‘No poop July’ jokes are all over TikTok. Some doctors urge users not to try it for real.
"No Poop July," which reemerged on TikTok this month, has been a joke challenge since as early as 2020. Some doctors urge users not to try it for real.
"No Poop July" is taking over "For You" pages on TikTok again, and some doctors are hoping users do not take the challenge seriously.
The trend involves young people, often men, pretending they haven't had bowel movements since the beginning of the month. Videos show men sweating profusely while fighting the urge to defecate while crowds cheer them on. The videos often include what day of "No Poop July" the alleged participant is on.
The videos are clearly jokes, and it does not appear the TikTok users are seriously preventing themselves from having bowel movements all month long.
Some doctors warn that the trend should remain a joke, saying those who are successful at holding in their bowel movements could disrupt their gastrointestinal health. That could cause issues like hemorrhoids and a temporary dependence on laxatives for regular bowel movements.
“It’s a funny thing to joke about, but it’s a potentially serious thing to do,” said Dr. Steven Miller, a pediatric gastroenterologist at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.
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