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19th February 2014
MEDIA RELEASE
Beware the Perils of Spanx: Your Slim Figure could be costing you, says
Chiropractors
There's no doubt about it, Spanx and other shape wear are extremely flattering garments for pulling in
everything when you're wearing that slinky dress, but Chiropractors are warning that prolonged use could
be detrimental.
President of the Chiropractors’ Association of Australia (NSW), Dr Joseph Ierano is concerned about the
health ramifications of wearing shapewear. "Wearing Spanx and other such garments can encourage
muscles to stop doing their job. Muscles should be encouraged to work, not remain ‘lazy,’"
According to Ierano, prolonged use of shapewear may cause muscle weakness – and worse – for those who
wear them. "Muscle should be built up through good habits of mobility and exercise rather than an external
item of clothing. And when it comes to spinal and joint function, we need free movement and lack of
restriction for the body to move normally. Abnormally forcing the body into a conformity may create more
problems such as those associated with retracted mobility and masking undiagnosed conditions causing
underlying problems" he says.
The Chiropractors’ Association of Australia (NSW) advises if you are going to wear Spanxs or similar they
should be done under the following guidelines:
1. Ensure you are wearing the right size and it's not inhibiting areas that need to move. No clothing should
ever be excessively tight.
2. Try to only wear shape wear on special occasions.
3. Do not exercise or overexert yourself for long periods while wearing shapewear as it can restrict
circulation.
4. Do not substitute these slimming garments for a sound weight loss/muscle toning program
So no matter what Trinny and Susannah say, shapewear is only for special occasions, when you really need
to squeeze yourself into something slim-fitting. It's a nice thought that rather than hitting the gym and
eating well we could just suck those annoying extra kilos into some shapewear, but no amount of 'looking
good' is worth ongoing health problems.
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EndsMedia contact: Justine McKell – [email protected] 0415 144 407