Do you have to wait two hours after eating before going for a swim? How much truth is there to this summer's hottest question?

The onset of summer revives the traditional belief that swimmers must wait two hours after eating before entering the water to avoid indigestion. Medical consensus, however, does not support this restriction.

Tracing the origins of this cautionary tale reveals it dates back to the early 20th century. While the notion of waiting to digest food is widely ingrained culturally, health experts clarify that the actual danger associated with sudden immersion is hydrocution rather than post-meal cramping.