How often should I move my bowels?

Many people believe they are constipated if they do not have a bowel movement every day. That belief stems from a pre-20th century European concern about the possibility of bowel obstruction. Prior to the era of modern anesthesia and antibiotics, bowel obstruction was often fatal. A daily bowel movement generally reassured people that their bowels were not obstructed. In fact, the frequency of bowel movements is not nearly as important as the consistency. In other words, if the bowel movement is not so hard that it requires excessive work to get it out, there is no problem. On the other extreme, liquid runny bowel movements are not desirable either. There is a great deal of latitude between such extremes as to what constitutes "normal."