Two Weeks in the Bathroom?greenspun.com : LUSENET : Unk's Wild Wild West : One Thread |
Friday April 6 9:05 AM ETTwo Weeks in the Bathroom?
By Mark Wilkinson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The average American spends about an hour in the bathroom every day, or two weeks a year, and although much of that time is spent reading, thinking and often a little more, it is not all pleasure for everybody, according to a recent survey.
The National Association for Continence (NAFC), a group that studies the bathroom habits of the American people, found in its survey that the bathroom has in many cases become a haven where many find comfort and relief from life's stresses.
In other cases, especially where the frequent use of a bathroom is caused by an overactive bladder, the bathroom can on the other hand be synonymous with isolation and shame.
The survey was conducted by Yankelovich Partners on behalf of the NAFC and randomly polled 1,001 Americans in shopping malls nationwide.
About half of the respondents said they read or pondered serious issues in the bathroom, while a third admitted to simply daydreaming, singing in the shower or even talking on the phone.
One third of women said they talked to themselves or admired themselves in the bathroom and 22 percent of men said they had made love there.
The NAFC, however, said bathrooms are not spiritual sanctuaries for all Americans.
``Toilet mapping'', or the scouting out of bathrooms in unfamiliar locations in case of an unexpected call from nature, is not an uncommon behavior. It can, however, underpin something more serious.
According to the study, almost two-thirds of respondents said they scouted bathrooms at amusement parks or cinemas and those older than 50 were more likely to do so.
But the NAFC said in some cases this may be due to overactive bladder, a condition that affects 17 million Americans, the NAFC reported.
``Altering daily activities to accommodate immediate access to a bathroom is a behavior often consistent with symptoms of overactive bladder,'' said Jenelle Foote, assistant professor of Urology at the Emory University School of Medicine.
Overactive bladder involves frequent urges to urinate, a degree of urgency and in some cases incontinence-- symptoms almost half of the respondents aged 60 to 70 said they experienced.
The condition is treatable with drug therapy and bladder training, which dramatically enhances the quality of life of eighty percent of those who seek treatment, according to the study.
-- June Allison (depends@where.i am), April 06, 2001
Thank you June. I'm getting on and would like to cash in on the age thing too. How much do you make schleppin them thar Depends?
-- (JaneFonda@born.again), April 06, 2001.
"The National Association for Continence (NAFC), a group that studies the bathroom habits of the American people"Anyone know who funds this shit?? Pisses me off that we flush so much moola down the crapper!!
A federal program put in place by Clinton??
Deano
-- Deano (deano@luvthebeach.com), April 13, 2001.
Deano,No this isn't a Clinton program, the sitting on the toilet hoping study is one of the new "faith based" initiatives.
-- Jack Booted Thug (governmentconspiracy@NWO.com), April 13, 2001.
Quantitative market research shows that the Reader's Digest is America's favorite bathroom reading material and second only to Charmin as wiping material.
-- lars (larsguy@yahoo.com), April 13, 2001.
Bathroom GrafittiIf you can piss this high, join the fire department.(On the wall in the men's restroom at a height of 6 feet.)
O'Ryan's Irish Pub. Ashland, Oregon.
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Beauty is only a light switch away.
Perkins Library. Duke University. Durham, North Carolina.
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I've decided that to raise my grades I must lower my standards.
Houghton Library, Harvard University. Cambridge, Massachusetts.
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If life is a waste of time, and time is a waste of life, then let's all get wasted together and have the time of our lives.
Armand's Pizza. Washington, D.C.
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If Bush were captain of the Titanic, he'd say we were stopping for ice.
Smoky Joe's. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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Remember, it's not, "How high are you?" it's "Hi, how are you?"
Rest stop off Route 81. West Virginia.
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God made pot. Man made beer. Who do you trust?
The Irish Times. Washington, D.C.
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Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity.
The Bayou, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
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To do is to be. -Descartes
To be is to do. -Voltaire
Do be do be do. -Frank Sinatra
Men's restroom, Greasewood Flats. Scottsdale, Arizona.
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At the feast of ego, everyone leaves hungry.
Bentley's House of Coffee and Tea, Tucson, Arizona.
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Make love, not war. --Hell, do both, get married!
Women's restroom, The Filling Station. Bozeman, Montana.
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God is dead. - Nietzsche
Nietzsche is dead. - God
The Tombs Restaurant. Washington, D.C.
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If voting could really change things, it would be illegal.
Revolution Books. New York, New York.
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A Woman's Rule of Thumb: If it has tires or testicles, you're
going to have trouble with it.
Women's restroom, Dick's Last Resort. Dallas, Texas.
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If pro is opposite of con, then what is the opposite of progress? Congress!
Men's restroom, House of Representatives. Washington, D.C.
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What are you looking up on the wall for? The joke is in your hands.
Men's restroom, Lynagh's. Lexington, Kentucky.
-- (b@th.room humor), April 13, 2001.