Every Nigerian woman who has had a baby knows how useful girdles and other shape wear can be.

Our mothers and their mothers wore them. They are the essential undergarment for Nigerian women.

Many women with protruding stomachs become figure 8′s in seconds just from wearing them. While these items are useful, women are now being warned about the health ramifications of shapewear.

A US based gastroenterologist Dr. John Kuemmerle, told the Huffington Post that shapewear compresses a woman’s stomach, intestine and colon. This is turn can affect the digestive tract and cause symptoms like abdominal discomfort, bloating and gas.

Wearing shapewear can also result in acid reflux and heartburn as well as erosive esophagitis i.e when acid irritation and inflammation cause extensive injuries to the esophagus.

Because the intestines are supposed to contract and move food along, when they’re compressed over a long period of time, the flow of digestion is interrupted.

“It’s like when people eat a huge meal and then unbuckle their jeans,” Dr. Kuemmerle says.

Women who have functional bowel disorders and irritable bowel syndrome are advised to avoid shapewear.

“In someone who has weakness down below and a tendency towards incontinence,”

 

“Increasing intra-abdominal pressure can certainly provoke episodes of incontinence, he adds”

US based dermatologist Dr. Maryann Mikhail also told the Huffington Post that shapewear can create an environment prone to infections. This is because the tight fabric found in girdles traps moisture and anything else under it, increasing the risk of yeast and bacterial infections.

However she points out that these risks are higher in overweight individuals, diabetics and those who sweat excessively.

Another expert, chiropractor Dr. Karen Erickson also says that shapewear can cause women to develop tingling, numbness and pain in their legs.

According to her wearing tight girdles

“is like putting these giant rubber bands around your upper thighs and tightening them when you sit,”

This rubber band effect, she says can decrease your circulation and lead to blood clots. So when you sit in shapewear, Dr. Erickson explains that those genetically prone to varicosities can develop varicose veins and lymph congestion, which manifests as swollen ankles.

Dr Erickson says that wearing shapewear is not a problem if it is worn for an evening or a special occasion, however, it’s not a good idea to wear it daily and sit in it for hours on end.

“Everyone I know owns shapewear — it’s kind of a miracle,” Dr. Erickson says.

 

“But I think we want to be mindful to not wear it on a day-in and day-out basis.”

She advises that women need to pick the right style and the right size.

“You really want to pick shapewear that actually fits you,” she explains.

 

“You want it to do its job, but you don’t want to get something so small that it’s damaging you.”

She advises that ‘shapewear that goes up to your bra line isn’t a good idea for those with acid reflux or heartburn, as that area is particularly sensitive for people predisposed to those conditions’.

According to her the best way to tell if your girdle fits correctly is,

“It’s not cutting in anywhere,”

 

“All it really does is smooth out the rough edges and you can easily get in and out of it without a struggle.”