Laxative Products for Women - Weird or What

CDfm

Watching TV tonight there is an ad for Activia - it depicts a happy smiley girl who is telling women how happy she is on the inside.

Daytime TV has a natural product Senokat to stop someone being fat and bloated.

Healthy people dont need these supposed health products and if I saw my partner or my daughter using them I would go hold on there.

Laxative use can be a symptom of eating disorders etc - and some guys catch on to that too.

So there are two issues really - are these products beneficial or harmful.

Then the whole eating disorder thing in either a person or loved one or partner.

herya

They are not weight loss laxatives, they are supposed to help with bloating (from overeating?). I find them rather obscene when mixed with Trocaire adverts.

CDfm

herya wrote: »

They are not weight loss laxatives, they are supposed to help with bloating (from overeating?).

and taken for their laxative effect. if you are bloated from overeating then eat a little bit less or eat fruit. Why laxatives.

I find them rather obscene when mixed with Trocaire adverts.

thats advertising and the products are heavily marketed as brands but you dont find the products obsene in themselves.

Madame Razz

a lot of postmenopausal women actually need Senokot and the likes as things 'disimprove' in terms of frequency in that area with age.

And some people, both male and female just have issues like this despite doing what they can to alleviate it dietarywise.

Whatever about Activia, but there's nothing wrong with taking a probiotic in yoghurt form. It is in no way harmful. Regardless of how health conscious you are it can be of real benefit in your diet and for your general gastro health. Studies have proved this(albeit they are not quite sure why they are beneficial to the gut but they know that they are worth taking)

Of course misuse of a laxative(activia really isn't a laxative) be it natural or chemical is inappropriate, but you have to realise that a large proportion of people actually suffer these sort of complaints; especially as they get older, regardless of how good their diet is.

The real issue here is how bloody cringeworthy those adverts are:P

kumate_champ07

activia is a probiotic yogurt, actually most yogurts are, it helps increase 'friendly' bacteria in the gut which break down food and help nutrients be absorbed by the body. so its not really a laxative, it just helps to prevent bloating which is a side effect of digestive problems.

senakot is a laxative tho. you can buy the active ingredient 'senna' in pure form in most health stores.

Larianne

I dunno. Lots of people in Ireland have trouble with their bowels. Irritable Bowel Syndrome and all that. I don't know the causes for this - probably is to do with diet. Also, Bowel Cancer is the 2nd most common cancer after lung cancer in Ireland. Also a diet related thing.

I understand what you're saying about people using them as laxatives to lose weight etc. but there would be a greater number of older people watching daytime TV who would be in the age group prone to bowel problems.

(I have not researched this. I am just stating what I've observed while working in a nursing home/care centre.)

L31mr0d

What are you arguing here, that because a product can be abused or can be used by people with a disorder that it shouldn't be advertised?

I suppose you're also against all the adverts for alcohol as well then?

It's common for heroin addicts to buy kitkats and use the foil wrapper for "chasing the dragon". Would you have a problem with KitKats being advertised because of this?

CDfm

RAZZ said :a lot of postmenopausal women actually need Senokot and the likes as things 'disimprove' in terms of frequency in that area with age.

And some people, both male and female just have issues like this despite doing what they can to alleviate it dietarywise.

Whatever about Activia, but there's nothing wrong with taking a probiotic in yoghurt form. It is in no way harmful. Regardless of how health conscious you are it can be of real benefit in your diet and for your general gastro health. Studies have proved this(albeit they are not quite sure why they are beneficial to the gut but they know that they are worth taking)

Of course misuse of a laxative(activia really isn't a laxative) be it natural or chemical is inappropriate, but you have to realise that a large proportion of people actually suffer these sort of complaints; especially as they get older, regardless of how good their diet is.

The real issue here is how bloody cringeworthy those adverts are

Some of the marketing campaigns are spurious like you would believe McDonalds whose adds sound like a health food. Cereal makers market breakfast cereals that are loaded with sugar as containing x % of your recomeded daily requirement of y vitamin.

Guinness is a food campaign here we come:rolleyes:

CDfm

Larianne wrote: »

I dunno. Lots of people in Ireland have trouble with their bowels. Irritable Bowel Syndrome and all that. I don't know the causes for this - probably is to do with diet. Also, Bowel Cancer is the 2nd most common cancer after lung cancer in Ireland. Also a diet related thing.

