You may not realise it, but your poo says a lot about your health and diet. Poo is also called a 'stool' or 'stools'.
Stool samples
There is no such thing as a perfect poo. Poos come in
all shapes and sizes. They’re also different when it comes to colour and
texture. Each time you go it might be a little bit different. This is
because your poo reflects what you have eaten lately. Sometimes if you
have unhealthy food it can show in your stools. Find out below how you
could improve your poo!
Poo pellets
These stools are small hard, dry lumps like nuts or
animal droppings. They can also be quite difficult to push out! This
sort of poo is often a sign of constipation. Constipation can be caused
by not having enough fibre, or not drinking enough liquid. It can also
be because you haven’t had enough exercise. Try to eat more fibre from
wholegrain bread and breakfast cereals. Fill up on fruits and
vegetables, and make sure you glug 6-8 good-sized glasses of water a
day.
Greasy goo
These stools are large, greasy stools. Stools like this
often float and are difficult to flush away! These can often make your
bottom itchy too. Again, you need to be drinking lots of liquid and
making sure you eat healthily. If you find your stools never seem to
flush then you should tell a parent. They might want to take you to the
doctor to see if everything is OK. It’s a common problem, but good to
check it out.
Stinky stools
When your poo smells really bad this can be a sign of
poor digestion. It means that the food is sitting for too long inside
you. Make sure you’re getting enough exercise. A healthy diet with lots
of fruit, vegetables and fibre can work wonders in making your poo less
pongy. Remember to keep off that junk food!
Skiddy stools
These stools leave skid marks down your toilet. This is
because they have too much sticky mucous in them. This may mean you
need more fibre in your diet. Stools that leave skid marks are quite
common. Just aim to eat more fibre and see how you go!
Pale poo
Some poo is light or more yellow-ish in colour. Lots of
people do the odd pale stool. But if you find that your poo is pale a
lot of the time then you should say this to a parent. A visit to the
doctors is a good idea just to make sure everthing’s okay. Often there’s
nothing to worry about, but it’s always best to be on the safe side.
How often do you go?
Some people poo every day, some don’t. Some people poo
more than twice a day. But if you can’t go, or you can’t stop going,
then you need to let a parent know. If you think your poo looks wrong or
it hurts to go to the toilet then you need to tell someone straight
away.
