think back a little before squat cages and trainers telling you how to squat.. say a couple tousand years

How did we build shelter? cook? take a shit!? lots of the work (say making clothing)?

we squatted

Most of the world squat right down and have less knee probs than N. Americans and Europeans.

With out expert trainers and PTs and doctors and surgens etc etc do you think we would have survived with blown out knees etc The number of knee surgeries today is mind boggling.

We are designed to squat right to the floor!!! In fact this is how we are ment to defficate. How many parents who are potty training thier kids have seen there kids squat in thier diaper to poop???

When squatting the right thigh presses on the assending colon pushing fecal matter up hill (humans are the only mammals that need to push fecal matter up hill), The left thigh pushes on the desending colon... it help the whole process.

Anyone living in Thailand and having to use squat toilets should be able to attest the the ease at which one shits!!! I noticed it way before I knew anything about the human body!!!

Now if you are talking with heavy weight then there are loads of factors to consider, is the core functioning should be one of the first...

But not weight bearing iot is normal human design and in fact it is healthy to do it! Deforming the body in a squat pumps fluids through the body, like cerebrospinal fluid for example... I think it sucks water into the disks too (but I'd had to check that one out... Regardless it IS good.

Now if you have really messed up knees then it may be an issue but if your body functions somewhat decently you SHOULD squat and you should when you shit too! ;)

IMO

A good resource for this is "Squatology" live audio series with Paul Chek