I understand what you're saying about people using them as laxatives to lose weight etc. but there would be a greater number of older people watching daytime TV who would be in the age group prone to bowel

(I have not researched this. I am just stating what I've observed while working in a nursing home/care centre.)

But these products are marketed to healthy young people

i forgot that you also have bulking products for guys in sport too

there is a whiff of steroid use about the whole thing even though whey is a natural product its use is not natural

so you get laxative and bulking agent abuse

Madame Razz

Last time I checked Senokot wasn't being marketed towards healthy young people

CDfm

Madame Razz wrote: »

Last time I checked Senokot wasn't being marketed towards healthy young people

Of course not Madame - it just has TV ads that say this is a laxative take me and a happy confident adult woman driving off somwhere.

So it is mass marketeded with an agressive TV campaign just like any consumer product & which says happy confident women take laxatives.

Last time I checked healthy people dont need laxatives.

star-pants

To be fair I've never gotten that 'confident happy women take senokot' from the ads.

If anything I get that from the likes of tampax or sanitary towel ads, use these and you can go sky diving.
Or the diet coke ads -- drink this and you can act like a fool too.

Activia isn't a laxative, and senokot is for the likes of constipation, what do you want people to take for it?
Topics like IBS and other intestinal / stomach issues are often the source of embarrassment and a lot of people, especially women tend to keep this to themselves because of that. If you look at any thread discussing IBS and so forth you'll usually see 'I'm so embarrassed with noises my stomach makes and having to go to the bathroom etc'.
So I actually think it's a *good* thing that stuff like this is brought to peoples attention, to make it a more knowledgable topic, and so people won't be afraid to talk about it or go to their doctor about it.

Obviously if people are taking laxatives for the wrong reasons, that's wrong, but I really don't see the Senokot ad targeting people to make them lose weight. It actually doesn't say anything about losing weight, it's about getting your system back on track.

I mean there's lots of ads for the likes of 'Celebrity Slim' (looks like Slimfast rebranded), or 'natural' weight loss products like Apple Cider 50 or whatever it's called. Those I might have issue with regarding telling women how to lose weight potentially unhealthily.

Bottle_of_Smoke

CDfm wrote: »

Some of the marketing campaigns are spurious like you would believe McDonalds whose adds sound like a health food. Cereal makers market breakfast cereals that are loaded with sugar as containing x % of your recomeded daily requirement of y vitamin.

Guinness is a food campaign here we come:rolleyes:

Cereals get a bit of an unfair time over that. Had an interview with kelloggs the other week and looked into it before the interview. They're not that loaded with sugar. I mean toast with jam would have more sugar than a bowl of coco pops/frosties. Also the loaded with sugar soundbites sound harsh because they refer to sugar per 100g, but dont mention kids usually have bowls of cereal that's only 30-50g

Bottle_of_Smoke

More on topic, do women (of any age) have more problems with digestion/bloatign than men? I've often wondered why these products always have women in the ads

Herbal Deity

Bottle_of_Smoke wrote: »

More on topic, do women (of any age) have more problems with digestion/bloatign than men? I've often wondered why these products always have women in the ads

It's probably more to do with the fact that there's much less of a market for "health foods" amongst men.

The whole healthy eating thing seems to have much more appeal towards women than men.

CDfm

Herbal Deity wrote: »

It's probably more to do with the fact that there's much less of a market for "health foods" amongst men.

The whole healthy eating thing seems to have much more appeal towards women than men.

But surely if women ate healthier they wouldnt need all the laxatives and supplements.

a gp ion the UK once told me that brocolli was less healthy than peas as it was too difficult to digest. Colonic irrigation anyone.

shellyboo

Of course if women ate healthier they wouldn't need them - you're talking about an advertisement, CDfm. To expect it to follow logic or common sense is absurd. It's selling a product the best way it knows how. Women are its target Market (for whatever reason) and that's what it takes to sell it to them.

I don't see too many women being impressed with an ad depicting some woman huffing and puffing on the loo or farting in public. They're just trying to put a genteel spin on a not-so-genteel product - just like sanitary wear, just like those incontinence pads. Ads don't, and have never, accurately reflected reality.

