The Squatty Potty Ecco 7 and its twin, the Squatty Potty Ecco 9, are toilet footstools fashioned out of durable hard polyurethane plastic to enhance a healthy and comfy pooping experience. As the name implies, it helps configure your body posture into a natural squatting position which helps you to expel the poop faster and easier.
In simple terms, the squatting posture which the Squatty Potty Ecco encourages your body to improve bowel movement and also accelerate the process of feces expulsion from the bowels.
Generally, when squatting to poop, you do not need to push or force as much as you would normally do when maintaining the traditional sitting position on the white throne. In effect, those who squat to poop quickly get the bowel empty in a few minutes, a sensation that is priceless.
The Squatty Potty Ecco is recommended for kids as well; it, ergonomically, offers them the needed support and body alignment without having to hold onto bacteria and germ infected toilet seats as they learn to use the white throne.
History of the Squatty Potty
Judy, the mum of Bobby Edwards, the CEO of Squatty Potty, had troubles defecating as a result of her lifelong constipation. And the condition worsened as she advanced with age until a few years back when a medical practitioner prescribed the use of a footstool as a pedestal to help elevate the knee higher, thereby giving her a seeming squatting posture.
She eventually tried it out, and guess what; It worked! She testified to its efficacy as she wondered why she and her husband had to get into their 60s before discovering this amazing remedy.
The footstool she used was not the finished article when Bobby, a smart entrepreneur with a good eye for business opportunities, saw a potential goldmine since the stool was not readily available in the market at that time.
They named the first stool which was made out of wood “Squatty Potty’ after trying other possible names such “The Stool Stool,” and “The Health Step.”
How Squatty Potty entered the market
Subsequently, they gave out the surplus footstools to friends who, at the time, thought of them as hoax giveaways until they also tried them out. The resultant effect on the people convinced Bobby that Squatty Potty was a goldmine. The family eventually invested an initial $35,000 to kick-start proper manufacturing.
Bobby’s mum, however, felt that the stool should be made out of plastic to drive down cost after they ordered the first batch of stools.
Although Bobby never believed they were going to sell such a large number at the time, lo and behold they sell that much on a daily basis presently. Several sales strategies were adopted including sending free stools to health bloggers who created awareness about the product until it caught the attention of Dr. Oz’s show as well as Howard Stern.
However, the biggest break came on a second try when Squatty Potty Ecco qualified for “Shark Tank.” And the result that followed shortly after was an overwhelming sale of about $1,000,000 in 24 hours after the TV cameo as well as attracting a $350,000 investment from Lori Greiner.
According to Judy, sales in 2011, the first year, was $17,000. By 2015, they had reached a record-breaking $19,000,000 in revenue. At the end of 2017, sales had shot up to $33,000,000. The family earnestly expects the company to hit the $100,000,000 mark within the next few years.
Consequently, the company has recently expanded operations to Canada with the installation of an additional plant dedicated to production for international sales. This creates an opening for astute foreign business owners who would love to grab the opportunity of becoming distributors and also tap from the obvious goldmine.
Some of the problems with the traditional toilet
Sitting on the traditional white throne have been a lifelong practice for most of us; that is true. However, the lack of ergonomic considerations in the manufacture of billions of traditional toilets may be partly responsible for some restroom issues as highlighted below:
Constipation
More and more people are suffering from perpetual constipation problems emanating from:
- the failure to include the required amount of fiber needed in our daily diets
- a progressive shortfall in our water intake, and especially
- the traditional toilet sitting posture which aids the creation and accumulation of hard, dry fecal matter that is usually difficult to expel.
This bowel condition known as constipation is quite common and we all must have experienced it at some point. How shocking to know that our traditional toilets can be this harmful to our health.
Colon ailment
The ability to thoroughly expel fecal matter from the bowel is key to maintaining a healthy colon. Several studies have repeatedly indicated that the accumulation of fecal matter is the cause of several colon diseases including the dreaded colon cancer. It is worthy to note that the fecal accumulation in the colon prevents the body from absorbing nutrients from digested food thereby leaving the body without the needed energy and nutrients.
Pelvic diaphragm disorder
A major cause of the pelvic diaphragm disorder is the continuous exertion of pressure or strain on the angle of the rectum colon as a result of the traditional toilet sitting position. This results in the protrusion of the lower part of the colon into the vaginal wall (in females).
Hemorrhoids
This is a condition where the varicose vein is enlarged and can be easily broken. This condition is caused by a good number of factors but especially the excessive pressure exerted whenever there is a need to expel hard fecal matter. Be that as it may, the uncomfortable increase in the flow of blood during pregnancy can also aggravate the condition.
Urinary infections
In women, the bladder is thoroughly emptied when they squat to urinate when compared with the traditional sitting posture on the white throne. The squat position helps to decrease the incidents and magnitude of urinary tract infections while also enhancing the free flow of urine.
Why you should have the squatty potty
According to a 2010 study, the squatting position helps loosen up the group of “fibers forming a sling” in the rectum, a group responsible for straightening the colon as well as opening the rectum.
In women, the issue of straining that tend to weaken the pelvic floor, and resulting in the notorious bowel control trouble can be effectively managed with the use of the Squatty Potty Ecco. The resulting lesser strain effort and a thorough bowel clearance that come with the use of this ergonomic toilet stool is a preventive measure to forestall a weakening pelvic floor.
In conclusion, apart from saving your health and that of your family and friends, you can also prevent unhygienic practices and join the Squatty Potty revolution.