The U.S. weight loss industry makes billions every year selling advice and equipment to help people shed their body fat. Some of these products and services are helpful, conforming to the best of nutrition and exercise science. Waist belts, by contrast, are based on common weight-loss misconceptions.
How Waist Belts Work
Distributors of waist belts claim that the belts can help you take inches off your waistline. According to marketing releases, the belts do so with a combination of two processes. The constricting belt is said to "compress" fat cells so they take up less space and stimulate sweating to reduce your body weight.
Fat Compression
As with other girdle-like devices, a waist belt might compress fat cells temporarily to give you a smaller waist measurement. However, compressed fat cells doesn't mean fewer fat cells, and this process doesn't mean you're losing weight. You'll still have the same amount of fat at the end of a session with the belt as you did at the beginning.
Perspiration
A waist belt on your stomach while you exercise will make you sweat more in the covered area than you would normally. This can help reduce your waistline because you're retaining less water in that area. The lost water weight also can mean weighing less on the bathroom scale. However, this water loss is temporary. It disappears as soon as you reestablish a healthy level of hydration.
Bottom Line
No, waist belts will not make you lose weight. However, they can create a temporary illusion of weight loss that may be helpful for a special event such as a wedding, class reunion or photo shoot. The best benefit of waist belts from a weight-loss standpoint is the "gadget factor" of the device that might motivate you to exercise more because of your new equipment.
References
- Herbal Nutrition Solutions: Waist Belts and Wraps Exposed
- "You: Losing Weight"; Dr. Michael Roizen, et al.; 2011
- "The Art of Expressing the Human Body"; Bruce Lee; 1998
- MSN: What Does It Cost to Lose 30 Pounds?
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