How many times a day do you sit on the throne? Obviously for women it’s a lot more than for guys. Getting up from a regular toilet is not much different than getting up from a squat, and squats are bad for your health (more on that another time).

A few years back I switched out every toilet in my house for the elevated toilet seats. In my house we’re all tall, so it made sense. If you already have issues with your knee caps, this is going to have a healing effect. If you don’t already have a problem with them, it’s just going to reduce the lifelong stresses you place on that crummy little bone with its crummy cartilage.

Calling all builders to just start using comfort height or “handicap” toilets as standard equipment. Why not? The only people who might be bothered by tall toilet seats are really short people, and they can put little step stools by the toilet on which to rest their feet. We tall people can’t do a thing about a short toilet seat and average height people will do just fine with them.

So think about changing at least one toilet in your house. Start with the one you use most.

If your parents come to visit or take care of your kids, do them a big favor. Put an elevated toilet in your guest bathroom.

This simple change is really high on the benefit/risk ratio. High benefit: preventive effect on our lousy kneecaps, and over a lifetime it might reduce the number of visits people make to orthopedic surgeons. Low risk: minimal cost and only uncomfortable to really, really short people.

What can you do with the old toilet seats?