I notice that quite a few of IBS/Gastro problem related articles pop up on HN.

As a UC sufferer I'm interested to know if these types of diseases are more prevalent in our community or simply a statistical average.

Do our work environments and habits affect our prevalence to such diseases? Do we have bad diets? Too much caffeine or stress? More prevalence to colds and other ailments that result in antibiotic treatments?

Any thoughts?