A few months back, Peter wrote a fantastic post on the Equmen Core Precision Undershirt, which is essentially a girdle for men. Somehow the ridiculousness of the shirt was only exceeded by its popularity on both sides of the Atlantic. Today we bring you an even more impressive product from the United Kingdom - pants which are reported to literally melt the fat off your legs!
The Scala Bio-Fir Anti-Cellulite Pants look like regular tights, but contain crystals which heat up on contact with the skin. Although somehow this heat remains undetectable to the wearer, the Daily Mail from the UK claims that this heat results in "[improved] circulation in the thighs, bottom and stomach, encouraging fat cells to 'melt' into a liquid" (emphasis added). That's right, heat that is so small that you can't feel it, yet is somehow powerful enough to melt your fat cells, while causing no damage whatsoever to muscle or other cells.
Now this might seem a little fantastical, but the Daily Mail includes a figure titled "Now for the science bit" which breaks it down for the skeptics.
Now I'm a bit embarrassed. You see, despite spending the past few years studying physiology, I had no idea that fat cells melted when exposed to undetectable heat/increased blood flow. I guess that means every time I go for a run, or a shower, or put on a pair of warm pants, my fat cells are melting into my bloodstream, where the fat is somehow excreted by my kidneys into my urine. Which explains all those fat droplets in your urine on a hot day.
But what if my skepticism is misplaced and these pants do cause fat cells to melt? Well, that could actually be very bad from a health perspective. Fat cells are meant to store fat, so they tend to do it pretty well and with minimum health risk, especially subcutaneous fat cells in the lower body. However, when these subcutaneous fat cells fill up, or when they somehow disappear (e.g. your pants cause them to melt) fat begins to overflow into the liver, heart, and skeletal muscle, causing all sorts of metabolic problems. This is exactly what happens to many individuals who receive Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy for HIV - they lose fat cells in the arms and legs, causing increased visceral and liver fat accumulation and severe metabolic dysfunction. So if the magic crystals in these pants do somehow cause your fat cells to melt, that could actually be a pretty big health concern.
As far as I can tell, the pants are currently only being carried in the UK, where they are said to be selling like hot cakes. They are being sold by John Lewis for £30 (~$50 USD), although pairs are now popping up on eBay for anyone in North America who is eager to have some magic pants of their own. Personally, if you're looking to spend $50 on your health I'd suggest a pedometer
or a terrific book on healthy eating like Food Matters, but that's just my opinion. And if for some reason you desperately want to have pants that cause your legs to heat up, I suggest a nice pair of snow pants, which have been keeping us Canadians warm for centuries. Hat tip to reader Kate Tolley for bringing this product to our attention.
Travis
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Aaron Said,
Even though the illustration says cells in a couple places, the ad cleverly obfuscates terms by saying it melts "fat layers". This plays to the people who didn't listen in high school biology and still think of fat as a layer of semi-solid butter under their skin. Add in that it takes at least a college level understanding of metabolism to know that releasing fat in the manner advertised would be dangerous and you've got a pretty large group of customers that can't argue with the science provided.
Posted on November 24, 2009 11:26 AM
Travis Saunders Said,
@ Aaron,
I agree with you 100%. The concept is absolutely ridiculous, but without a background in physiology it would probably seem at least somewhat plausible. I would suggest that most people with science degrees don't even realize that losing fat cells could actually increase your health risk - most people of all backgrounds assume that the less fat cells the better (although hopefully we're starting to convince a few people!).
Travis
Posted on November 24, 2009 11:40 AM
Blake Said,
Another great review from you guys! These scams, er, products always make me laugh. Sad that stuff like this sells like "hot cakes." Thanks for always providing great info here!
Posted on November 25, 2009 11:43 AM
Anonymous Said,
I hear what you are saying guys, and being a student of nutritional medicine I know the basics of physiology. Unfortunately, if for am measely £30 you can reduce your cellulite - then I'm ashamed to say that I'll give it a try.
I've been wearing them for 4 weeks and exercising and eating healthily. I've lost weight from the gym + the healthier diet. However I have to say that I have lost slightly more size off my thighs than I usually do by diet and exercise alone. Losing 2 pounds of weight on the scales usually equates to 0.5cm reduction in my thighs. Whereas I seem to be losing 1.0cm for every 3 pounds of weightloss. Not a huge difference, but I've been at this game long enough to know what's normal for me - and this more than I'd normally lose.
