The simplest
squat toilet is simply a hole in the ground or floor. Some squat toilets are more elaborate, but they all require the user to squat over a hole and to defecate into the hole.
Squatting is the normal position for defecation, because the lower part of the colon is well positioned for easy bowel motions. In contrast, western-style toilets may be more convenient than squat toilets, but they don't position the user as well for defecation.
Some doctors recommend that people who are constipated should put their feet on a pile of books or a small stool when using the toilet, as this forces the body into a type of
squatting position.
When Sally went camping in
the bush, she made a squat toilet by
digging a hole in the ground. She
squatted over the hole and defecated into it.