America is feeling a little backed up

If America was personified, it’d probably be as a hot girl – because it’s dealing with some stomach issues.

Surging US demand for laxatives – specifically polyethylene glycol 3350, the generic name for laxatives like Miralax and Glycolax – is leading to shortages and emptier shelves at the drugstore, the WSJ reports.

And that’s not the only, ehrm, movement-inducing substance Americans are purchasing in spades.

• Searches for laxative pills on Amazon have more than tripled in the past year, according to analytics company Pattern.
• Manufacturers of fiber supplements Metamucil and Benefiber have reported double-digit sales growth in recent years.

📈 Behind the trend… Experts point to an aging population that’s more likely to take medication causing constipation, and the fact that most Americans don’t consume enough fiber, which can lead to constipation. They also cite lingering effects from the pandemic – a time when many ate worse, exercised less, and experienced more anxiety – as contributing to bowel dysfunction.

But two other things could also be driving major demand: Ozempic and TikTok.

• Some laxative buyers appear to be using the medicine as a de facto Ozempic to lose weight, per the WSJ.
• #GutTok has north of 1.1 billion views on TikTok, with many of the videos making claims about the benefits of consuming polyethylene glycol 3350.

And this messaging seems to be having an impact. In addition to the polyethylene glycol shortage, Benefiber manufacturer Haleon told the WSJ that people aged 18-42 are increasingly focused on gut health, and are consuming its fiber supplements more than ever before.