Who are TikTok's "hot girls with irritable bowel syndrome"

All the girls poop and expel flatulence. And they no longer have the fear, embarrassment or shame to admit it. At least on TikTok, where it has become fashionable to talk openly about addominal bloating, constipation, diarrhoea and conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). For millennia, women have been told not to mention their bodily functions. Sweating? Menstruation? Pooping? They have long remained taboos, unpronounceable words and functions that must remain hidden. Through gendered double standards, we have been taught that the world expects women to be pure, well-groomed, perfectly clean and perfumed, while our male counterparts have always been free to recite the alphabet in burps and proudly and comradely proclaim the stench of their own flatulence. Now Generation Z has stopped pretending. You no longer have to turn on the radio or run the water to cover up your bowel sounds, you no longer have to excuse why you need to go to the bathroom after drinking coffee, you no longer have to blush when your stomach gurgles in the middle of a business meeting, and you no longer have to run away in shame when a fart escapes you on a romantic date. Videos of creators ironically and sincerely sharing their bowel problems and claiming the right to be hot despite a bloated belly or acid reflux are piling up on the Chinese platform. Shouting "All hot girls have stomach problems" and "Hot girls with IBS"," TikTokers have pushed the proverbial bathroom door wide open, resulting in the hashtag #hotgirlswithIBS reaching over 110 million views, 690 million for #IBStok and a whopping 1 billion for #guttok.

Who is a "hot girl"?

No, it has nothing to do with looks, but the term refers to a young woman who does something traditionally considered taboo or "unfeminine" The hot girl concept was born in 2020 thanks to Megan Thee Stallion, who sang in a verse of the song Girls in the Bonnet: "I'm a hot girl, I do hot shit" and started a viral trend on TikTok. Since then, creators have been posting videos of themselves answering a fake phone call and telling the other person on the line, "I can't talk right now, I'm doing hot girl stuff". Then the clip stops and shows them doing something mundane that's not hot, like shaving, removing blackheads or changing the litter box. At that point, the clip would stop showing her doing something mundane that is not considered hot, such as shaving, removing blackheads or changing the litter box. Then, in late 2021, the bowel wellness snack brand BelliWelli put the slogan "Hot Girls Have IBS" on giant pink billboards across the US, linking the concept of hot girls with bowel problems.

What it is and the symptoms of IBS

Although much of the conversation on TikTok uses "IBS" as a generic term, the acronym actually stands for irritable bowel syndrome and is a common functional digestive disorder that affects the lower gastrointestinal tract. It can manifest itself with a variety of symptoms, affecting about 10 per cent of the population and mostly affecting women. These include bloating, cramps, flatulence, diarrhoea or constipation.

How is IBS diagnosed and treated?

There is no specific diagnostic test that confirms the presence of IBS. Neither has an isolated triggering cause been identified. It is thought to be triggered by a number of factors, including stress, anxiety, lack of sleep, dehydration, lack of exercise, certain medications or foods, food poisoning and gastrointestinal disease. Therefore, the diagnosis is made through a process of exclusion, which means ruling out other diseases with similar symptoms such as coeliac disease or Crohn's disease. Equally difficult is the treatment of this disease, which can have a major impact on the quality of life of those affected. Since there is no isolated cause or trigger, treatment that relieves IBS is complicated. It takes time and sometimes a lot of trial and error. And not only do we go by trial and error, but the solutions vary from case to case and are more or less effective. There is no one-size-fits-all solution or miracle pill that cures IBS.

 The advantages of an open dialogue

Singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams also posted a TikTok documenting what she calls "my daily routine" In the clip, which has already been viewed over 4 million times, she is seen blowing hot air onto her stomach with a hair dryer. This few-minute video may seem insignificant, but along with similar videos by other creators, it normalises a human bodily function and breaks down the stigma of gastrointestinal problems like IBS. Talking about these issues has always been taboo and embarrassing, especially for women, but there are many women with these disorders. Seeing that other people suffer from them and talking openly about the suffering and discomfort helps them feel less alone. In fact, it does even more. It not only makes them claim their normal humanity, but also instils self-confidence and self-love. Yes, you can be hot even if you suffer from diarrhoea or don't have an ultra-flat stomach.

No, TikTok is not a substitute for a visit to the doctor

Slogans and viral hashtags aside, "Hot Girls Have IBS" has brought together girls with bowel problems who might otherwise have felt alone with their difficulties. Many have noticed that the posters are often skinny, attractive women showing off their "bloated" bellies and promoting products or home remedies to help them flatten them again. Apart from those who are genuinely suffering from illness and disease, the others seem to contribute to the anti-fat beauty ideal that a woman's belly must be completely flat to be "normal"," "healthy" or attractive. One of the biggest problems with these videos is the misinformation. Most TikTokers are not health experts, but they do give advice on belly health. They recommend diets, do-it-yourself measures and even medications, even though they have no expertise in doing so. And in some cases, they are paid to promote products such as probiotics, vitamins and other supplements that supposedly relieve the symptoms of IBS. Many young people suffering from gastrointestinal discomfort or pain are tempted to self-medicate by avoiding certain foods or taking homoeopathic or over-the-counter products that are cheaper than prescription and other treatments, but are often useless or only temporarily relieve symptoms. Especially if the symptoms are persistent, self-medication is not an effective solution. Also, it is important to remember that what works for one person may not work for another. And as with anything on the internet, it's best to view health advice on social media with scepticism. No, TikTok is not a substitute for a health professional who knows our medical history and has expertise in the field.