Many would say that the perfect hourglass figures of celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Amber Rose are simply unachievable. However, these critics usually do not take into account the fact that they are also unnatural.
Waist training is a popular craze that has recently taken the fitness world by storm, receiving an increasing amount of rave reviews and endorsements from celebrities in the past few months. Its high profile following has rapidly integrated waist training into popular culture. This move has increased the amount of interest in women and teenage girls.
The objective of this craze is to shrink down the waist of the individual by wearing a waist shaper or waist training corset. These corsets, ranging from $20 to $130 in price, are worn for a minimum of four hours each day, gradually cinching in the waist and changing the body’s natural shape. Though a healthy diet and exercise are encouraged, they are not required. Therefore, users of this product may lose inches from their waist by simply wearing the corset for a number of hours each day.
For many, this may seem too good to be true. If we could actually lose inches from our waistline with one easy payment of $130, why isn’t every woman lining up to buy a waist shaper?
The answer to this question can be found in the underlying health risks of waist training – those that are completely below the surface. This is not to say that they are a secret, but that they are ignored due to the waist shaper’s obvious success. Women are often looking for the fastest and easiest way to achieve their dream body, and waist training produces real results with little effort. Because of this, it is easy to forget to ask the question: is it healthy?
Luckily, Dr. Oz of the The Dr. Oz Show thought to address this very question in an episode aired on February 12, 2015. In this episode, Dr. Oz explores the effects of waist training on the body, venturing into the inward changes often left disregarded by users of the product. He communicates the theoretical problems of waist training, including acid reflux and the shifting of organs. In addition, he employs real life examples of the effects of waist training, presenting an MRI of a woman’s natural body juxtaposed with another wearing a corset.
The differences are startling.
The waistline of the woman wearing the corset had shrunk approximately two inches, thus achieving the goal of the product. However, in order to get these results, the body was forced to make a number of adjustments. The diaphragm, along with a number of organs such as the kidneys, liver, and gallbladder were squeezed and pushed up. The stomach and intestines squeezed as well. Still, the most alarming adjustment made was that of the rib cage. The extreme compression of the waist shaper caused the rib cage to push against the side of the liver, creating a number of indentations. In attempting to shape the body’s waistline, the corset managed to shape the body’s inside composition.
Waist training is a fitness craze which produces real results, with real consequences. It is important to remember that there are no shortcuts to a perfect body, and that through hard work and exercise, you can achieving anything – the healthy way.
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