CDfm

shellyboo wrote: »

I don't see too many women being impressed with an ad depicting some woman huffing and puffing on the loo or farting in public. They're just trying to put a genteel spin on a not-so-genteel product - just like sanitary wear, just like those incontinence pads. Ads don't, and have never, accurately reflected reality.

Hiya shelly - great post

I think the laxative apologists didnt reckon on you posting that.

So are they an impulse buy and part of a womens industry and a spin.

Do they promote laxative abuse?

iguana

Bottle_of_Smoke wrote: »

More on topic, do women (of any age) have more problems with digestion/bloatign than men? I've often wondered why these products always have women in the ads

In general, yes. Women's reproductive systems can seriously fuçk with the digestive system. Constipation, bloating and indigestion are very common on the days preceding and the first few days of a period. It is very common during pregnancy, it's common after childbirth, it's common in women who have given birth numerous times. And it's extremely common during menopause.

It's not exactly something that we shout about, women tend to be less forthcoming about their bowel movements than men. Most men tend to be pretty squeamish about periods as it is. I don't know how they would take being told just how damn satisfying that first big poo of the period is and how much relief it brings.

Odysseus

The message these ads seem to displaying is having a good sh!te makes you happy. Isn't happiness use a few times in the most recent senna ad. On the yogurts I still don't get the issue. I an endurance athlete in my spare time so I know a little about eating right, they aren't bad for you, but why not try some fruit. Most of the women I know who complain about feeling bloated just don't eat correctly, I belived that if this was addressed most would find that they weren't bloated.

I have worked with quite a few people with eating disorders and I do see some of this reflected in ads, especially those where happiness is associated with the product being sold. Food has always just been a fuction for me, don't get me wrong I enjoy a nice cooked meal, but food is one thing I don't associate with happiness.

PopUp

FWIW, I went to an all girl's school, with the usual ultra-achiever, food-as-control, multiple eating disorders. It would be easier for me to count the girls I knew who didn't have eating disorders, rather than who did.

I never heard of anyone abusing Activia. I mean, hello. It's a freaking yoghurt.

'laxative apologists' are you having a laugh? Girls I knew would be far more into the Cabbage Soup diet, that ginger and sugar water thing, or Alli. If anyone was going to take laxatives, they'd go to real laxative pills (ephedrine, mag citrate, anything sold in the States really) before eating a few yoghurts.

Senokot? Activia? From what I see, those ads are aimed at women who are constipated. People with eating disorders are sadly way ahead of advertisements. They get tipped off by word of mouth far in advance of these lame ads.

Anyone who knows someone with an eating disorder - look, the girl (or possibly guy) you know isn't the way they are because of an ad on TV. Sadly, this is a horrible mess of self-worth that takes years to tangle together and years to work out. Unfortunately it can't all be blamed on a convenient TV advertisement.

Honestly this whole thread is bizarre. I don't see how it could possibly help people with eating disorders or those close to them. Seriously, Activia? Anyone who thinks Activia ads contribute to eating disorders is seriously sheltered.

CDfm

PopUp wrote: »

FWIW, I went to an all girl's school, with the usual ultra-achiever, food-as-control, multiple eating disorders. It would be easier for me to count the girls I knew who didn't have eating disorders, rather than who did.


Honestly this whole thread is bizarre. I don't see how it could possibly help people with eating disorders or those close to them. Seriously, Activia? Anyone who thinks Activia ads contribute to eating disorders is seriously sheltered.

Its simple Pop Up - normal healthy people dont need to supllement their diet with laxatives or food products with a laxative effect.

The ads make it sound normal when it isnt. Having to take laxatives to cause bowel movements can make a person reliant on them which is why it should be avoided.

These are advertised as lifestyle products and anyone who takes laxatives as a lifestyle product is nuts.Just because it isnt a full blown emotional eating disorder does not mean it isnt a serious issue. I am just saying simply peopkle are better off without them.

I know a bit about eating disorders and I think these types of products promote the culture.

Mind you Bulmers Pear and what my kids call Krappenberg have the same effect but have calories.

iguana

CDfm wrote: »

Its simple Pop Up - normal healthy people dont need to supllement their diet with laxatives or food products with a laxative effect.

