He says this eventually stopped in the 1930s with the growth of government regulation of advertising, as well as the medical profession's discarding the idea of autointoxication. What made people so gullible at the beginning of the century was that the medical profession was saying constipation was bad for you and indoctrinated the public. People were like sitting ducks for manufacturers and all their advertising. It must have been pretty difficult for people to avoid the fear of constipation. Whorton believes his study of constipation has some very practical lessons for 21st century consumers.
Constipation is an excellent example of how medical theory undergoes exploitation.
While doctors and health reformers had good intentions, other people saw how they could make a lot of money by translating medical theory and exploiting people's fears. There always has been someone trying to make a quick buck off health since the second half of the 18th century. It also demonstrates that when people try to preserve or improve their health they search for the easy way out. We see that today with obesity and weight-loss claims. Sure we all ought to be eating fresh fruits and vegetables and be out exercising.