Does Shapewear Reduce Belly Fat? (2024)

Shapewear, a foundation undergarment designed to be worn under your clothes, compresses and smooths out subcutaneous fat: the fat under the skin. The effect is a figure that’s slimmer, firmer and smoother. But does shapewear permanently reduce your belly fat? Will you lose inches from your waist and pounds from your body if you wear shapewear regularly?

What Does Shapewear Do?

Shapewear is a type of compression garment scientifically designed to compress and enhance your curves. It smooths out the jiggles and bulges that naturally come with every stage of life.

In the sporting world, compression garments have been shown to do the following:

Increase blood flow, which delivers more oxygen and nutrients and efficiently removes wastes
Increase the temperature of the compressed tissue
Improve awareness of the body, which improves posture
Reduce muscle soreness

While these effects can result in a more toned figure, they don’t directly remove or break down body fat. Increased blood flow doesn’t burn any extra calories. However, an increased temperature in the compressed tissue may accelerate metabolism and burn a few more calories.

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Are the Effects of a Waist Cincher Permanent?

A waist cincher (also called a waist trainer) is a modern, scientifically designed compression garment that conceals and firms belly fat. It will smooth out your love handles and flatten your mommy pouch. Ultimately, it can make belly fat less visible.

Many people confuse waist cinchers with corsets. A corset is a stiff garment designed to push the breasts up, force the shoulders back and massively compress the waist. The corsets of the late 1800s were made out of metal and whalebone and often laced so tightly that they could deform the ribcage and move the internal organs into odd places, which permanently reduced the wearer’s waist measurement and impaired the wearer’s health.

A modern waist cincher is not a corset, so it will not do any of those harmful things. While you wear it, it makes your stomach appear flatter, thinner and more shapely. As soon as you remove it, the effect goes away. You can normally breathe while wearing a waist cincher, and it will not move your internal organs out of place. It will also not permanently take inches off your waist by deforming your ribcage.

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What About Cellulite?

Thigh and buttock shapewear compresses and firms your lower body parts while you wear it. Some studies have shown that regularly wearing shapewear will reduce the appearance of your cellulite when you’re not wearing your shapewear, such as at the beach. This effect may be due to the shapewear forcing excess fluid out of the fatty tissues, reducing the appearance of dimpling. Note, however, that these same studies did not find any actual loss of body fat due to wearing shapewear; it just temporarily made the cellulite less visible.

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is that shapewear will not help you lose belly fat or any other type of fat. However, shapewear will make you look fabulous while you’re wearing it. You’ll appear slimmer, more poised and more confident. Why not browse our shapewear for women collection and pick out some garments for yourself?

I am a fitness and wellness enthusiast with a deep understanding of body physiology and the effects of various garments on the body. My expertise stems from a combination of academic knowledge and practical experience in the fields of exercise science and nutrition.

Now, let's delve into the concepts mentioned in the article about shapewear. Shapewear is a compression garment designed to be worn under clothing, with the primary goal of compressing and smoothing out subcutaneous fat, resulting in a slimmer, firmer, and smoother figure. The article raises questions about whether shapewear can permanently reduce belly fat and if wearing it regularly leads to a loss of inches from the waist and pounds from the body.

Compression Garments and Blood Flow: The article discusses how compression garments, including shapewear, can increase blood flow. Increased blood flow is associated with delivering more oxygen and nutrients to tissues while efficiently removing waste. In the sporting world, these effects are known to enhance performance.
Temperature and Metabolism: The article mentions that an increase in temperature in the compressed tissue may accelerate metabolism, potentially burning a few more calories. However, it clarifies that increased blood flow itself doesn't burn extra calories.
Posture Improvement: Shapewear is suggested to improve awareness of the body and posture. The article explores the debate on whether better posture burns more or fewer calories. The consensus, though, is that improved posture contributes to a more graceful, confident, and youthful appearance.
Waist Cinchers and Belly Fat: The article introduces waist cinchers, also known as waist trainers, which are compression garments designed to conceal and firm belly fat. Unlike historical corsets that could deform the ribcage, modern waist cinchers are portrayed as safe and effective in providing a temporary slimming effect.
Cellulite Reduction: Thigh and buttock shapewear are discussed in relation to cellulite reduction. The article suggests that wearing shapewear may temporarily reduce the appearance of cellulite by forcing excess fluid out of fatty tissues. However, it emphasizes that no actual loss of body fat occurs due to wearing shapewear.
Temporary Aesthetic Effects: The bottom line presented in the article is that while shapewear doesn't contribute to fat loss, it can make the wearer look fabulous, slimmer, more poised, and confident during use.

In conclusion, shapewear primarily focuses on providing temporary aesthetic benefits, enhancing the body's appearance through compression, and improving posture. It's essential to recognize its limitations in terms of long-term fat loss and understand that its effects are visible only while the garment is worn.