I'll tell you what. When you have a monthly period, give birth or go through the menopause you might have a clue what you are talking about. I'm not going to go about the place pontificating about how a guy that's just been kicked in the balls should cop on to himself and stop crying. So maybe you shouldn't be so judgmental about something you can't possibly have a clue about.

Giselle

CDfm wrote: »

Its simple Pop Up - normal healthy people dont need to supllement their diet with laxatives or food products with a laxative effect.

The ads make it sound normal when it isnt. Having to take laxatives to cause bowel movements can make a person reliant on them which is why it should be avoided.

These are advertised as lifestyle products and anyone who takes laxatives as a lifestyle product is nuts.Just because it isnt a full blown emotional eating disorder does not mean it isnt a serious issue. I am just saying simply peopkle are better off without them.

I know a bit about eating disorders and I think these types of products promote the culture.

Mind you Bulmers Pear and what my kids call Krappenberg have the same effect but have calories.

Activia is a probiotic yoghurt, not a laxative.

As Iguana has stated, the hormonal changes we go through monthly can cause disruption in the regularity department.

You're reading things into the advertisments that aren't there. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, or a yoghurt is just a yoghurt.

CDfm

iguana wrote: »

I'll tell you what. When you have a monthly period, give birth or go through the menopause you might have a clue what you are talking about. I'm not going to go about the place pontificating about how a guy that's just been kicked in the balls should cop on to himself and stop crying. So maybe you shouldn't be so judgmental about something you can't possibly have a clue about.

Pregnant women should not be using over the counter laxatives and prolonged use of them cause the problems they are supposed to relieve for period pain etc.

As a Dad of a teenage girl why not be aware. So if it helps a guy be a better parent or partner why not discuss it.

Giselle wrote: »

Activia is a probiotic yoghurt, not a laxative.

As Iguana has stated, the hormonal changes we go through monthly can cause disruption in the regularity department.

You're reading things into the advertisments that aren't there. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, or a yoghurt is just a yoghurt.

so if its just a yogurt desert why not advertise it as such.

Its adverised as a product to aid digestion.

PopUp

CDfm wrote: »

As a Dad of a teenage girl why not be aware. So if it helps a guy be a better parent or partner why not discuss it.

Sure, and you are to be commended for doing so. Just, take it from someone who's seen it up close - Activia or whatever is totally benign compared to the real stuff girls (or lads) with eating disorders can easily get their hands on. And young people with eating disorders don't get them from Activia ads.

Your concern is commendable, but totally misdirected. Activia isn't enabling anyone's eating disorder.

normal healthy people dont need to supllement their diet with laxatives or food products with a laxative effect.

Normal healthy people do get a bit constipated from time to time though Lucky you if you've never been there! But some have and if a bit of probiotic yoghurt helps them through it so what. Honestly there's no real harm being done by the likes of this. Google 'Alli' if you want something to really get concerned about.

CDfm

PopUp wrote: »

Your concern is commendable, but totally misdirected. Activia isn't enabling anyone's eating disorder.

Normal healthy people do get a bit constipated from time to time though Lucky you if you've never been there! But some have and if a bit of probiotic yoghurt helps them through it so what. Honestly there's no real harm being done by the likes of this. Google 'Alli' if you want something to really get concerned about.

I am not a total wombat - laxative use by normal healthy people is counter intuitive and does not help anyone. I just commented on the adds. LOL at the yogurt comments.

People who do get constipated may need laxatives. Lifestyle laxatives. Get out of here. Drink orange juice instead.

amacachi

Women are bloated, they need a yoghurt. Nothing to do with their **** diet and that they don't know what a **** diet is any more.
Men are bloated and they have a nasty poo and think "Hmmm, better have a few weetabix tomorrow morning."

Obviously there's the whole "pressure" on women and them being more "impressionable" etc.

star-pants

BTW I'd just like to point out the 'normal healthy people don't need laxatives' and 'go drink orange juice' are exactly the type of comments that make people who have internal issues not want to talk about them.

I'm not here to discuss my illness or some of it's side effects - but I *can't* eat like a 'normal healthy person' and I can't 'just drink some orange juice'.
I personally love fruit and I miss it - but I can't eat most fruits now without being horribly sick or getting god awful stomach cramps. Orange juice makes me want to vomit.

Not all of us can follow a decent diet, we can be restricted by illnesses and other things, so I don't actually see the harm in being able to take something to right your system every once in a while.

