fad, noun – an intense and widely shared enthusiasm for something, especially one that is short-lived and without basis in the object’s qualities; a craze.
Seems like every day there is a new fad featured on television talk shows, radio commercials, magazine articles, billboards, social media, you name it, that EVERYONE just has to try. I don’t normally pay attention to these types of things simply because just as soon as I’ve started doing my research it’s no longer a “thing” anymore (not to mention in a week nobody will remember it even existed). If you’ve heard the term “waist training” recently then perhaps you were as curious as I was about this new “body contouring” craze. Now there hasn’t been long term studies done on waist training but I wanted to share my initial thoughts on this and whether you should consider this type of investment over surgical and nonsurgical fat reduction procedures.
Popular celebrities are flooding Instagram with images of their tiny hourglass figures and telling people all across the country that a corset can essentially help you achieve the waist of Barbie and Ken. What they are essentially doing is wearing a corset-type mechanism that covers the area below the breasts down to just above the hips with the intent that it’s to be worn from sun up to sun down. Over time, the waist training is supposed to flatten any extra bulge and create a slimmer abdominal contour like those of a tummy tuck or liposuction.
So the million dollar question – does it really work? Based on what I know about accumulating fat and manipulating the contours of the body, my impression is that it’s a superficial treatment, at best, and you should put your hard earned money towards something safer, longer-lasting and more beneficial. The problem with waist training is that it isn’t addressing the underlying fat cells – unless fat cells are literally removed from the body there is only so much diet, exercise or rib crushing corsets can do to help get rid of it; sorry folks. It’s more like the functionality of say a bra (they provide a nice hammock for the breasts but the minute you take it off, gravity kicks in) or butt pad inserts for women who are better off getting a Brazilian butt lift instead of worrying if the pads look natural or don’t shift while enhancing the derrière. The potential health risks from waist training are also something to consider – damage to major internal organs, bruising, cause dizziness and even fainting (think too tight to breath and multiply that by 24 hours). Overall, altering the waist long term is just not possible without plastic surgery and your waist will eventually go back to the way it was over time and you’d have potentially wasted time, money and possibly your sanity.
Long story short, stick to the old fashioned way of getting into shape by actively incorporating good ole’ diet and exercise into your routine. If at any point you decide that the stubborn fat of your midsection gets to be too much to tolerate, there are several procedures I, Dr. David Whiteman, perform that can get to the root of your issue and help you achieve the midsection you goaled to have. Feel free to contact Southern Plastic Surgery if you have any questions at all regarding our face, body and breast procedures. In the meantime, you can always stay connected with me, on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ and share your thoughts on some of these new cosmetic procedures and fads!