Plus, it is Winter and freezing here in Scotland - so, to be honest I'm happy to be wearing something like long johns under my clothes.
Eva
Posted on December 3, 2009 5:51 PM
Travis Saunders Said,
@ Eva,
I appreciate your personal experience, but I'm wondering if you can come up with a plausible mechanism for how these pants can melt your fat cells. Because from what I know, that just doesn't make any sense.
Now the fact that the extra warmth helps in the cool weather - of that I have no doubt!
Anyone else have personal experience with the Bio-Fir pants?
Posted on December 3, 2009 10:01 PM
Anonymous Said,
@ Travis
I think it's simply the result of a localised increase in circulation, to be honest. Nothing to do with 'melting' fat or any other pseudo-science. Cellulite is fat and water and toxic rubbish - and I think all the (very tight) tights do is massage the area as you move about, allowing your lymphatic system to dispose of what's released.
My scales measure fat percentage as well as weight - and my fat percentage has gone down pretty similarly to what it normally would (via healthy diet + exercise) - perhaps a tiny bit more, but to be honest I couldn't say with confidence since I only lose fractions of a percent of fat per week anyway.
All I am saying is that they do work (well, for me) but nowhere near the several inches they promote. However for someone who is obese or morbidly obese then perhaps the effect would be more pronounced. My BMI is around 22 (144lbs, 5'10") but I have chunky thighs that I hate and am willing to gamble £30 on a pair of tights to reduce them!
Again, Eva
Posted on December 4, 2009 7:07 AM
Anonymous Said,
I agree that the "science" in the DM article is ridiculous, but isn't the basic idea to increase circulation, which in turn reduces the appearance of cellulite? If so, than they aren't any different from the other anti-cellulite treatments currently on the market (creams, massage, etc.).
In my experience, the fattier parts of the body tend to be colder to the touch (love handles, inner thigh, etc.). I also find that they get itchy during prolonged or intense cardio, which is presumably the result of increased blood circulation in those areas. (Slim to average men probably don't have this experience, but ask a woman with an average or slightly above average amount of body fat and she'll probably tell you the same thing.)
Anyhow, I just got some of these and started wearing them today... very warm, as the previous person said. Will report back in a month.
Posted on December 7, 2009 5:46 AM
Travis Saunders Said,
@ Eva,
Thanks for the detailed comment! Peter and I have been discussing the circulation mechanism, which might sound plausible at first, but doesn't hold up well to closer inspection.
Wearing tight clothing should actually decrease circulation (just like a tourniquet), which is the biggest issue for me with this mechanism. Further, if the area is heating up, that might increase the blood flow to the skin, but not the fat cells where the fat is stored. And even if it did, fat cells don't release fat in response to increased circulation or massage. And finally, neither Peter nor I knew of any reports of fat being taken up by the lymphatic system.
Of course if you find the pants are working for you, then I wouldn't think of stopping you. But we might have to agree to disagree on the mechanisms involved :) If you come across any other possible mechanisms, please feel free to share them here.
@ Anonymous,
I actually know exactly what you mean about the itchy feeling during prolonged cardio. I've spoken with quite a few distance runners about it, and for me at least, it seems to come on right around the time I start to sweat (I have absolutely no idea what causes it!).
Good luck with the tights, I'm looking forward to your one-month update.
Travis
Posted on December 7, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous Said,
I can say that these pants are available in Canada for sure as well. They originally come from Brazil in origin. My mother carries them as a wholesaler here in Canada, so i'm somewhat familiar.
@Travis: The thing I think you are missing is that there are infrared crystals embedded into the fabric of the tights. With the friction between those crystals and the skin, a different form of energy or heat is transferred compared to a normal pair of spandex or tight-fitting clothing. It sounds kinda crazy, but this fabric is very high-tech (if it does indeed do what it says it does...)
They do offer men's underwear as well, of which I own a pair. They do work, as you feel that "tingly" circulation feeling on your skin. Is that tingly sensation awesome? not really. but its telling me its doing something, as I definitely don't feel that way normally wearing tighter shorts or boxers.
Posted on January 26, 2010 12:32 PM
Travis Saunders Said,
@ Anonymous,
Thanks for the comment. In all seriousness - it's probably not good to wear underwear that heats up your nether regions. For details, check out this review on the effects of heat stress on male fertility.
Travis
Posted on January 26, 2010 12:43 PM