According to a new OpinionWay study, nearly 47% of French people fear having digestive problems – bloating, gas, burping and other acid reflux – during dinners, parties and even at the office… Insights from Ronan Chastellier, sociologist.
Is this really a surprise? The French and digestion, it's quite a story… From the “Discreet charm of the intestine” to the French Gut project, our stomach fascinates us. But we like it quiet! As soon as it manifests itself (bloating, gas, stomach acid reflux, breath problem, etc.) it becomes annoying, like an old friend that we cannot accept in society. Deciphering this new intestinal behavior alongside Ronan Chastellier, sociologist.
Gas, breath problems and bloating are particularly feared
To examine the behavior of the French in detail, a sample of 1012 people, aged 18 and over, was analyzed.
Result ? Nearly 47% of French people fear having digestive problems, which are embarrassing or annoying in society (bloating, gas, stomach acid reflux, breath problems, etc.).
“It is a real phobia for almost one in two French people, being betrayed by intimate bodily manifestations, which are considered image risk situations particularly for women (56%) and young people (62% of 18 24 years old), (54% of 25 to 34 year olds). For them, digestive problems have a greater social importance, which creates more embarrassment in their eyes, while for men or those aged over 50, who are more indifferent or casual, it seems that we do more “with” this. type of inconvenience”, confides Ronan Chastellier.
Among these inconveniences, those which bother the most are gas (for 73% of French people), breath problems (for 41% of French people), bloating (for 30% of them) then just under the podium – tied at 29% – burping and gastric reflux.
“Gas and breath problems, as a blatant externalization of a digestive problem, are more uncomfortable than what can be experienced alone. It is an attack on dignity. The idea today is to appear “intestinally correct”, to display impeccable intestinal behavior in society, our intestinal processes having to appear in an impeccable light. The French therefore resort to hidden struggles, significant silences, avoidance strategies far from view as digestive problems still seem incommunicable today.“, explains the sociologist.
And for good reason: the French attach great importance to discretion and privacy. Digestive problems, which are extremely intimate, should therefore not be revealed to everyone's eyes (or ears).
A social embarrassment
If gastric problems are still taboo in Europe, their manifestation is particularly feared during a dinner, a party, a meeting with friends, and at the same level in a professional setting – for 24% of French people – then in the context of a romantic date (20%) or during a simple conversation (18%). It's hard to imagine what the “right time” could be to let our stomach speak…
Women, in particular, prefer to suffer in silence (not going to the bathroom at a friend's house, one's in-laws or at a party; putting on tight jeans when you are bloated…) rather than assume, in full view of everyone, her stomach “aches” that she was unable to manage.
“18-24 year olds, as well as women, tend to exaggerate the social importance of digestive problems in a friendly, festive or professional setting. In these situations, gastric problems are completely taboo, with an immediate repulsive effect on others. In the hedonistic society of smell, where there is permanent control of smell, where we protect ourselves from the smell of others, this type of gastric slippage, of stink is unthinkable, perceived as a problem of knowing how to live, and there is an obligation to contain oneself, to assert one's non-animality. Whatever the social risk of the situation (social, professional, romantic), it is prohibitive, but in the context of a romantic meeting it is anti-glamorous, the antipodes of seduction, the myth collapses “, explains Ronan Chastellier.
The sociologist goes even further, speaking of a “gastric self”.
“There is a relationship with oneself which is based in the relationship with the stomach (“It’s trippal”). Our sense of self, physical sense of self, comes from internal sensations. Feeling bad, the nature of feeling unwell is a problem with digestion and an unpleasant feeling in the stomach. Our feeling of reality is therefore a function of our internal sensations. Likewise, the intestine is medically reified as a “2nd brain” so that we value it even more strongly as linked to our sense of self. We thus discover a life of affect, of impression centered on oneself, linked to our digestion“.
The French, sensitive to natural solutions?
Interesting fact: to soothe their digestive problems, the French first seek a solution from health professionals (80%), by going to consult a doctor (68%) then by asking advice from a pharmacist (51%).
47% of French people seek a solution for their digestive problems by other means, 36% consulting the Internet or talking to their loved ones (24%).
Finally, many of them prefer to turn to a natural solution (44%) rather than medication (36%). Women and young people are particularly sensitive to these natural alternatives. The capsules, enzymes, fluid sticks and special digestion sprays then promise to improve transit and reduce bloating, gas and other stomach heaviness, like Pranarom (Digest Confort) or Aime (Digest & Glow). And this, always with a view to limiting their impact on social life and reconciling oneself with one's self-image.