Medical Questions » Gut (Intestines) Questions » Question No. 450
| Question: | My wife and I need you to sort out a small domestic matter. My wife produces stools that sink, while I produce stools that float. My wife is convinced that her ' sinkers' are preferable to my ' floaters' . Could you settle this matter? |
| Answer: | Some people have ' domestics' about the most extraordinary matters, but never let it be said that I refuse to answer a question, merely because it is in poor taste!
The simple answer to your query is that fat floats, fibre sinks. Faeces that contains a large proportion of fat, either due to a large fat intake, or more commonly because of a poor absorption of fat from the gut, will be a ' floater' . On the other hand, stools containing a large amount of fibre and protein are heavier than water and will be ' sinkers' .
People who are able to eat everything in sight and still remain thin tend to absorb fat poorly, and produce ' floaters' , while those who gain weight at the slightest hint of an extra calorie (kilojoule) are more likely to be good absorbers of fat and produce ' sinkers' .
Bon appetite!
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