What's the deal with bodyshapers anyway? [must read]

April 30, 2015 7:16 PM

From Jessica Alba and Kim Kardashian’s prominent endorsements of “waist-training” corsets, we are taking this pretty seriously.

After we discovered the Ghanaian actress that worked out using body shaper and managed to get her waist size to 15 inches, there's been a rave about these bodyshapers.

As much as i am all for it and i'm actually looking forward to a 20 inches waist, how healthy is this new weight loss and body trimming routine?

From Jessica Alba and Kim Kardashian’s prominent endorsements of “waist-training” corsets, we are taking this pretty seriously.

Whether you’re after the smoothing effects of Spanx, the supposed weight-loss benefits of a corset, or the believed performance payoffs of compression workout gear, you may want to read this.

Doctors warn that there are “real health risks to wearing extra-tight clothing for prolonged periods,” according to a new LA Times report.

The dangers of too-tight clothing range from meralgia paresthetica, a condition characterized by burning nerve pain in the thighs, which is most common in pregnant women and people who gain weight quickly, to gastroesophageal reflux disease, a chronic digestive disease caused by pressure on internal organs which pushes acid backwards from the stomach into the esophagus.

Other serious health issues like blood clots, back pain, and difficulty breathing are also a possibility.

Also, considering the fact that women are more likely to avoid the bathroom while donning spandex, there’s also an increased risk for urinary tract infections, as well as an increased risk of yeast infections and skin irritation which can occur from sweating in tight compression gear.

All the same, doctors aren't saying you need to ditch your favorite compression gear and shapewear all together.

The same doctors from the LA Times said most of these problems go away quickly when clothing pressure is off, so there’s no harm in wearing compression garments for short periods of time if they give you a perceived boost.

So, feel free to wear your favorite spandex or body shaper, just be sure to remove immediately post-workout so you don't fall victim to any of these rather unpleasant side effects.

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