Discover the Shocking Truth About Weight Loss Undergarments: Do They Really Work or Harm You?

Waist trainers are similar to corsets, promising a slimmer waistline and an hourglass figure. The waist trainer trend may be due, in part, to celebrities posting photos and enthusiastic endorsements on social media. The famous may swear by them, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re effective and safe to use. However, they do not reduce body fat, and squeezing the waist may damage the internal organs and cause difficulty with breathing and digestion. Before deciding to use a waist trainer, it is important to understand that the product may not necessarily be safe or effective.

What are Weight Loss Undergarments?

A waist trainer is an undergarment made up of thick fabric and hard metal boning. It’s intended to be worn much more tightly than a girdle or shaping underwear to give you a sleeker, smaller waist. Waist trainers usually consist of a combination of tough fabric and hard fibers. Hooks, Velcro, lacing, or other strong fasteners hold the trainer tightly in place.

Worn around the midsection, it’s cinched up with a lacing system, hooks, or Velcro. The idea behind a waist trainer is to gradually increase the time spent wearing it each day. While results can be seen immediately, “training” requires wearing the garment frequently over a period of months.

Today’s waist trainers are similar to corsets that people wore more than a hundred years ago to create the look of an hourglass figure. They wrap around your torso and fasten using laces, hook-and-eye clasps, or sticky fasteners. Many waist trainers also have metal or plastic supports, called boning, that provide structure around your torso. The stiff boning runs vertically to keep the fabric of the waist trainer from bunching up where your waist gets smaller. Waist trainers are meant to squeeze your midsection and “train” your figure into an hourglass shape. They’re basically a corset with a modern twist.

A Brief History of Corsets

Corsets have been around for at least five centuries. Originally, they hid most of a woman’s shape between the breasts and hips. Sometime in the 1800s, corsets evolved to accentuate the female shape, aiming for the prized hourglass figure that demands a small waist and curvy hips. The idealized tiny waist size grew ever smaller until corsets fell out of fashion due to discomfort and health concerns.

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How Waist Trainers Work

Waist trainers work by squeezing in your stomach area to make your waistline look smaller. When you wear one, the tight fabric hugs your midsection, pulling in your waist to create an hourglass shape. A waist trainer is a shaping garment similar to a girdle. The waist trainer pulls a person’s midsection in as tight as possible. The idea behind a waist trainer is that the pulling action gives the person a sleeker, smaller waist. You’ll see the effect right away, but once you take it off, your waist will go back to its normal shape. A waist trainer can produce a temporary reduction in waist size or circumference, and a person will typically see immediate results. However, as soon as they take off the waist trainer, their waist will no longer look smaller.

More affordable waist trainers cost around $20, but you can also find products that cost over $100. No matter which product you buy, they all work similarly. While many companies claim that waist trainers can trim inches off your waist and help you lose weight, any lasting change is usually minor and can be uncomfortable to achieve.

Advocates believe that it is possible to “train” the waist to retain a slimmer shape after frequent wearing of the garment over an extended period. Some people suggest that wearing a waist trainer while working out can aid weight loss.

Waist Trainers vs. Other Shapewear

It's important to distinguish waist trainers from other types of shapewear:

Shapewear: Shapewear is also a type of snug undergarment that creates an hourglass shape, but unlike a waist trainer, it’s only meant to be worn for short periods or to smooth out certain areas under clothing. While waist trainer brands often claim (though, without much evidence) that their products can give you lasting results, the effects of shapewear are meant to be temporary. Also, shapewear is usually made from stretchier materials than waist trainers. Less restrictive shapewear. Invest in undergarments that help to give you a sleeker silhouette without restricting breathing. Some waist cinchers are made with flexible plastic boning for more freedom of movement. Much like a body shaper or girdle, you can wear a waist trainer under a special outfit once in a while. As long as it’s not too restrictive, it’s probably harmless.
Sweatbands: Sweatbands are waist wraps meant to be worn during workouts. They’re usually made from light and flexible materials that don’t restrict your movement in the same way that waist trainers do. The nonbreathable fabric of sweatbands causes you to sweat more around your abdomen.

