Naked Science Forum
General Science => Question of the Week => Topic started by: thedoc on 25/04/2013 14:11:16
-
Hi, this is Magnus from Edinburgh,
I've just heard of body wraps, which are apparently a way that people are using to lose a lot of weight and fat off themselves.
It seems to be very effective, and that instantly worries me.
They apparently kill fat cells through lysis, which just sounds dangerous to me.
Could you illuminate that area?
Thanks!
Asked by Magnus
Find out more on our podcast page (http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/podcasts/naked-scientists/show/20130307-1/)
[chapter podcast=1000198 track=13.03.07/Naked_Scientists_Show_13.03.07_1000533.mp3](https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thenakedscientists.com%2FHTML%2Ftypo3conf%2Fext%2Fnaksci_podcast%2Fgnome-settings-sound.gif&hash=f2b0d108dc173aeaa367f8db2e2171bd) ...or Listen to the Answer[/chapter] or [download as MP3] (http://nakeddiscovery.com/downloads/split_individual/13.03.07/Naked_Scientists_Show_13.03.07_1000533.mp3)
-
We answered this question on the show...
Hannah - So, for the princely price of about 60 great British pounds I can pop down to my local beauty clinic and get a body wrap treatment! They will slather my body with cream, wrap me tightly in shrink wrap, and leave me laying there, looking rather squished and peculiar, under a heated blacket for 90 mins, and it’s claimed that, when unwrapped, I’ll have lost inches!
Rather than testing the procedure out in the office, as my boss suggests, instead I turn to Dr Stephen O’Rahilly, Director of the Metabolic Research Laboratories at Cambridge University and Professor Steven Bloom from Imperial College London.
Stephen - Magnus is spot on here in smelling a rat. Firstly, shrinking violet body wraps won't work. Lipolysis which is the breakdown of triglycerides and fat to its constituent free fatty acids and glycerol is a highly controlled and sophisticated biochemical process, and no amount of wrapping will induce this to occur in the fat cells.
Secondly, if it didn’t work, it would actually be dangerous. The reason our bodies have all the fat cells was to make a relatively safe place to store excess energy and a place for much energy to be released during times when food is scarce. If we suddenly release a large amount of fat from our fat cells, it would have to go somewhere. We know this is very bad news because patients who, for genetic or other reasons can't make adequate number of fat cells develop severe metabolic side effects including diabetes, pancreatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, all as a result of this toxic fat going somewhere where it shouldn’t be out of fat cells and into other tissues. So, not only is this idea nonsense, it’s potentially dangerous nonsense.
Hannah - So, if there's no fat cell breakdown going on, what about this claim that you lose inches once unveiled? Professor Stephen Bloom from Imperial College London has this to say…
Stephen B. - Sweat a little with no food or drink and pee out from the pressure on the body fluids of the wrapping and you're certainly lighter on the scale. Unfortunately, all you’ve lost is water and as soon as you get back home feeling thirsty, have a glass of water or two, this comes flooding back and your weight will go back up again.
Hannah - Hmm, I might give body wraps a miss and up for a bit of exercise and healthy eating instead.
-
I know some wrestlers like exercising in watertight clothing, and sweats. I always thought it was just to loose "water weight".
I suppose the idea is that you will loose sweat, whether it is stuck inside of your clothing or allowed to evaporate, but your body will not get the cooling benefit from evaporative cooling when wearing waterproof exercise clothing, and thus you would be warmer and sweat more.
I would also be suspicious of wonder-wraps for long-term weight loss, but I'll be curious what is discussed in the interview.
-
Please get your facts correct on application and procedure before talking about this product. Thank you
-
Hmmm very interesting to read. I'm a bit confused though, if it is water loss why do they say to drink loads of water straight after your treatment? Thats for Shrinking violet wraps anyway. Surely this would go against the rules if it is water loss?
-
I spent a fortune on a course of the shrinking violet body wrap, complete waste of money, only lost fluid by sweat, lost more cash than fat !
-
Love Shrinking Violet - phospholipids rock
-
well now there are independent clinical trials so all above proven to be rubbish
-
Hi guys I have had one of these wraps this morning, lost around 5 inches which I wasn't majorly chuffed about as have lost more doing the aloe Vera diet. Anyway my question is, I haven't had much advice, aftercare guidance, apart from don't exercise for 12 hours, drink fizzy pop or tea coffee and alcohol. Should I be mindful of what I eat etc, I felt ok having it done but am beginning to feel a little sick. It was 11:30 this morning. Thanks guys
-
Dear University of Cambridge students, please note that nobody will LOOSE anything, the word is LOSE. One would think that being educated at such an establishment as this you would also be able to spell simple words. This does not bode well for whatever kinds of scientists you want to turn out to be.
-
Of course the question is if you have lost fat then where has that fat gone? It still is in your body somewhere so you haven't lost anything regardless to how you spell it:) I had this done and have to admit its extremely disappointing to part with your money and see no adequate results. I too felt sick after, I was told I'd lost a few inches but, as I was not the one who did the measuring those results take a lot of trust, and I also left with 'deep cell dehydration', apparently a side affect of the treatment which looked like very bad cellulite:/ Lets just say I wouldn't bother with it again nor recommend..
-
I can't find anything on this independent trial apart from beauticians selling the treatment charging for 'clinical trials' without any kind of control group.
Those aren't trials, those are observation and you can't prove cause and effect - need to have people doing the exact same things as far as diet and exercise go with double-blinded tests of the active wrap and a placebo.
Have tried to find further details and found nothing at all beyond a whole bunch of people claiming that independent clinical trials have been done.
-
I had a shrinking violet body wrap and contrary to what you've said about e I actually did lose half a stone after the first treatment. I was sceptical at first too but I decided to give it a go and with no other diet or exercise or healthy eating etc I DID LOSE 7 lbs the next day and the day after that lost a further 5 lbs from just my stomach area alone.