Being overweight is the scourge of the 21st century. It is found in men and women, in children and the elderly. When a person becomes aware of the fact that he is overweight, he starts looking for ways to lose weight.
Some go on a diet and give it up, others starve and exhaust the body with training, others turn to specialists and lose weight under the supervision of a doctor. There is a fourth group of people - they believe in the effectiveness of diet pills, bracelets, earrings and belts. The sellers and manufacturers of this product promise weight loss without effort or limitations.
We will consider the effectiveness and structure of a weight loss belt - is it worth spending money, how does it work and can it help in the process of losing weight, getting rid of the stomach?
Are slimming belts effective?
There are people who believe that the magic belt will melt their fat deposits or squeeze fat out of the cells and excrete it along with sweat. It speaks of ignorance and skipping school chemistry and anatomy lessons.
Attention! It doesn't matter if you use heat or massage - fat can't be melted, much less evaporated with sweat. Fat is burned as a result of oxidation - there is no other way.
To open our eyes to the absurdity of such promises, consider the fat burning process:
- Fat deposits are burned in the mitochondria of muscle cells - a kind of tiny cellular energy station. Fat enters the mitochondria in the absence of another source of energy - when you have not eaten carbohydrates for a long time, and the energy supply in the liver - glycogen, ends. To get it, the body is forced to process strategic fat deposits.
As a result of oxidation, the fat in the mitochondria is converted into energy for the muscles. But oxidation only occurs in the presence of oxygen, like a flame. Therefore, losing weight, it is important to move a lot - muscles will need energy, and a breath of fresh air - oxidation and fat burning will occur.
Reference! It is not fat cells that are burned in the muscles - after adolescence, their number remains with a person for life. Fatty acids are released from these cells and sent to the muscle mitochondria, where they are burned.
Obviously, just using such a belt will not burn fat. But still, let's consider what it is, and what the manufacturer promises. At least to compare the actual fat burning process with the promises from the monitor.
A few words about types and working principles
Slimming belts are divided into 3 types - vibration, with sauna effect and neoprene. There are also myostimulators, they have a built-in sensor. Electrodetectors send microcurrents to the muscles, and this stimulates their contraction. Myostimulants are used more for pumping muscles, they relate to our topic only indirectly, so we will not dwell here.
Shiver. The effectiveness of the belt is explained by the effect of vibration massage on fat cells. Supposedly, this stimulation causes cells to release fat and excrete it through sweat.
From a scientific point of view this is not true, but from a medical point of view there is a danger here:
- Active vibration causes muscle contraction, even the deepest. Due to this, there is an increased filling of the small muscles with blood, and this is already edema. Artificial edema is dangerous for a sore spine. It can inflame chronic disease. And if you didn't know about them beforehand, they can show themselves quite sharply and critically.
Based on the lipolysis process, it is clear that there is no weight loss.
Reference! Lipolysis is the breakdown of fat into fatty acids which are oxidized in the muscles.
sauna effect. The belt has a heating element. Runs on battery or electricity. The manufacturer promises to accelerate fat burning by increasing body temperature. But in fact, apart from spitting out the liquid, he wouldn't be able to do anything.
Often such models are equipped with a vibration mechanism, and promise a double effect. In this case, the temperature rise is added to the vibration hazard. And this threatens with spinal diseases.
Neoprene. The neoprene belt promises to heat up fat, and thus help burn it. Some people sincerely believe that fat melts when exposed to heat.
Important! Belts with a heating effect can only remove excess fluid due to sweat. This fluid will recover within 24 hours after the procedure, as happens after going to the bath or sauna.
In what cases can such a belt become a true assistant
Neoprene slimming belt can really help for lumbar spine disease. It fits snugly to the body, and thus improves the position of the immobile lower back. Can be used to warm the lower back when needed.
As much as we would like to believe in miracles - vibrations and heating belts do not bring any benefit to health and figure.
Important! It is widely believed that a tight belt will help tone the abdominal muscles. In fact, using it regularly can make things worse. The muscle corset will no longer perform the function of supporting the internal organs, as the belt takes over.
When this belt is useless
Important! If you are more than 12 pounds (12 pounds), get leaner under the supervision of a registered dietitian. With independent weight loss, thousands of men and women died in the world.
There's no point in wearing one of those belts and thinking the fat will burn on its own. They have not invented such a device or tablet. And if you wear such a device, exercise, eat right and lose weight, then you can continue to lose weight without an additional belt - you will still succeed.