Hello friends!

This post is very random, but I felt it was important enough to publish. I’ve observed a sizeable uptick in the prevalence of corsets in women’s fashion recently, which has gotten my attention, as it intuitively feels like it could cause health problems internally. I decided to do a deep dive to confirm my suspicions, and share the highlights I found with you all.

Enjoy, and share with anyone you think could find it beneficial.

“It is difficult to imagine a slavery more senseless, cruel, or far-reaching in its injurious consequences than that imposed by fashion on civilized womanhood during the past generation. Her health has been sacrificed, and in countless instances her life has paid the penalty; while posterity has been dwarfed, maimed, and enervated, and in body, mind, and soul deformed at its behests. … The tight lacing required by the wasp waists has produced generations of invalids and bequeathed to posterity suffering that will not vanish for many decades. By it, every vital organ in the body has been seriously affected. If women will continue this destructive habit, the race must inevitably deteriorate.”

– Benjamin Orange Flower in “Fashion’s Slaves,” a 32-page pamphlet published in 1892 as an appeal for women’s dress reform

What health problems does wearing corsets cause?

(All studies and sources linked at bottom of article)

– Muscle wastage in abdomen and back, as core-stabilizing muscles are made lazy from the artificial support. This leads to back pain, scoliosis, and other spinal problems increasing over time

– Reduced cell size in back muscles

– Digestive problems, as it suppresses the stomach’s natural ability to expand when food is consumed, as well as other organs critical to the digestive process moving food through the GI tract. Risk of acid reflux also increases as stomach acids can no longer flow properly

– Reproductive problems such as miscarriage, uterine prolapse, and birth defects

– Reduced lung capacity from deformed ribcage. See below, the comparison of a normal skeletal ribcage, and that of a 23 y/o woman, deformed by frequent wearing of a tight-lacing corset

Source: Topographisch-chirurgische Anatomie des Menschen (Nikolaus Rüdinger, 1873)

Another example, showing the bones of the thorax of an elderly woman, deformed by tight-lacing of clothing from the late 19th century. The distortion of the lower ribs and the diminution of the lower aperture of the thorax was attributed to the constriction of a corset:

Source: The dangers of tight lacing: the effects of the corset (Royal College of Surgeons of England)

– Constricted bloodflow, including restricted bloodflow from extremities back to the heart, causing cardiovascular problems that could become fatal. According to a joint study by the Department of Clothing & Textiles and Yale University, the following effects were found in corset-wearers compared to a non-corset-wearers control group: Heart-rate decrease of 15-20%, bloodflow at finger tips decreased 36%. (Source: Joint study, Clothing pressure and physiological responses according to boning type of non-stretchable corsets)

– Skin irritation from tightness of material (which is usually made of plastic and other synthetics, which seeps into your pores more quickly due to close contact)

– The above detriments are only the most commonly reported. The overarching effects of frequent restriction/deformation of the ribcage and all internal organs within it can lead to a slew of other health problems down the road, which would be too extensive to list here

Despite the negative effects, does waist-training via corset give you a lasting hourglass figure?

Short answer: No. It is only a temporary adjustment that shapes the muscles of your waist for the short time you’re wearing it, and briefly after. But your body quickly finds its way back to your original shape. For a sustainable waist reduction,

If you’ve followed my content for a while, you know I recommend the Carnivore Diet above all else for this. Here are a few resources that elaborate on why I beat the drum so hard on this:

• My own weight loss journey from ditching the carbs and going carnivore
• My podcast with Limitless Lindy, who lost over 500 POUNDS on the carnivore diet, when nothing else worked
• Teresa O’s raw vegan to carnivore journey, which included significant weight loss
• My podcast with Christina Mathewson, a naturopath who’s lost over 100 pounds on carnivore, and also beautifully explains the many other hormonal benefits for women in particular
• Tons more curated weight loss testimonials on WhyCarnivore.com

Relevant studies:

• The Effects of the Corset (American Journal of Public Health)
• Clothing pressure and physiological responses according to boning type of non-stretchable corsets (Department of Clothing & Textiles, Yale University)
• The dangers of tight lacing: the effects of the corset (Royal College of Surgeons of England)

Additional sources:

• Love Wearing Corsets? It Could Harm Your Health In These 6 Ways (OnlyMyHealth.com)
• 📚 Über die Wirkungen der Schnürbrüste (On the Effects of the Corset) by Samuel Thomas von Sömmerring, 1788 (With summarization help from Gemini AI)
• ‘I’ve Worn A Corset 23 Hours A Day Since Giving Birth, And I’ll Never Stop’ (Newsweek)
• Does waist training give you a lasting hourglass body? (UCI Health)
• As Corsets Loosened, Women Became Stronger (Washington Post)
• Skeleton comparison – tight-laced corsets narrow a person’s rib cage after prolonged wear (Bone Museum)