By Kelsey Casselbury
A quality shapewear garment can be a godsend when squeezing into a tight dress for a high school reunion or a fancy wedding. It can smooth out any lumps and bumps, improve your posture, and give you an overall confidence boost because you know how great you look.
However, it's possible to take shapewear a step too far—and that's exactly what's happening with the trend of wearing waist trainers, which are essentially corsets for the modern age. Curviness is in style, with cele ities like Beyonce and Kim Kardashian rocking their hourglass figures, but it's safe to say their body type came from genetics and not from wearing a corset, despite a domineering social media presence.
Here's the thing: There's no research that backs up the idea that waist trainers will do anything other than make you look slimmer while you're wearing one. What they can do is irreparably damage your midsection when overused, particularly if—as some people do!—you strap one on while working out.
See, in cinching your waist, the trainers also cram your organs together. Then, those organs can't do what they're meant to do without causing some major issues. When your stomach and intestine are compressed, you might experience terrible acid reflux and heartburn. Compressing your bowels can lead you down the road of incontinence. And, forget about being able to eathe easily with all that pressure on your ribcage.
Your body's shape is determined, for the most part, by genetics, and it's not possible to train your way to an hourglass figure. Any effect you see will gradually disappear as your waist returns to its regular size. As boring as it sounds, the ideal way to a defined waist is through the same-old method you already know (but probably don't love): a healthy diet and more exercise.