Purported Benefits of Waist Trainers

Some people claim that waist trainers can provide a range of benefits to those wanting a sleeker body shape. These include:

Hourglass Figure: The main supposed benefit of a waist trainer is that wearing it is a fast and easy way to get an hourglass figure. While the waist trainer may give that impression when a person wears it, according to the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery (ABCS) blog, the garment will not drastically change a person’s body shape. After a person has removed the waist trainer, it is unlikely to have a lasting effect. The instant transformation can be impressive, and the theory is that you can train your waist into maintaining that shape.
Weight Loss: Any weight loss from wearing a waist trainer is more likely to be due to increased sweating than to any loss of body fat. You might temporarily lose a small amount of weight wearing a waist trainer, but it will likely be due to loss of fluids through perspiration rather than loss of fat. Wearing a waist trainer might lead to some short-term weight loss, but the results usually don’t last. A waist trainer squeezes your stomach area, leaving less space for food and lowering your appetite. But this isn’t a healthy or sustainable way to lose weight. People looking to lose body fat around their midsection or lose substantial weight overall should not rely on wearing a waist trainer to do this. However, a person may feel a loss of appetite while wearing a waist trainer. The garment puts pressure on the stomach, which can create an artificial feeling of fullness.
Decreased Appetite: It makes sense that having your stomach squeezed will probably make you feel full faster. This may cause you to eat less. It’s important to eat the right amount of nutritious food to stay healthy and get the vitamins and minerals you need. By limiting how much you eat, your diet may not be sufficient to stay healthy.
Better Posture: Wearing a waist trainer may temporarily help with improving posture. Wearing a waist trainer may encourage good posture while you’re wearing it. However, if a person wears it too much, it may instead weaken the core muscles and result in back pain and poor posture. If you wear it too much, though, it may weaken your core muscles, leading to back pain and poor posture.
Postpartum Support: Waist trainers may provide support to women whose abdominal muscles have stretched or thinned following pregnancy. The extra support may help reduce pain and discomfort. According to a study from the International Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, women who wore a waist support garment after a cesarean delivery experienced less pain and bleeding than those who did not wear one.
Garments after surgery: Garments after surgery help speed the resolution of swelling.

Risks and Side Effects of Waist Trainers

The long-term use of waist trainers could have some negative effects on a person’s overall health. A waist trainer can potentially harm a person by:

Breathing Problems: A small 2018 report suggests that using a waist trainer while exercising may cause breathing difficulties. The participants displayed shortness of breath, sweating, and increased pain when they wore a waist trainer while performing a breathing maneuver to simulate exercise. According to the ABCS, wearing a waist trainer can reduce your lung capacity by 30 to 60 percent. According to the ABCS, wearing a waist trainer can reduce lung capacity by 30-60%. It may also cause fluid buildup and inflammation of the lungs. It can be uncomfortable and sap your energy. Cinch it tight enough and you might even pass out. It can even lead to inflammation or a buildup of fluid in the lungs. Using a waist trainer cuts your lung capacity by 30%-60%. This is especially dangerous if you use a waist trainer during a workout. A lack of oxygen can lower your energy levels, making exercise more challenging, but it can also cause inflammation that lasts even after you take off the waist trainer. Over time, breathing problems can affect your lymphatic system, which helps to rid your body of toxins.
Internal Damage: Squeezing the midsection with constant force will likely cause internal organs, such as the liver and kidneys, to shift into unnatural positions. This shifting of internal organs may affect the blood flow, and it can change how well the organs function. It may even lead to permanent organ damage. When you squeeze your midsection, it forces internal organs like the liver and kidneys into unnatural positions. Overcrowding your organs can affect blood flow and change how organs function. In time, this can lead to permanent organ damage, reduced muscle strength, and even rib fractures. A blog post from the Royal College of Surgeons of England mentions that long-term use of a corset can also lead to the deformation of the rib cage. Wearing a waist trainer may also damage your kidneys, liver, spleen, and pancreas by pushing them into unnatural positions. If your organs are under this pressure for too long, they may not work as well as they should. This can lead to long-term damage.
Digestive Issues: The shifting of organs due to a waist trainer may also affect the digestive organs, such as the esophagus (food pipe), stomach, and intestines. When you wear a waist trainer, you’re not only squeezing skin and fat, you’re crushing your insides, too. Parts of your digestive system, including the esophagus, stomach, and intestines, can be affected. As well as interfering with digestion, the constant pressure can force stomach acid back up into the esophagus, causing heartburn. If you have gastroesophageal reflux (GERD), wearing a waist trainer may exacerbate the symptoms. Waist trainers also squeeze the organs in your digestive system, including your stomach and intestines. With less space, food and gas can’t move through your body as easily, which can trap it and make you feel bloated. That same pressure can push acids back up through your esophagus and cause heartburn.
May reduce core strength: While waist trainers do keep your core tight and compressed, they can actually weaken your core strength over time. This is because waist trainers do the work of maintaining your posture for you. If you’ve used one for a long time, you may even experience pain and discomfort when you’re not wearing it, as your core needs to do more work to support itself again.
May lead to skin irritation: Waist trainers are made from synthetic materials that aren’t designed to breathe. Because they fit tightly, the friction and trapped sweat can irritate some people’s skin.

