Comments on OBESITY PANACEA: Scala Bio-Fir Anti-Cellulite Pants: A Review

The science does seem far fetched to report on mel...

2010-07-09T06:50:55.723-04:00

The science does seem far fetched to report on melting fat! But when people are desperate unfortunately, they believe what they want to hear.
It is a sad state of affairs that people feel so self conscious of cellulite when it is a natural occurrence. The media portrays cellulite as shameful by showing snaps of Rhianna or Brittany for not being perfect.
I would suggest a balanced healthy diet, consistent targeted exercise and plenty of water would be more appropiate to reduce or prevent cellulite but many people would find this too much effort and take the easier option of "melting fat pants"

Hey, I'm a complete skeptic when it comes to a...

2010-06-24T16:49:52.880-04:00

Hey, I'm a complete skeptic when it comes to all these sorts of fads but for once I actually gave it a go and bought scala's tight's for £15. I have already noticed a reduction in my cellulite and I feel more confident and happy with how I look. In terms of heating up my thighs and butt don't feel excessively hot and as suggested in other comments it certainly does not heat up your lower parts, they have, as many tights do a cotton panty line. I love them and if they make me feel better about myself for £15 I'm glad I bought them x

Travis, I just found your blog and greatly enjoyed...

2010-05-05T18:28:54.468-04:00

Travis, I just found your blog and greatly enjoyed reading through the comments here. I'm a cellulite-knicker skeptic myself, but Eva's experience makes me reconsider.

I can see why you would think a tight undergarment would limit circulation, but I think it would have a different effect if the pressure was spread over the entire region (like the compression undergarments used for edema) instead of concentrated across one section of lymph/blood vessels (like a tourniquet).

In any case, thanks for this thought-provoking article!

Hello All, I'm writing as a curious observer...

2010-03-11T14:57:28.148-05:00

Hello All,

I'm writing as a curious observer with a little knowledge of this product (my roommate has a pair of the male scala undergarments). I would like to know more as I am considering buying a pair for myself.
In reading through the article that you (Travis) provided about the effects of heat on male fertility I'm not so sure how applicable that study is to the Scala product and its effects. In each of the studies done the male reproductive organs were heated to very high levels and I assume that Scala products don't cause the same intensity of heat. My roommate says that his legs aren't hot, merely warm. However, I wonder if this is still causing too much stress on his reproductive organs. Also, I was curious if you know if any of the heat-induced effects are permanent or long-term, as the study seemed to indicate that the effects of heat only mattered up to 2 weeks after.
Thank you for any help/answers you can provide!

@ Anonymous, Thanks for the comment. In all seri...

2010-01-26T12:43:46.541-05:00

@ 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

I can say that these pants are available in Canada...

2010-01-26T12:32:39.815-05:00

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.

@ Eva, Thanks for the detailed comment! Peter an...

2009-12-07T22:40:34.646-05:00

@ 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

I agree that the "science" in the DM art...

2009-12-07T05:46:52.421-05:00

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.

@ Travis I think it's simply the result of a ...

2009-12-04T07:07:01.571-05:00

@ 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

@ Eva, I appreciate your personal experience, but...

2009-12-03T22:01:59.186-05:00

@ 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?

I hear what you are saying guys, and being a stude...

2009-12-03T17:51:09.394-05:00

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

Another great review from you guys! These scams, ...

2009-11-25T11:43:32.970-05:00

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!

@ Aaron, I agree with you 100%. The concept is a...

2009-11-24T11:40:50.284-05:00

@ 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

Even though the illustration says cells in a coupl...

2009-11-24T11:26:29.933-05:00

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.