Losing weight is never easy, and many look for more convenient alternatives to use in addition or instead of the traditional diet and exercise. One of the crazier trends that has arisen over the past year is "waist training." Chances are you've seen pictures online of women wearing these corset-like contraptions while claiming they now have a slimmer figure because of them. Why would we ever want to pick up where we left off in the Victorian Era? Corsets were known for making life much more difficult for women, as they made it hard for women to breathe causing them to faint. Why has this method gained any sort of popularity if it has proven throughout history to be dangerous? Well, we can thank celebrity endorsements for that.
Celebrities such as Amber Rose, Jessica Alba, Kim and Khloe Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, and Snooki have all publicly praised waist training through social media. Jessica Alba told fashion website Net-A-Porter that she wore two of these corsets every day for three months to help get back into shape after the birth of her second child. On Instagram, celebs have posted pictures of themselves featuring their waist trainers with captions similar to this one from Kim Kardashian who said, “I’m really obsessed with waist training!”
There have been no clinically proven weight loss results from wearing a waist trainer, as bodies often return to their original form shortly after taking it off. However, there can be long-term effects if a waist trainer is overused. It can cram organs together if worn over a prolonged period of time, resulting in heartburn and indigestion. It can also cause fainting when working out while wearing it. According to Christopher Ochner, Ph.D., "Spot reducing doesn't exist. If you push your stomach in, all the fat will go right back to where it was no matter how long (you wear the corset) for."
Waist training also brings up psychological questions regarding society’s standards of beauty. In order to be seen as “beautiful,” why must girls have to achieve virtually unattainable results? Dangerous weight loss habits, such as the waist trainer, continue to be endorsed by celebrities to a particularly susceptible audience. We need to focus attention on teaching women safe ways of staying healthy instead of turning to dangerous, quick "results."
