SHOP TILL YOU DROP
How going to your favourite high street shop might leave you with a sudden need to poo
And the leading theories behind the strange phenomenon
YOU'RE casually browsing the shelves in a quiet bookshop when suddenly it hits you - you must find a toilet, immediately.
This inconvenient and uncontrollable urge to poo seemingly comes out of nowhere, but you know you need to act fast.
1
You frantically search for any signs for the loo, and desperately ask any staff member you can find if there is one you can use.
Sound familiar? Being caught unawares by the need to empty your bowels while shopping is more common than you might think.
In fact, it's so commonplace, it actually has a name.
The Mariko Aoki phenomenon describes the sudden urge to do a number two when entering a bookstore.
Read more on bowel movements
It is named after a Japanese woman who apparently experienced such a feeling every time she wandered into one.
Mariko recounted her experience in a letter to a magazine in 1985.
The publication was then apparently flooded with other readers who had found themselves in similar situations.
And ever since, scores of people have reported the same.
Most read in Health
Today, the phenomenon has made its way to TikTok, with some using the term 'book bowels' to describe it.
One person () posted a video of her strolling into a bookshop before having "the sudden urge to s***".
She captioned it: "I’m so glad there’s an explained phenomenon for this."
Viewers flocked to the comments section to share their own poo stories.
One person wrote: "I’ve always thought it’s because Barnes & Noble is my happy place and I just relax so much and so do those muscles."
Another said: "The smell of books makes me gotta go."
A third user even described making use of this strange body quirk: "Whenever I get constipated I go to Barnes & Noble to sit and wait. Eventually it all comes out."
Other creators have said bookshops can have a laxative effect within just a few minutes.
And X, formerly Twitter, is also full of people who reckon they also suffer.
The smell of books makes me gotta go.
One person said: "Whenever I go into a bookshop or a card shop, I immediately need a number two."
While another user said: "The wife discovered today she is not a complete weirdo and the issue of needing to take a dump whenever she enters a bookstore is an actual condition."
And a third wrote: "Why has no one ever told me they experience this too? I've felt alone in the world this whole time."
There are a number of theories floating around about what could cause the Mariko Aoki phenomenon.
According to , one leading theory posits that the scent of paper and ink can set people off, especially if they make a habit of reading a book on the toilet.
Some have suggested that bookshops can be calming spaces, inviting your body - and your bowels - to relax.
For others, the pressure of picking out the right book could actually bring on a stress poo, or the excitement could get things moving inside.
And it could also be your crouching and squatting in front shelves to get a good view of the book spines, or the cup of coffee you picked up before browsing, that results in you suddenly needing to have a number two.
Or it could be any of the above, all at once!
In any case, you might want to mentally prepare yourself the next time you enter a bookshop and make note where the nearest loo is.
But apparently, it's not just your local Waterstones or WHSmith that can set your bowels in motion.
US TikTok users have flooded the app with videos about having the urge to poo whenever they visit a TJ Maxx.
In a viral video, influencer Mary (@) revealed that she has to head to the bathroom "whenever she visits a store with fluorescent lights".
shopper Cat (@) described TJ Maxx as a "laxative."
READ MORE SUN STORIES
One relieved commenter said: “I really thought that I was the only one with this problem.
“Guest services knows me. They always watch my half-full cart while I go.”
What a sudden urge to poo can mean
FOR most people, a sudden urge to poo isn't anything to worry about.
But if it happens a lot, it could be a sign there is something more serious going on.
Needing a number two suddenly can be a sign of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) - a common condition that affects the digestive system.
It can also be a symptom of coeliac disease - an autoimmune condition where your body attacks itself when you eat gluten - and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), such as Crohn's and ulcerative colitis.
If you experience leakage, you may have bowel incontinence.
This can be triggered by all sorts of things, from childbirth and piles to diabetes and stroke.
Speak to your GP with any concerns you may have about your bowel habits.
Source: NHS
Topics