Kim Kardashian is responsible for many a modern trend. Some are harmless enough (hello extra contouring on the cheeks), but others are downright dangerous (um, waist training anyone?).
Well, now Kim is launching her very own waist trainer from her new shapewear line Skims . She's promoting the product and the practice in a new Instagram video. "A waist trainer is a gift that I used to give to all of my friends right after they had a baby," the Keeping Up with the Kardashians star says in the Instagram video. "They make me feel really snatched."
Skeptical? You should be. Yes, Kim is famous for her hourglass shape, and she does use a waist trainer on the reg, even working out in a waist trainer (ouch?).
But can you really get an enviable hourglass shape by wearing a middle-cinching corset for a few hours? Simply put, no. Listen to the experts on this one. Trust.
Their waists are not changing size due to waist training alone, Caroline Apovian, MD, director of nutrition and weight management at the Boston Medical Center, previously told Women's Health . Wearing a waist trainer will only make your body appear smaller while you wear it.
View this post on Instagram The SKIMS Waist Trainer - My tried and tested solution to sculpting your midsection is launching MONDAY SEPTEMBER 30 at 9AM PST / 12PM EST in sizes XXS 4X. Sign up for emails at SKIMS.COM to be notified as soon as it drops. A post shared by Kim Kardashian West (@kimkardashian) on Sep 25, 2019 at 10:23am PDT
Waist trainers aren't just uncomfortable, they can also cause serious internal damage. They can push the stomach beyond the diaphragm, causing reflux and interfering with breathing, Apovian said. That's a big risk to take for something that can't live up to claims.
Medically, it doesnt make sense that cinching your waist tightly will make it permanently smaller, Mary Jane Minkin, MD, clinical professor of ob-gyn at Yale School of Medicine, previously told Women's Health . "Once you take the garment off, your body will return to its usual shape. Its also uncomfortable, restricts your movements, and if you wear it really tight, it can even make it difficult to breathe and theoretically could cause rib damage.
So yeah, hard pass on the waist trainer, Kim.