In some cases, stool that refuses to spiral down the drain may point to a malabsorption problem. “Though occasional abnormal stools can occur, if bowel movements frequently resist a flush we have to consider causes of intestinal malabsorption that may lead to excess fat in the stool,” Dr. William Palmer, associate professor of gastroenterology and hepatology at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, told The Healthy.
Medically referred to as “steatorrhea,” fatty stool develops when the body’s bile acids, digestive enzymes, or the lining of the small intestine are not functioning as they should be, according to an updated 2023 article published in StatPearls. As a result, steatorrhea has been seen in connection with certain related health conditions including celiac disease or exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI). However, a tricky-to-flush poop generally isn’t the only symptom present. Excrement is usually also large, loose, pale in color, and particularly foul-smelling — this may include poop that smells like fish.