The Sweaty Lie Of Sweat Belts and Tummy Tuckers

I was thirteen when I first wore a belly belt- tummy tucker, to be precise. It was a pathetic attempt to hide my stomach rolls. I was thirteen- my dilemma should’ve been liking boys or getting good grades and not hating my body.

But, that’s the thing- people want women to hate their bodies- they want women to look at themselves and feel the need to change their appearance or wear those pathetic belly belts which allegedly burn the fat. 

Have you seen those advertisements that talk about how a woman on the heavier side is constantly unhappy, and once she loses the weight and becomes ‘conventionally attractive,’ she immediately becomes happy?

The world is full of people of different sizes, and the fact that we are fed the constant urge to fit in the conventional standards of attractiveness is exhausting, if not traumatising.

Over centuries we’ve seen different versions of belly belts. While there are belly belts- sweat belts- now, there were corsets in the Victorian era. Corsets- to make women look smaller and enhance the small of their waist.

We must not forget the side effects sweat belts and tummy tuckers

I know the idea of having the conventional hourglass figure is a dream of many, but we must not forget the side effects those belts cause. I think it’s time we address the elephant in the room- body image issues.

To catch the train of contradiction, I’d like to add that sometimes these sweat belts and tummy tuckers help people become more confident. They help them wear clothes without feeling too self-conscious about their bodies. But, it is important to realise that confidence and higher self-esteem is usually momentary. 

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The excitement of having a reduced belly, of people complimenting (because people do) you, seems like a facade that you wear beneath the dress. Because, at the end of the day, when you stare at yourself in the mirror after you pull apart your armour of confidence, the same you stares at you, afraid of what comments you’d pass on your body.

Media is equally at fault too

When I think about it, it feels like the media is equally at fault too. The world has focused so much on curvy yet thin women that women with different body types often feel obligated to adhere to the hourglass figure lifestyle.

There is nothing sadder than realising validation depends on factors like fitting into the conventional body type. Thus, when women don’t generally fit into the conventional curvy yet thin body type, they resort to waist belts and sweat enhancers.

Tummy tuckers are painful. They restrict air, and you get dehydrated fast. They are a constant reminder of the body you show and the body you have- they’re futile. Trust me on this, as a thirteen-year-old that used tummy tuckers to hide the belly until I was sixteen- it doesn’t help. Wearing waist slimmers like these was never helpful- the only helpful thing was exercise and acceptance.

Sweat belts & tummy tuckers are those villains that people never realise. They’re the devil in disguise- because at the end of the day, you come home to yourself, to your body without the armour, and it’s important to love it just as much as you love yourself with it.

Image credit: made-in-china.com

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