Buzz
Some TikTok myths I stumble upon (like the supposed tick attacks), and other times, I learn about them through news stories that highlight trends. Recently, a wave of TikTok discussions claims that people on the app are promoting laxatives as “cheap Ozempic” (with no connection to “nature’s Ozempic”), though I couldn’t confirm this. However, I did come across a few other fascinating claims.
The woman whose video the media used to illustrate the “budget Ozempic” trend responded with a TikTok, clarifying that she does not use laxatives for weight loss. She mentioned that the Miralax she added to her smoothie in the video was meant to address a digestive health issue flare-up.
So, no, I didn’t find a surge of videos pushing laxatives as a replacement for Ozempic. Nor have I discovered any convincing evidence suggesting that TikTok trends are causing laxative shortages, as the Wall Street Journal suggested. But there’s definitely no shortage of content related to laxatives on TikTok—or, as the hashtags call it—#GutTok and even #PoopTok.
TikTok has become fixated on gut health and the use of laxatives.
Across the platform, many people, especially girls (and some guys), openly discuss how they drink laxatives to address issues like constipation or conditions such as IBS. They share experiences about feeling bloated, the duration of their constipation, their doctor's recommended Miralax dosage, and much more. (It's hard to say how many of them have actual medical conditions.)
Weight loss discussions are never far behind. TikTok users have been making connections between being 'hot' and 'gut health' for years, often suggesting that true thinness can only be achieved by eliminating 'bloating' in the stomach. This is usually followed by a pitch for dietary supplements.
People have admitted to mixing Miralax and Metamucil into their morning smoothies while dieting, or using laxatives before wearing a bikini, hoping it will give them a temporarily slimmer appearance. There are also confessions of using laxatives in the past to get 'skinni.' In other words, laxatives are frequently discussed, though rarely suggested as a sole method for weight loss. (Laxatives can dehydrate you and move stool, but they don't actually help with fat loss.)
Then, there are the infamous laxative pranks. One person secretly adds Miralax or a hefty dose of magnesium citrate to their partner's drink, only to record them suddenly rushing to the bathroom. Both of these are osmotic laxatives, not stimulant ones, and Miralax, in particular, can take days to take effect. It's likely that most of these pranks are staged. I also believe anyone who plays a prank involving someone's bodily functions and health is a terrible person.
How much weight in poop do we actually hold in our colons?
Now, let's dive into the myth I promised you: the weight of the poop that resides in our bodies and urgently needs to be released. This TikToker claims that the perfect smoothie could lead to a 10-pound poop. This other one suggests that a colon hydrotherapy session could help you shed two pounds—which might be accurate—but she then claims that the weight loss adds up after several sessions. (That part seems less believable.) She estimates the average poop weight in the colon at anywhere from 'five to 20 pounds.'
This chiropractor, who describes himself as a 'regenerative detox specialist,' insists that you have 25 pounds of poop in your system and that you should give up solid food—consuming only juice—for 90 days to ensure you are fully 'done.' (Curious, because colonoscopy prep can clear things up in just three days.)
This health coach takes it even further, claiming you could have 'six to 40 pounds of poop' that is 'stuck' in your body. The obvious sign of this, according to her, is weight gain. The solution? A fiber supplement intended as a 'cleanse.' It's said to clear out the 'buildup' and stop it from happening again. That would be helpful, if this supposed buildup were actually real. But it isn't.
Poop does not become 'stuck' in your colon.
Constipation is a real issue, and it can be uncomfortable. In rare cases—due to genetic conditions, medications, or underlying health issues—a person’s body can, indeed, hold a significantly larger amount of feces. We’re talking a few pounds’ worth.
But certainly not 10, 25, or 40 pounds without realizing it. The famous eight-foot-long megacolon in the Mutter Museum comes from a man whose belly was so bloated from carrying 40 pounds of waste that he was featured in a sideshow as the 'Balloon man.' There are photos. He doesn't look like a typical healthy person who would casually scroll TikTok for weight loss hacks.
Some videos even claim that Elvis or John Wayne passed away with dozens of pounds of feces in their colon. While Elvis did have digestive problems, which may have involved something like megacolon, no specific weight of his colon’s contents has been publicly disclosed. As for John Wayne, no autopsy was done, and the claim about his colon appears to be entirely fabricated.
So, how much poop are most of us actually carrying around? Not a lot! A typical poop can weigh about a pound, sometimes two, but you only have a few of those in your digestive system at once. The entire process from food to elimination can take anywhere from 10 to 72 hours, meaning you’re unlikely to have more than a few days’ worth of waste in your system.
Gastroenterologist Robert Fusco writes that this is pretty straightforward if you’ve ever gone through a colonoscopy prep. You expel 'a few pounds of waste' along with some laxative solution. Feces can’t 'build up' or get 'stuck' in your colon; as several doctors patiently explained to PolitiFact, that’s simply not how the colon functions.
