Was Actual Constipation More Common in the "Golden Age?"

I think that constipation is about the same as it has always been. There are more ways to deal with it than there were in the 50's and 60's. Although I do remember lots of advertising for Ex-lax, Feen-a-mint, MOM, and Carter's Little Liver Pills (whitch were simply Phenolthalien laxatives). From a kids standpoint it was always Prune juice, if that didn't work, thand a suppository, and finally an enema. I didn't usually get past the prunes, my Mom loved to stew prunes for desert. Mom did not like giving suppositories of enemas.

The ads today seem to pointed at younger to middle aged women, especially the ones for MirraLax, I don't know why? Although I have seen one add which was short lived for Fleet Enemas. You can search on youtube and find it. It is definately directed at aging adults, both male and female. Constipation is very uncomfortable and the medical definition is fewer than 3 BM's a week, difficult BM's, and incomplete BM's.

I have had some level of constipation most of my life. It has been exacerbated by the addition of Mournjaro to my diabetes control. Fortunately I have Doctors who think managing with occasional enemas is OK. That being said, I like to have normal BM's, and enemas are not always available or convenient. Right now one of my docs wants me to start using Linnsez, after reading the reviews I haven't started it yet because you need to be around a reliable toilet when it kicks in. What seems to be working is a daily dose of mag oxide of 1500Mg. I haven't used an enema in a while, as long as the mag oxide is still working. After an enema it takes almost a week for my body to get back on track. The GLP-1 just slows everything to a crawl. I am always amazed at how much poop comes out with an enema, even after a good BM.

There's been a marked uptick in colorectal cancer diagnoses and deaths in people under 40 in the last couple of decades. Scientists aren't sure what's causing it but it's possible that a shift toward a larger percentage of the Western diet consisting of processed foods, and those foods being more heavily processed than in the past, is to blame. To my mind if the population is eating more processed foods you'd also see more frequent and worse constipation.

Realistically, there was little constipation in the 50's, 60's, and 70's in our family. Enemas were so common and promptly administered, that we never had the chance to become constipated.

The ads today seem to pointed at younger to middle aged women, especially the ones for MirraLax, I don't know why?

Constipation can be associated with menstruation. The hormone changes can affect bowel movements.

This may not be a new marketing tactic. As a kid in the '70s and '80s I remember TV commercials for Feen-A-Mint gum were apparently aimed mostly at women, but I could be misremembering.

That’s an interesting question and difficult to answer with any degree of accuracy. Growing up in the nineteen fifties, my siblings and I all had issues with constipation, especially after we started school. We didn’t like using the facilities at school, so we waited until we got home to use the bathroom. Hence, our constipation issues resulted in enemas two or three times a month. However, constipation wasn’t the only reason kids, teenagers, and adults received enemas. We got enemas for being moody, not eating normally, being sick in bed, or to help calm down among others. In those days doctors recommended douching for girls and enemas for both boys and girls. Something that’s long since passed into history. But judging from all the advertisements for ways to make you go today. I’d venture to say, it hasn’t changed much, if at all. Just the method has changed.

I don't think it is less common today when I think of the number of Fleet enemas sold and all the advertising on TV for laxatives. The biggest difference is that we are so much of a convenience oriented society. Taking a pill is far easier than getting out the enema bag and then having the recipient if a child fuss and go on about not wanting it. Even when what is needed is an enema a squeeze bottle is not the bother of a bag.

I don't think that actual constipation has been more common in the "Golden Age", but the handling with constipation has changed since these times. In former times the sensible use with constipation has passed in the family from one generation to the next, today everyone has the possibility to find out all possibilities to relieve constipation in all continents around the world. For example you may find in YouTube far more than 70 contributions to take daily early in the morning 1 tablespoon castor oil, this one not only to cleanse your intestines but further your body from all the toxins deposed there via the liver and finally to cleanse your mind and your spirit too. But in my opinion everyone should find out his suitable form to manage this problem.