I've a teenage sister and brother, and whilst my sister might wonder about her weight (she's not a pick on her but she eats like a horse) and I'd want to make sure they were safe and not picking up any silly habits or ideas about needing to be thin etc. I've had talks with her about it, as I'm sure you do with your daughter, and you're right as a father to be concerned. But I really don't think you're discussing the right things if ads for probiotic yoghurt and senokot are your concerns.

CDfm

I am not discussing my daughter here.

Was watching TV and in between watching Olivia Benson in Law and Order SVU & up pops these ads for activia and laxatives.

How mad is that. It ruined my viewing experience. Now I can imagine Ally McBeal poping ex-lax like its going out of fashion and the lollipops in Friends too- someone must have encouraged them to thing with coffee being a diuretic. Even the OOMPA LUMPAs in SATC.But not Olivia she is a bit more human.

So if I criticise the concept of lifestyle laxatives its because its mad and unhealthy.So its not just these brands but the whole culture of it. Its like dieting to look good in photos even when knowing that the photo technically exagerates your weight.

star-pants

If ads ruin your tv experience then don't watch the ads, and it's funny how you assume all skinny women on tv must be popping laxatives to be skinny.
Some people are naturally that way, a friend of mine is VERY skinny, it's just her build, you can see it in her brothers and her dad, she gets accused of having some weight illness and told to 'eat a sandwich' which is just insulting. I get that sometimes (I'm ill a lot so sometimes my weight really drops).

Culture of looking after your digestion and culture of dieting are different IMO. Not saying they're mutually exclusive as obviously some people use laxatives to help diet but I don't think you can paint all people who use laxatives or advertise laxatives with the same brush.
Go in to any health food store and see the likes of Apple Cider weight loss and other such products which will probably have a bigger laxative effect than an official laxative.

But obviously we differ on opinions so I'll leave it at that.

CDfm

There seems to be a subculture in the female of the species that are pro-laxative.

I will bet Olivia doesnt do it or she would not be able to catch all the baddies.

I am surprised people aint extolling colonic irrigation too - get in touch with your inner enema.

Dr Galen

CDfm wrote: »

There seems to be a subculture in the female of the species that are pro-laxative.

I will bet Olivia doesnt do it or she would not be able to catch all the baddies.

I am surprised people aint extolling colonic irrigation too - get in touch with your inner enema.

there are subcultures of both the male and female gender. I'm not sure what the specific point of there being female laxative fans is tbh. There are laxative fans who are male and ones who are female. why we only talking about the chicas here?

If you want to discuss overuse of laxatives cool, but limiting it to one gender is a bit false imho

CDfm

Mystik Monkey wrote: »

there are subcultures of both the male and female gender. I'm not sure what the specific point of there being female laxative fans is tbh. There are laxative fans who are male and ones who are female. why we only talking about the chicas here?

If you want to discuss overuse of laxatives cool, but limiting it to one gender is a bit false imho

I take the marketing angles of it seriously -it being my field and know the adverts work. So they are targeted at women and I saw somwhere that the market in the uk is similar in size moneywise to the printer ink market.

Guys buy into it too but to a lesser extent. Elvis was a fan, jockeys and boxers use them too and I imagine sports people do. I am amazed that schoolboys use bulking up supplements.

RacoonQueen

CDfm you just keep going back to "if women had healthier diets they wouldn't need to use laxatives''. This is incorrect, I have a high fibre diet with a very high fruit and vegetable content and eat lots of seeds and grains and have still suffered from constipation a couple of times in the past. I went through a phase about two years ago where I had no choice but to go on laxatives as nothing else would get my bowels moving, I could barely eat - popped some senokot and sure enough, the next morning everthing started moving again. I had to continue using them for a week or so before my digestive system returned to normal. You're making a sweeping statement that it's purely diet related, when in reality, it is not. At different times of the month womens digestive systems can work differently because of hormones. These products are marketed towards women but men use them just as much.

iguana

CDfm wrote: »

I take the marketing angles of it seriously -it being my field and know the adverts work. So they are targeted at women and I saw somwhere that the market in the uk is similar in size moneywise to the printer ink market.

How hard is it to understand? Laxatives tend to be aimed at women as women are more likely to suffer from bowel problems due to their reproductive systems. What's next? Why are there only women in the Feminax adverts?

