Final answer:
More frequent bowel movements are not a typical effect of aging on the digestive system. Instead, aging can lead to issues such as constipation or diarrhea, impacted by factors such as diet, health, and stress.
Step-by-step explanation:
The effect of aging on the digestive system does not typically include more frequent bowel movements. As individuals age, there are a number of changes that can occur in the digestive system. These changes may lead to a decreased sensitivity of taste buds, difficulty with mastication and swallowing due to dental issues, decreased saliva production, and slowed food transit through the alimentary canal as a result of reduced strength and tone of digestive muscular tissue. Neurosensory feedback that stimulates enzyme and hormone release can also become dampened.
Moreover, common elimination problems in the elderly often involve constipation, where stools become hardened from excess water reabsorption if defecation is delayed, or diarrhea if waste moves too rapidly through the intestines causing insufficient water absorption. It's important to note that factors like diet, general health, and stress levels greatly influence the regularity and frequency of bowel movements in individuals of all ages.