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The sitting position 
It would have been better if the contraption
had killed its inventor before he launched it
under humanity’s buttocks.
Dr William Welles, The Culture of the Abdomen, 1924
Unaware of the medical implications, cabinet makers and plumbers designed the chair-like toilet to provide comfort and dignity for the user
and with the advent of plumbing, around 1850, water closets became popular. In the early 1900s doctors noted a dramatic increase in incidences of disease and,
suspecting the sitting toilet as being responsible, footstools, used to elevate the feet to the approximate squatting posture became available.
The Puborectalis Muscle acts as a sling for the rectum and maintains faecal continence. To evacuate our bowels effectively, this muscle needs to become fully relaxed. A sitting position (as required to make use of the traditional toilet) prevents the Puborectalis from relaxing fully. A squatting position will allow the Puborectalis to fully relax, permitting the straightening of the anus and rectum.
The Body Friendly Toilet proposed by Helena Seget combines the comfort and plumbing of a standard close-coupled pan with the health benefits of a squat. It accommodates people of differing heights and with differing degrees of flexibility, and can be used in the conventional sitting and (male) standing positions. It is 25cm longer and 34cm wider than the average conventional toilet and can be accommodated by standard sized toilet rooms.
Helena Seget is currently securing funding for production of a prototype of the Body Friendly Toilet, with a view to introducing this unique and beneficial bathroom fitting into the domestic and international bathroom marketplace.
Check back soon for an update on the Body Friendly Toilet's progress towards manufacture.
If you would be interested in testing the prototype when it becomes available, please contact Helena Seget.