Slimming or Toning Belt

Their claims are based around the fact the slimming belt 'sweats away' unwanted fat, eliminates cellulite, eases muscle pain and helps you to loose weight, all while sitting in the comfort of your own home!

Typically attaching with velcro, slimming belts use either heat or massage on any chosen area - the most popular being your tummy! These 'portable saunas' can be used on the abdomen, waist, back and hips - but do they work at all?

What Type of Belts are There?

There's actually two main types of "melt belts" or slimming belts available on the market. The models work either by passing a current through the skin to provide heat, or by trapping and enhancing your body's own heat to make you sweat more. Just so you know, the current based models can heat up to around 42 degrees centigrade - so quite warm!

Manufaturers claim that the slimming belt has a number of different potential benefits :

• Burn body fat and reduce weight
   
• Assist in basic toning of your body
   
• Provide a comforting massage
   
• Aid the process of digestion
   
• Encourage better blood
   
• circulation

As we talked about above, there's models that combine a variety of functions, including heat, massage, and magnetic treatment. Using magnets inside the belt produces a powerful magnetic field magnetic fields are claimed to promote a whole range of health benefits.

The more adaptable models also have a range of attachments that allow them to be used all over the body, including the waist, hips, legs, and arms.

Our Opinion

Well - without trying it ourselves, the claims of stress free and easy weight loss must always be treated with some careful optimism. Nothing in life is free - and it applies to slimming and weight loss in exactly the same way. Anecdotal evidence shows that any weight loss from sweating is actually simply loss of water - when you next have a drink (because you are thirsty due to dehydration) the weight goes straight back on. Think about boxers who dehydrate as and when necessary in order to lose a pound or two prior to the all important weigh in... the 'water weight' goes straight back on as soon as they leave the weigh in and drink some water!

So in our opinion, as a temporary measure maybe it does work - but for long term weight loss, you cannot beat an exercise regime and a healthy diet.