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TikTok trend causes laxative shortage in USA
PRINT ALL READINGS (PDF)Laxatives - Level 0
TikTok videos mean there are not enough laxative drugs in the USA. These drugs are for people who have problems on the toilet because of hard "poo". Teenagers watch the videos, then think they can lose weight, and then buy laxatives. This means that people who need the medicine cannot get it.
Doctors are worried about this trend. The videos are wrong because laxatives are not for losing weight. They only make the body lose water. The water weight is put back on after having a drink. Laxatives can cause headaches, tiredness, and dizziness. Eating fruit and vegetables, and exercising are better for losing weight.
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Laxatives - Level 1
TikTok videos are leading to a lack of laxative drugs in the USA. A laxative is a medicine for people who have problems on the toilet because of hard "poo". Laxatives loosen the poo to make it easier to go. The videos are making teenagers think that laxatives help with weight loss. Hundreds of thousands of youngsters have bought all the laxatives in drugstores. People who need the medicine cannot get it. Doctors give the drug for problems like constipation.
Doctors are worried about the trend. They say the online videos are wrong because laxatives are not for weight loss. They only lead to water being lost. The water weight is quickly put back on after having a drink. Laxatives have side effects, like headaches, thirst, tiredness, dry skin, and dizziness. It is healthier to lose weight through lifestyle changes. Eating more fruit and vegetables, and exercising are better than laxatives for losing weight.
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11 online activities | 8-page printable (PDF)
Laxatives - Level 2
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A TikTok trend is causing a lack of laxative drugs in the USA. A laxative is a constipation medicine. It is for people who have problems on the toilet because of hard "poo". Laxatives loosen the poo to make it easier to go to the toilet. TikTok influencers are making teenagers think that laxatives will help them lose weight. The videos have been viewed over one billion times. Hundreds of thousands of youngsters are emptying drugstore shelves of laxatives, so people who need the medicine cannot get it. Doctors give the drug for things like constipation and Crohn's disease.
Doctors are worried about the social media trend. They say the online videos have incorrect information, as laxatives are not for weight loss. They only lead to water being lost. Any weight lost from laxatives is quickly put back on after having a drink. People should only use laxatives after talking to a doctor because they can have side effects, like headaches, thirst, tiredness, dry skin, and dizziness. Doctors say it is healthier to lose weight through lifestyle changes. Eating more fruit and vegetables, and exercising are better than using laxatives for losing weight.
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11 online activities | 8-page printable (PDF)
Laxatives - Level 3
A trend on TikTok has caused a shortage of laxative drugs in the USA. A laxative is a medicine for people who have constipation. This is the problem of people having difficulty going to the toilet because of hardened "poo". The medicine loosens the poo to make it easier to go to the toilet. TikTok influencers are making teenagers believe that laxatives will help them lose weight. The videos have been viewed over one billion times on social media. Hundreds of thousands of youngsters are emptying drugstore shelves of laxatives. This means people who really need the medicine cannot get it. Doctors prescribe the drug for conditions like constipation, Crohn's disease and irritable bowel syndrome.
Doctors and people with stomach problems are worried about the new social media trend. Doctors say the online posts contain incorrect information, as laxatives do not lead to weight loss. People should only use them after talking to a doctor. This is because the drugs do not work for weight loss. They only lead to "water weight" being lost. Laxatives can also have side effects. These can include headaches, thirst, fatigue, dry skin, and dizziness. Any weight lost from taking laxatives is quickly put back on after having a drink. Doctors say it is healthier and more effective to lose weight through lifestyle changes. Eating more fruit and vegetables, and exercising are better than using laxatives.
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25 online activities | 27-page printable | 2-page mini-lesson
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