Britons don’t have the stomach for holidays
July 23rd, 2009 - Chris Marshall
I met four of them earlier today! Well that isn’t 100% accurate as I couldn’t tell your their names, or where they came from in the UK, or even where they are staying, or for how long BUT I could tell you pretty accurately how their stomachs have been during their holday here in Almerimar!
A staggering two thirds of Britons get some kind of stomach bug while away – and for one in five victims it completely ruins their holiday, new figures show.
They were sat at the table two down from us on the terrace at La Barbera earlier today, and inbetween trips to the toilet seemed intent on discussing in particularly loud voices the various stomach complaints. In fact in that strange way that people have they seemed rather proud of the fact and had been keeping a running (pardon the pun) score ….
I had forgotten all about them, or at least manged to blank out that part of of the day until I read this article this afternoon on the Times On LIne
Most Britons blame their tummy troubles on exotic food, unwashed produce or contaminated water.
Though some also think they are more prone to such illnesses because they are naturally more nervous and stressed on holiday, said Life’s Biotic, a pharmacy probitoic supplement.
A study of 4,000 holidaymakers found that 66 per cent have suffered stomach upsets on holiday – of whom 77 per cent said it seriously affected their break and 20 per cent had it ruined.
Diarrhoea has affected one in four travellers while the most common complaints were bloating and indigestion, the study added.
It is not just vital hours on the sunlounger that have to be sacrificed either and one in four sufferers said their illness meant no sex on holiday.
Despite most Britons having regular foreign holidays, the problem is unlikely to get better as destinations get more exotic, said the research.
Although used to them back at home, 40 per cent of food poisoning cases are blamed on curries and spicy meals in a hot climate.
A further 15 per cent claim it is rich or creamy sauce which gave them the bug, 14 per cent point the finger at a dogy pizza and 11 per cent on burgers, hot dogs and other junk food.
Surprisingly, one in four people who suffered from stomach bloating on holiday said others thought they were pregnant.
Family GP Dr Paul Stillman, an advisor to Life’s-Biotic, said: “Holiday tummy troubles appear to be a significant health issue, with two-thirds of us suffering while abroad.
“As a result, keeping digestively fit it vital, especially when we are on holiday. There is a simple action we can take – ensuring our body has both good and bad bacteria to stay healthy. Research shows that maintaining an optimal balance of gut flora is important for health, particularly for repelling harmful bacteria that contribute to digestive problems such as diarrhoea, bloating or constipation.”
Precautions to reduce the chance of stomach upsets on holiday include washing hands before eating or cooking, peeling fruit and vegetables, avoiding ‘buffet’ style foods and uncooked shellfish and using bottled water for drinking, washing food and brushing teeth.
As for our four affected tourists I would hazard a guess it was too much sun (4 lobsters would describe them), a lack of water (drinking beer at 11.30 am despite stomach issues) and the lack of any decent food (complaining about the local cuisine!!).
