't have to remove anything. You just hitched up your skirts and squatted.
Well, that's dandy but try doing it in hose... or even just pants.
But, you could crap out.
Smart ass.
Haz, My bride is the writer. I have a million stories but someone w/ talent would have to put it on paper.
So women, do you put your purse on the toilet floor, or roll the dice and hang it up?
Neither. I hang it from the boxy toilet paper holder attached to the stall walls, or perch it on top of that thingy. I would NEVER put my purse on the urine (and other substance) spattered floor. It is bad enough that stupid women hover over the toilet and spray everywhere on the seat instead of just sitting down.
If there isn't a suitable toilet paper holder, I just hang it around my neck or balance on my knees.
The seat spray is spatter left over from the force of the previous industrial flush. Yuck, huh?
Best to hold it and pee at home.
If there isn't a hook, I go a little mad. I'm not setting my purse on that floor.
What is it with men in airplane bathrooms? Geeez. The man ahead of me peed all over the floor. He also neglected to wash his hands. He shut the door, peed on the floor, and took off. I know. I watched it all as I was next in line. Wow that was disgusting. Neanderthals. What is that?
Didn't we have this discussion back at TOP?
Synova said...
A lady I know who was in the SCA from it's inception explained the utility of medieval robes. One went without undies or bloomers (and even much much later bloomers did not have a "bottom" in any case)
Those are drawers, which gave full acess to a lady's underside (highly useful in moments of headlong passion).
Bloomers were really an outer garment; pantaloons were crotched undies.
Well, that's dandy but try doing it in hose... or even just pants.
The Fate of Robert Burns' Twa Wives.
OK -Most men are respectful in the airplane bathroom-- and granted, you're in there with a firehose and turbulence. Still. Urine left all over the floor is really sick. At least that guy could have wiped it up.
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