Introduction
There’s no shortage of remedies that bear the tag of being the “most effective” when it comes to weight loss. Over the years, countless fads have come and gone. And today, slimming teas and waist trainers are the most popular combos for weight loss. Social media platforms are awash with ads for both products. And even traditional media like newspapers and magazines aren’t left out of the frenzy.
Now in a rational world, this wouldn’t be much of a problem. Consumers would always be able to tell the difference between products that work, and those that don’t. But in this age of influencer marketing, it’s easy to confuse the popularity of a product, for effectiveness. Because of this, we must find out once and for all, if teas and trainers are as effective as is claimed.
What Are Slimming Teas and Waist Trainers?
Slimming or detox teas are basically “teas” that allegedly slim or detoxify when drunk. Tea itself comes from the Camellia sinensis shrub. This evergreen plant, a native of Asia, becomes tea when you immerse its leaves in hot water. There are various kinds of teas, like green tea, black tea, white tea, oolong tea, Puerh tea, and yellow tea. They all come from the same plant but use different processing methods. We also have herbal teas. But these come from different mixtures of herbs rather than Camellia leaves.
Waist trainers on their part, are thick undergarments worn around the midsection. They compress your belly and give the appearance of a slimmer waist.
Do They Actually Help You Lose Weight?
Despite popular claims, there is little evidence that slimming teas or trainers help people lose weight. Yes. There are certain “superfoods” that boost metabolism and help you shed pounds faster. But that isn’t enough to make a case for slimming teas. In fact, over the years, there have been lawsuits against companies whose teas failed to help their drinkers lose any weight.
What about all those brilliant articles you read on teas helping with weight loss then? Those have to be true right? Well, expert dietician and nutritionist Cynthia Sass in this article, exposes the inaccuracy of those claims.
The first is that in many of those “studies”, the subjects were on a diet and exercise regimen in addition to the teas. And it was this combo of nutritious food and regular exercise that made the subjects lose weight. Not the Tea. This is the same with all your friends and fitness gurus who claim to lose weight with teas. If you look close enough, you’d see that these people already live healthy lifestyles. This means they would lose weight even if they don’t drink slimming teas. Thus, while there may be a correlation between detox teas and losing weight, there is no causal link.
There’s also another reason why it looks like detox teas help people lose weight. You see, many teas contain an ingredient called senna. And senna is an herb known more for its laxative effect than for anything else. This means that you shouldn’t be in a hurry to celebrate when you see your belly flattening. The teas aren’t burning fat. You’re simply losing water from your frequent bowel movement. The belly bloat will return in the end.
So, what about waist trainers? Unlike slimming teas, you don’t ingest these. You wear them around your midsection like a corset and wait for them to burn body fat. But is this even possible, much less true? Can a piece of cloth actually aid fat loss? If yes, what about the other items of clothing you’ve been wearing for years? Why didn’t they burn any fat? The answer to this is simple. Waist trainers, like slimming teas, cannot actually help you lose weight. Granted, they help create an alluring hourglass figure by hiding excess belly fat. But this is a quick fix that works only for the short term and does nothing in the long term. All stories you hear about their effectiveness are just clever marketing ploys to drive more sales.
Here’s what really happens. When you wear a waist trainer, it squeezes your entire midsection. This constriction on your stomach prevents you from eating large quantities of food. And over time, you may actually lose two or three pounds as less food usually equals fewer calories. But here’s the thing, you don’t need waist training to practice portion control on a normal day. You can learn to eat smaller portions, without squishing your internal organs. Also, the discomfort from the tightness may make you lose water through perspiration.
Conclusion
The bottom line is that waist trainers and slimming teas have no direct impact on weight loss. We understand that teas, in general, protect against cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. But “slimming teas” themselves have potential side effects that are harmful to you. They can cause fatigue, nausea, and cramps. Their laxative effect also causes diarrhea. This can also worsen existing medical conditions like irritable bowel syndrome. Waist trainers also have their own side effects. They can cause breathing problems, digestive issues, and even damage your internal organs. In truth, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying a nice hot cup of green or black tea every morning. The problem comes when we expect that cup of tea to work miracles and burn fat. Long term weight loss as we’ve all seen, is only possible with a combined approach of diet and exercise.
Nice one?