CDfm

Laxatives are ok if there is a genuine need. But overuse or dependence leads to bloating, fluid retention and constipation which ironically are exactly the benefits that the ads attribute to the products.

Dr Galen

Maybe I wasn't making my point well enough. I'm asking, why, if laxative overuse is a problem are we focussing on women and their usage, when I've seen nothing to suggest that this is a female only problem?

Sure, the adverts might be targetted mostly at women, but seeing as your in the business Cdfm you'll know that many many medical type products use females in the advertising, as its seen to promote a nicer. friendlier and safer image to the target groups. Using females in medical marketing, does not always mean that they are targetting solely women.

If it turns out that this is a female dominated problem, then my next question would be why are we talking about it here? Last time I checked this was the Gentlemans Club, not the lets constantly talk about about women and their issues club....

CDfm

Good question MM.

I posted it because I think its an area where guys as partners and parents should be aware of because it can affect those we love. So we should have an interest.

That was the reason for starting the thread. It was an observation.

You quite rightly point out that guys do it too and unfortunately you are correct. Male eating disorders are on the increase too.

What has surprised me is that so many women came back defending it and saying dont question. Men should be interested in their partners, daughters, mothers health and not be afraid to make comments or observations or ask questions of other men.

Dr Galen

cool

so on what basis are you suggesting that there is a laxative overuse problem? just because Senokot is advertised on tv?

CDfm

Mystik Monkey wrote: »

cool

so on what basis are you suggesting that there is a laxative overuse problem? just because Senokot is advertised on tv?

Not really, I observed that some of the techniques used were to create a supply led market for laxatives for what otherwise are normal events.I saw an article on how the value of the market increased in the UK.

I also have an interest in the area of eating disorders too and have known several sufferers.

So while I am not saying they are not useful I am saying yes its something guys should be aware of.

Dr Galen

i get ya

i think its important that its differentiated that there are different uses/users of such things like laxatives.

you've got the people, who for whatever reason, get a bit constipated and find taking a relatively mild laxative like Senna helpful in keeping them moving from time to time. Then you've got the people who are dependent on such products, be that for a psychological type reason or another medical reason. Some of these people I'd say, really don't need to take them, but have grown dependent on them. Then you've got the subset of people that I think your referring to Cdfm, those who use laxatives are a diet solution. These people you could class as probably having some sort of eating disorder. To be fair, having come across some of this people professionally, they tend to be taking things quite a bit higher up the scale than senokot, but still they do exist.

CDfm

Thanks MM and guys should not be afraid to ask the silly questions.

Dr Galen

exactly. there are no silly questions when it comes to matters of health.

as for drug advertising, at least we're not in the US. Serious investment there in pharma adverts on TV. If all we have to worry about is a bit of Senna, i think we'll be ok

CDfm

What strikes me is that this is a cultural thing and people can move on to other more effective products.

We have health food shops and head shops and products being marketed as beneficial.

I mean -what benefit is colonic irrigation?? If you are healthy you dont need an enema.

humberklog

Women hold onto their farts more than men. Men, Gentlemen even, can be seen on every street corner and in every department store at any time of the day pulling each others fingers in joyous ribaldry.

Holding in farts over a long period is painful. I've tried it, purely for scientific reasons. I think this is one of the main reason women have trouble with bloatedness. Men let rip and women hold them in.

CDfm

Now all we need is some women to admit to it.;)

humberklog

CDfm wrote: »

Now all we need is some women to admit to it.;)

CD has a woman ever asked you to pull her finger?

I've never been asked by a woman. This makes me think the either women don't create as much gas as men or- they're holding it in a lot more than us menfolk.

CDfm

a fair point Mr H but hers truly has commented that an "Im a feminist T-shirt" would not fit in my wardrobe

i never thought of that as a reason

am i thick or what

humberklog

Now I'd like to see senokot, deflatin, breezerpowder* and the likes promoting a woman's Pull My Finger day. Bringing to the fore in peoples minds the healthy advantages letting rip and how much better you feel when you don't have to hold them in. Like men do.

Promote the Women's Pull My Finger Day. Bring it into the work place and in school. Especially school.


*made that one up.

Nevyn

http://current.com/items/88941392_sarah-haskins-in-target-women-yogurt-edition.htm