Actress Jessica Alba is reported to be a fan of this new diet–a diet where weight loss isn’t determined by what you eat, but what you wear instead.
Called the Corset Diet, this diet claims to help you whittle down your waist–no special diets, drinks, or detoxes needed.
“Some of my patients wants smaller waists, which can only be done with rib removal,” says Alexander Sinclair, M.D., a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon who was recently featured on Good Morning America for recommending the diet. “I do a lot of body contouring and shaping, and [corsets are] a non-invasive, non-surgical way of modifying your body shape.”
Using a custom-made corsets, dieters are required to wear it for two to four hours to start; as they become accustomed to it, the time is increased, reaching as high as 12 hours a day.
Aside from exercise or sleep, you’re required to keep it on as long as possible, as the compression helps shrink your stomach and stave away hunger–acting as a sort of temporary gastric bypass band.
However, not everyone is a fan of the diet.
“Putting this corset tight on the body could bruise your skin,” says Jyotindra Shah, M.D., a bariatric physician in an interview with the Huffington Post. “People might put it so tight that the liver, spleen and kidneys could get bruised. There is no magic bullet to losing weight.”
In addition, says Shah, wearing corsets could also reduce oxygenation, a component that aids the metabolism. By cutting this out, long-term damage such as metabolic damage could result, all because corsets limit its ability to function properly.
“This is yet another unsubstantiated fad diet aiming to take advantage of (and money out of the pockets of ) people who need guidance on how to develop healthy lifestyles to reduce their risk for disease,” adds Sherry Pagoto, Ph.D., a University of Massachusetts obesity expert, who says this diet is a poor way to teach long-lasting, healthy eating habits. “According to volumes of research, seeking help from a dietitian, exercise physiologist and/or behavioral psychologist is the most promising route to achieving a healthy weight.”
However, Sinclair still insists it’s a good way to lose weight, claiming it can help take off up to 6 inches from your waist.
“You wear your corset over a number of hours per day,” says Sinclair. “Over a period of time, maybe a year, you can move those ribs in effecting a permanent change. I’m much happier if the patient does it over a period of a year. So slow and steady wins the race.”
If you want to jump on the bandwagon, experts say it’s best not to do this alone: Companies such as the UK-based The Corset Diet offer custom-made corsets designed to work with this diet. Others have opted to seek guidance from plastic surgeons who have experience with this diet plan, such as Sinclair.
Just remember–it won’t help you develop healthy eating habits.
Readers: Would you try this diet?
Sources:
Corset Diet Effective But Controversial – ABCLocal.go.com
The Corset Diet: Pros and Cons – HuffingtonPost.com
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