A three-thousand word treatise published by The New Zealand Medical Journal on Friday has given anxious flyers prone to bouts of flatus good cause to breathe easy again, after a highly-scientific conducted by actual scientists produced empirical evidence supporting those in favour of farting on planes.
To do otherwise is now officially bad for your health, according to Science.It took five researchers, gastroenterologists from all over the world, to determine that high altitude air pressure changes cause the body to produce more gas; gas that under the pretence of decency in a confined presurised cabin often remains confined in an even smaller pressurised cabin. It is there, under great duress, that the gas exposes its captor to the increased likelihood of contracting terrible ailments.The resulting "subsequent stress symptoms... hold significant drawbacks for the individual, such as discomfort and even pain, bloating, dyspepsia (indigestion), pyrosis (heartburn) just to name but a few resulting abdominal symptoms." Ergo, let it go.
Two thoughts. (1) A friend who knows of my aversion to flying thought this would get me back in the air. What exactly is he implying?
(2) In an era of austerity, surely even Obama and Reid would think that funding for this sort of nonsense could be cut. Right?
