Warning to women over ‘too tight’ Kardashian corsets

DOCTORS have warned women of the health risks associated with exercise corsets promoted by Hollywood celebrities such as Kim and Khloe Kardashian.

Kim Kardashian in her training corset

DOCTORS have warned women of the health risks associated with exercise corsets promoted by Hollywood celebrities such as Kim and Khloe Kardashian.

Australian companies have started to sell such “waist trainers” as a weight-loss aid, despite a lack of rigorous medical evidence that they work.

The corsets, often made from coiled metal and elastic, are worn while exercising and for up to six hours a day.

AMA Victoria president Dr Tony Bartone said waist training was a “far fetched alternative” to weight loss and could lead to posture and lower back problems, increased sweating and a higher body temperature.

“Wearing it too tight could also affect you internally, give you muscular skeletal secondary reactions and restrict the amount of oxygen you can inhale,” he said.

Dr Bartone said wearing a tight corset for too long could also obstruct blood flow, and promote eczema, fungal sweats and rashes.

“Some people may think the tighter the better, but you need your diaphragm and ribs to move when exercising,” he said.

“The only way it would work is if you wear it 24/7; it’s the equivalent of photo shopping for physique. There’s no substitute for good old exercise and diet,” he said.

Some companies selling the corsets list dangers such as chafing, breathing difficulties, atrophy of the back and stomach muscles, displacement of internal organs and even fracturing of the ribs.

Accredited practising dietitian Simone Austin, a spokeswoman for the Dieticians Association of Australia, said wearing such corsets “may make you look good but it won’t make you lose weight”.

She said promotion by celebrities such as Kim Kardashian will “draw people’s attention to it”.

“But you have to look at the credentials of what’s being offered,” she said.

Shelley Bourke, marketing and publicity manager for Core Trainer, a brand of waist trainer, said the product was “fantastic for posture”.

The company has only been operating a few weeks but she said the response was “very good”.

“We are selling a lot of sizes across the board”.

Ms Bourke said users were given instructions on delivery and there had been “no problems”.

“It’s very different from old-fashioned corsetry, it’s elasticised with cotton in the inside”.

Simone Springer, owner of online supplier Burlesque Baby, sells two corset types used for waist training.

“Some clients use it as costumes and others wear them under their clothes regularly,” she said.

Ms Springer said she “hadn’t heard of any negative effects”.

She said the corsets were made with coiled steel and were very flexible.