Scientific Evidence and Studies

A small older study looking at whether waist training had an effect on weight loss was inconclusive. The researchers said that this was because the majority of the participants gave up wearing a corset due to discomfort. A small 2010 study assessed the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of losing weight on a very low-calorie diet. The researchers also considered whether wearing a corset would help maintain weight loss in the long term. They found the very low-calorie diet to be feasible, even after a year. They were unable to evaluate the effectiveness of wearing a corset because the majority of study participants simply gave up wearing them due to discomfort.

Recommendations for Safe and Effective Weight Loss

Most healthcare professionals agree that the best way to lose weight or inches from around the waist is through a healthful diet and regular exercise:

eating whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low fat dairy products
avoiding added sugars, saturated fats, trans fats, and salt
eating more lean meats and protein from fish, plants, and nuts
staying within the recommended calorie count for the day

For exercise, a person should focus on both cardiovascular activities, such as running or walking, and strength training, such as lifting weights. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommend that people get 150 minutes a week of cardiovascular exercise and activities and that they do resistance training on at least 2 days of the week.

Regular exercise. Mix aerobic exercise with strength training to tone and strengthen your muscles and to help you burn calories. A personal trainer can help create a workout routine to suit your needs.

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Here are some exercises to slim down your waistline, try to eat well and exercise regularly:

Standing side crunches. Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-length apart, then bring your hands beside your ears, elbows facing out. Standing straight with your knees slightly bent, lower your left elbow toward the floor and return to the center. Repeat on the right side up to 30 times. To make this exercise more challenging, try lifting your left knee to your left elbow, then cross your left elbow to your right knee. Repeat on the other side.
Side plank. Lay sideways on your mat, with your knees aligned with your hips. Position your lower arm at a right angle to support you. Press through your arm to lift your hips off the mat. Do 10 repetitions, then try to hold the last one for a minute before switching to the other side. For an easier option, keep your knees bent during this exercise.
Russian twist. Sit on a mat with your knees slightly bent and your hands clasped in front of your chest. Then, lean back slightly, and twist your torso from left to right while engaging your core. To make this exercise more challenging, try raising your feet off the ground or holding a weight while you twist.
Bird dog. Start on your hands and knees with your hands placed directly below your shoulders. Alternate between reaching your left then right arm directly in front of you and holding it for a few breaths before lowering it to the ground. Then do the same with each leg, extending them one at a time directly behind you. To make this exercise more challenging, you can raise your right arm and left leg at the same time before switching sides.

Before making any drastic changes to their diet or exercise regimen, a person should talk to their doctor. A doctor can give specific advice based on a person’s health. A person may wish to talk to their doctor if they are trying to lose weight, and diet and exercise are not working. A doctor may be able to recommend additional steps or direct them to a dietitian or personal trainer.

How to Use a Waist Trainer Safely

If you’ve decided to invest in a waist trainer, keep in mind that any results are temporary and will quickly disappear after you stop using a waist trainer. If you lose a few inches off your waist, they may come back after you stop wearing it for a few days or a week.

If you’re going to wear a waist trainer, limit it to special events and be sure to take it off after a few hours. Wearing a waist trainer for long periods-especially overnight or for several days in a row-can be bad for your health.

Waist trainers wrap around your midsection and are secured with laces, hooks, straps, or fasteners. They should feel snug but not painful, and you should only wear them for short periods.

If you feel short of breath or light-headed, loosen the waist trainer or remove it as soon as possible. If you’re wearing a waist trainer and have trouble breathing, notice swelling in your legs or start to have acid reflux, you should take it off right away.

Talk to your doctor before you try a waist trainer. They can discuss your health concerns and help you make the best decision for your needs. See your doctor. Talk with your doctor about safe, effective ways to lose weight that won’t affect your health. Talk to a specialist. If you’re interested in changing specific parts of your body, ask your doctor for a referral to a board certified cosmetic or plastic surgeon.

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