German men are the world’s most prolific Sitzpinklers — or sedentary marauders — according to a poll of male urination habits around the world.
In the survey, 62 per cent of German men responded by saying they sit down to urinate “every” or “most times”, almost three times as many as the 24 per cent in Britain.
Of the 13 countries surveyed by YouGov, Sweden came second with 50 percent, Denmark third with 44 percent, while 35 percent of men in France and 34 percent in both Spain and Italy said they’d rather take a pew.
The debate over the best method has long raged in Germany, so much so that it has coined the term ‘Sitzpinklers’ – someone who sits while urinating.
Despite studies in the country suggesting it’s the healthier option — and signs in many public restrooms asking men to sit for hygiene reasons — the German term has derogatory undertones, implying that sitting isn’t masculine.
German men are the world’s most prolific Sitzpinklers (sitting-widdlers), according to an international poll that examines men’s urination habits around the world
Studies have shown that sitting to urinate is better for men’s health because of the structure of the male sanitary system, according to The Times.
A 2014 study by researchers at Leiden University Medical Center found that sitting helps empty the bladder faster and more completely compared to standing.
Standing, the study says, is especially beneficial for people with lower urinary tract problems and an enlarged prostate, problems that can get worse with age.
“The seated micturition position is preferable to the standing one,” the researchers wrote.
According to the YouGov survey, the practice is particularly common among German men over the age of 55, with 49 percent of the age group saying they sit down to urinate ‘every time’ and a further 25 percent saying they do it ‘most of the time’ . time’.
The ubiquity of German custom is nothing new.
Seven years ago, writers Niklas Frank and James Cave published a comic guide to Germany’s unusual social conventions.
The book was entitled ‘German Men Sit Down to Pee’.
They note that the custom makes sense in the context of German toilets, which are often built with an “inspection shelf” for users to inspect their business.
On the other end of the spectrum, more Mexican men than any other said they would “never” sit down, with 36 percent choosing that option in the poll. British and Polish men came in second, with 33 per cent from both countries saying the same thing.
In addition to the health benefits of sitting, The protector — whose article seemed to prompt YouGov to run the poll — quoted US mechanical engineering professor Tadd Truscot as saying the practice could also be better for a household at large.
Using a urination simulator and high-speed cameras, the publication reported, Truscot conducted a study of “splashback.”
Getting up could have a wider effect than many realize, he explained, with urine droplets potentially splashing onto toothbrushes in the bathroom — even if they’re a few feet from the toilet.
This can be mitigated by sitting down, he said.
Standing also carries other risks, such as bad targets damaging the floor around a toilet – much to the dismay of landlords or others in the household.
Despite the propensity of German men to take a seat, in 2015 a Düsseldorf court ruled in favor of a man’s right to urinate standing up.
The dispute arose when his landlord demanded financial compensation for damage caused by urine to his marble bathroom floor.
In an attempt to withhold part of the tenant’s €3,000 (£2,300) security deposit, the landlord argued that their bathroom floor had been eaten away by uric acid.
In the study, 62 per cent of German men responded by saying they tend to urinate “every” or “most times”, almost three times more than the 24 per cent in Britain
Although the judge rejected the landlord’s claim, he found that men who have to urinate standing up can expect occasional fights with their female roommates.
Some famous faces had admitted that sitting is their preferred option.
In an episode of the American sitcom ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’, comedian Larry David says, ‘It’s more comfortable when you get up in the middle of the night; you don’t have to turn on the light and wake up, and you can read,” recalled The Guardian.
Argentinian megastar and World Cup winner Lionel Messi also admitted to urinating on Uruguayan TV.