More women "waist training" to achieve those Hollywood curves, but doctors warn it comes with risk
MILWAUKEE -- The "ideal beauty standard" constantly changes as women try hard to keep up with the latest look -- but some women are taking risks to get the body that our society says is ideal. Some say the latest trend could pose some life-long health risks.
They have curves that turn heads. From the Kardashians to the Real Housewives of Atlanta to women like Amber Rose, the secret to those curves is how they train.
Waist training
It doesn't involve diet or exercise.
Amber Rose
The latest fad actually goes back in time -- more than 4,000 years.
"I went from a 36 to a 27," Jessica Lovejoy said.
Waist training
Lovejoy has been waist training for two years. Whether she's going to work, to the grocery store, or to school, she doesn't leave home without her support system.
Once a requirement back in the 18th century, today the corset is used not just for sex appeal, but to shrink a woman's waist size.
"I would wear it eight hours a day every other day and then as time went on maybe eight hours a day, maybe four hours a day, just whatever," Lovejoy said.
Doctors warn there are health risks in trying to achieve these curves.
Dr. Michelle Jones-Singer
"The harm is damage to your internal organs. Your intestines, bruising your kidneys," Dr. Michelle Jones-Singer said.
Some reports even attributed acid reflux, crushed ribs, blood clots and increased pressure on the heart with waist training.
"I have ladies that when they're wearing them, get so short of breath they can't bend because of the restrictiveness. And they're just (heavy breathing) because they want to train their waist," Dr. Jones-Singer said.
Waist training
The dangers haven't stopped some women from cinching their waists with a corset or trainer.
Women are willing to take a gamble to achieve the body of their dreams.
"You're training your body and your lungs and your organs to give into that pressure. And once you do anything over a longer period of time your body will be adjusted. The problem is you're not permanently changing that," Dr. Jones-Singer said.
Carla White
Carla White, a personal trainer says women need to focus on their entire body to achieve this look -- not just the core and glutes.
"The waist is never going to get any smaller unless we reduce the fat. The only way we're going to reduce the fat is through diet and exercise," White said.
White suggests women train their shoulders especially -- to give off that curvy silhouette from top to bottom and to hit those inner ab muscles, going back to traditional exercises like planks. She notes there is no quick fix that will last.
"They know that in order to do it the safe way and the healthy way, they have to completely change their lifestyle. And they have to change their eating," White said.
Jessica Lovejoy
Lovejoy's doctor says there have been no changes to her body since she's started waist training two years ago. She admits some women pull the corsets too tight, which leads to that internal damage. She says Lovejoy's 27-inch waist was achieved with no harm done.
"I mean, I don't see any harm in it unless you're just not doing what you're supposed to do and you just don't get the benefits," Lovejoy said.
For some women, those Hollywood curves come at a cost as they work to achieve a look that may not be meant for their particular body type. But in a quest to turn heads, Dr. Jones-Singer says if you choose to do this, you should do it safely and within reason.
"The idea of beauty changes with society. It's up to a woman to decide what's her body type, what's right for her and what she can tolerate that's healthy for her," Jones-Singer said.
Waist training