The Health Problem Hall of Shame

What to do:

First, try a psyllium supplement, such as Metamucil, if you feel stopped up. A University of Illinois review determined that this type of fiber was effective in treating the initial onset of a blocked bowel. The downside is that research shows that this strategy is hit or miss for chronic constipation. Your next option: an over-the-counter laxative like Miralax helps soften your stool with water, provoking the muscles in your colon to move things along, says Sandra Hoogerwerf, M.D., a gastroenterologist at the University of Michigan. Then use these strategies.

Eat breakfast. After waking, colon activity increases threefold, and eating a meal doubles that rate, according to a study in the American Journal of Physiology. In fact, eat right after waking and you'll create a 2-hour window in which your chances for a bowel movement are optimized.

Stay hydrated. Drinking water won't necessarily relieve constipation, but avoiding dehydration may help you prevent it in the first place, say researchers at the University of Texas medical school at Houston.

Hit the weights. A study published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise reports that resistance training accelerates the movement of food through your large intestine by as much as 56 percent. In addition, other studies suggest that sedentary people are 50 percent more likely to suffer from constipation than those who exercise regularly.

4 billion : Cases of diarrhea every year, worldwide

Why it happens: Your gastrointestinal tract is lined with cells that absorb liquid from food and drinks. Attacks from bacteria, viruses, and parasites sometimes inhibit those cells from doing their job. The result: loose and watery stool.

What to do:

Pop an Imodium Advanced. It's the only over-the-counter product that contains both loperamide and simethicone. Scientists at the University of Chicago found that this combination relieved the symptoms of diarrhea — runny stool and abdominal discomfort — faster and more effectively than products that contained just one of the two ingredients.

Eat yogurt. It contains probiotics, which are beneficial bacteria similar to those that naturally reside in your gut and that keep levels of troublemaking bugs in check. While Dannon Activia has trademarked one strain of bacteria as Bifidus regularis, similar types of healthy bacteria can be found in any fermented milk product, including kefir, buttermilk, and other brands of yogurt.

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