<< Previous •
Body Wraps and Waist Wraps: The Difference
Between
Losing Fat And Losing Inches
By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
www.BurnTheFat.com
"Body wraps" have been around for ages in the weight loss and
spa industry. Claims include loss of body weight, loss of body
fat, and loss of inches. Infomercials for rubber “waist
belts" are also back on TV and similar claims are made for these
types of wraps as well. What few people realize is that there
is a huge difference between losing fat and losing inches. When
your body fat decreases, your circumference measurements will
usually also decrease, but “fat” loss and “inch” loss
are not one in the same. If you don’t know how to tell
the difference, you could be falling for one of the oldest,
most notorious fitness and weight loss scams in the book.
The truth is, body wraps and waist belts do not shrink fat
cells or burn body fat - no matter what type of wrap is used:
bandages, plastic, foil, vinyl, or rubber and regardless of
what you are wrapped in: herbs, minerals, enzymes, seaweed,
clay, or mud - it doesn't matter. Fat can only be lost with
a caloric deficit from a reduction in food intake, an increase
in activity or ideally, a combination of both.
Whenever you see fat loss claims for wraps or any other product
which doesn't involve a caloric deficit created though nutrition
or exercise, the “scam alarm” should go off in your
head, and you should always stay away, no matter how compelling
the sales pitch.
Furthermore, the companies making fat loss claims would be
in hot water with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) if they
were investigated and caught because claims for body fat reduction
from wraps cannot be supported with scientific evidence.
The FTC as well as numerous state attorney general's offices
have already taken action against body wrap companies in the
past for false advertising and unsupported claims. Some companies
simply had to stop making false claims, others had to pay stiff
fines as well. The problem, from a legal and ethical standpoint,
is the claim being made. Remember, "inches" and "fat" are not
the same thing.
Some types of wraps can definitely take off inches (for example,
they might reduce the circumference measurement of your waist,
hips, arms and legs), but it's not fat, its water weight and
fluid, and the results are temporary.
Suppose this claim is made in an advertisement:
* Lose Up To 15 inches in 1 Hour! *
This is legal advertising because the claim "lose inches" might
be supportable (if enough circumference measurements are taken
with a tape measure at enough sites, that might add up to a
total of 15 inches in circumference loss)
However I believe that these types of claims are misleading
(and probably intentionally so), because "inches" is not the
same as body fat but the product vendors know that you might
easily confuse "inches" with "fat."
Contrast that claim with this one:
* Lose Body Fat without diet or exercise in 1 Hour!*
That claim is totally false and scientifically unsupportable.
Again, body wraps cannot burn fat or "shrink fat cells."
If fat loss could be achieved with body wraps, it would be
very easy to test and prove.
Body composition (body fat) testing (rather than measurements
of inches) could be performed before and after the wrap, and
the answer ("does it work") would become easily exposed.
Since it doesn't work, you won't find any wrap people accepting
your challenge to allow you to do independent body composition
testing, nor will you find a shred of scientific evidence showing
reduction of bodyfat from wraps.
Unfortunately, bogus fat loss claims are still quite widespread,
as a simple Internet search for "body wrap" will demonstrate.
The most frequently used claims however, are for loss of "inches."
The inches lost simply come from loss of fluid. And guess what
- those inches (and or water weight) will come right back in
days if not hours, as soon as you completely re-hydrate yourself.
Other claims made for body wraps include detoxification, improved
circulation and tighter, smoother and clearer skin. Most health
and fitness researchers, as well as government agencies such
as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will tell you that
these claims are "debatable" and mostly anecdotal.
Some experts even warn that certain types of wraps can be dangerous,
mainly due to the rapid and excessive fluid loss/dehydration.
If you want to get wrapped because you find it relaxing or
you consider it a "spa-like" treatment, that's one thing. Just
remember, wraps have absolutely nothing to do with fat loss.
I'd suggest completely avoiding any companies that advertise
fat loss when it's only water and inches you're losing, because
a dishonest company is one you don't want to patronize at all.
One last thing – this is a timely subject because although "body
wraps" have been around for ages and it's old news, I noticed
that infomercials for "waist belts" or “sauna wraps” are
back on TV in force and I see that they are replaying the ads
over and over again, which means people are buying it.
Everything I just said about body wraps also applies to those
rubber waist belts too.
On a web search I just did for those rubber belt waist wraps,
I noticed some of the websites are STILL making claims like "Melt
fat" (totally bogus, unsupported and illegal claim).
Other sites seem to be wary of the FTC paying them a visit,
so they do a whole song and dance around the legal issues by
saying stuff like, "sweat away inches," "therapeutic heat", "target
your problem areas" and so on. Even if these claims are not
illegal, the promotions are still deceptive…
The professional fitness model is pictured taking off the rubber
belt, revealing ripped six pack abs below... as if those abs
are a result of wearing the belt! Wishful thinking! These are
professional models, folks. They got the abs the same way everyone
else with abs got them - with a calorie deficit from a combination
of strict diet and hard training!
Wraps and waist belt products might take off some inches or
water weight, but they can’t take off a single ounce of
fat. Buyer beware.
Programs like Burn The
Fat, Feed The Muscle are focused on FAT LOSS, not
water loss or loss of inches. When body fat decreases, circumferences
in inches will also decrease, but "fat" lost and "inches" lost
are not one in the same.
About the Author:
Tom Venuto is a lifetime natural bodybuilder, an NSCA-certified
personal trainer (CPT), certified strength & conditioning
specialist (CSCS), and author of the #1 best-selling e-book, "Burn
the Fat, Feed The Muscle.” Tom has written hundreds
of articles and has been featured in print magazines such as
IRONMAN, Australian IRONMAN, Natural Bodybuilding, Muscular
Development, Exercise for Men and Men’s Exercise, as well
as on hundreds of websites worldwide. For information on Tom's
Fat Loss program, visit: www.burnthefat.com.
About the Author:
Tom Venuto is a lifetime natural bodybuilder, an NSCA-certified
personal trainer (CPT), certified strength & conditioning specialist
(CSCS), and author of the #1 best-selling e-book,
"Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle.” Tom has written more than 200
articles and has been featured in print magazines such as IRONMAN,
Australian IRONMAN, Natural Bodybuilding, Muscular Development,
Exercise for Men and Men’s Exercise, as well as on hundreds
of websites worldwide. For information on Tom's Fat Loss program,
visit: www.burnthefat.com
