The Spectator The independent student newspaper of Valdosta State University
Written by Jada Dukes, Staff Writer
A public service announcement to all the women struggling to attain the perfect Kim K hourglass figure: It is OK! Put down the green juice and just breathe.
Next, ask yourself, is it really worth it? What will you actually gain from this? Will you improve your life in any way by setting unattainable body goals for yourself? Wanting to be healthy and fit is a wonderful aspiration and commendable but, when it comes to falling for these fad diets, teas, and worst of all waist training trends that are being endorsed by all of our favorite beauty gurus, IG models, and celebrities, let me be the first to say: it has got to stop.
While there is no actual proof that waist trainers aren’t effective in shaping one’s body, there also isn’t any real proof that they do. However, there is proof that they are extremely detrimental to your health because they squeeze your body and compress your bones, which could lead to trouble breathing and bruises on the skin.
Also, don’t think for a second that when your favorite beauty guru or celeb posts a photo of themselves wearing a waist trainer that they aren’t receiving some sort of compensation for doing so (notice how they always leave a link to the seller in the caption.)
Much like YouTube, Instagram and Twitter have turned into powerful advertisement tools for corporate America. They pay attention to customers spending habits.
Although not everything you see on the Internet is a complete scam, being mindful of the fact that people are being paid to advertise these products is important.
Be careful. Even though it may seem like these Instagram models and YouTube beauty gurus are your best friends, but the truth is that if these companies are willing to pay individuals to advertise their products, it means they are going to do their best to sell them to you even if it means posting heavily doctored photos with misleading captions.
Now if you’re still set on purchasing a waist trainer after reading this article, my advice is to set up a meeting with your physician to discuss the possible dangers of waist training and maybe try good old fashioned diet and exercise. Seriously, setting up a sensible diet and exercise routine will give you much better/satisfying results in the long run.
There will never be a shortage of people looking for an easy way out or a short cut to a better body. From pills, to the new fad diet, to gimmick products such as the waist trainer, these have all failed to provide a well rounded healthy individual. These things continue to fail while nearly no one has ever failed if consistently putting in the work and controlling yourself with nutrition. Calories taken in vs. calories burned. You can’t re-write the formula no matter how convincing the sales pitch.
I have heard a variety of ludicrous claims when I ask friends who are using the waist trainers what they think is physiologically happening in their body when they use it. The answers are always bizarre but the one that seems to resonate the most is that it is drawing more body heat to the area and causing it to burn more fat in that area. This is not how the human body works. But the marketing for these products targets people’s lack of understanding. It sounds right so it must be right….right? Well unfortunately this waist trainer is not microwaving fat off of your body. It does draw heat to the area, just like a jacket could warm your upper body but leave your legs cold if you were wearing shorts with it. And your body produces sweat to temperature the area. But as soon as you re-hydrate, that area will be refilled with water for the next time it needs to sweat. Thus you have done absolutely nothing. After explaining this to the waist trainer users that I know, and getting to some more honest conversation with them, usually the point we arrive at is that they seem to like the way it looks slimming while they are wearing it. So basically they are wearing a girdle. And that’s the skinny of it. (pun intended).
If you want to lose weight, you have to be in a caloric deficit. Work hard in the gym. Be disciplined in the kitchen. It is that simple. There is no magic or short cuts. You can not melt fat off specific parts of your body. You lose body fat at the same rate all over your body. If you don’t know what to do, everything you need to know is on youtube. Most importantly just get started and you will learn about working out and your own body as you go along. Stop subscribing to gimmicks for petty temporary reasons (spring break bikini/wedding) and instead get out there and make a LIFELONG commitment to health and fitness.You can do it!