Waist training has long been considered an effective way to get an hourglass body shape. Corsets have been used to get a smaller waist for thousands of years but now the humble corset is now firmly back in the spotlight. Jessica Alba recently credited corset training with helping her to get her pre-baby bod back in 2013, and now Kim Kardashian is jumping on the waist training corset bandwagon, too. Other celebrity fans include Kylie Jenner, Khloé Kardashian and Nicki Minaj.
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Yep, the stomach-crunching, ab-restricting garment is making a comeback, with Kim captioning her latest corset-clad selfie, “I’m really obsessed with waist training”. And with Kim being the reigning Queen of the hourglass figure, everyone is now scrambling to find the best waist trainers in the hope of getting similar results.
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Image credit: @kimkardashian Instagram
But are they actually safe? Well, most doctors condemn restrictive shapewear as it can cause shallow breathing – which can lead to fainting – as well as numbness.
Apparently, those who wear a tight corset for a prolonged period of time also run the risk of experiencing contact dermatitis (yuck) and abdominal pain (ouch) as well as a lovely condition called meralgia paresthetica – which causes burning and tingling in the outer thigh due to damage to a nerve in the groin.
Now, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love the thought of a curvier waistline – but these health consequences don’t sound alluring to me at all.
Interestingly, corsets also aren’t the only culprit of these sorts of symptoms, with compression clothing such as ill-fitting shapewear and even too-tight skinny jeans known to inflict similar damage.
The bottom line? A portion-controlled diet (possibly aided by an appetite suppressant such as 4.3.2.1 Slim Evolution) and regular exercise is the only real (and risk-free) way to tighten up your tummy!
What do you think of Kimmy K’s waist-training corset? Would you wear one?
