Can You Lose Inches with Caffeine in Your Pants?

This title is not a joke. Have you heard of the new leggings that are hyped as a means by which to lose inches of fat from your legs? A just-published article by Becky Worley reports that the legwear is infused with caffeine and has been shown to take two inches off of hips and more than an inch from the thighs after three weeks of five-hour-a-day wear. Worley asks the right question as to whether or not there is any scientific evidence that supports such a claim. The only evidence she came up with is that reported by the manufacturer itself, which tested the product on 34 subjects in a less than scientific study. The science should show that caffeine on the skin can penetrate it and cause the fat to somehow burn. This wasn’t shown. It is a known fact that whatever is applied to skin does penetrate it and get into the bloodstream, as long as the material put on the skin is in a form, such as liquid, that can accomplish the penetration. The skin was given to us as a protector from foreign agents after all, but we still have the responsibility for not putting harmful products on it. The bottom line is that unless the caffeine in the legwear is combined with a penetrating agent, it won’t do a thing. If it DOES get through, the product designers would still have to make sure the caffeine in the blood causes the fat to burn. According to Worley’s source, this has never been proven. A simple Google search revealed that scientists have studied caffeinated creams and lotions that promise to accomplish the same fat shrinkage. The studies have not been able to prove that the fat is burned, but only that water from the fat cells is forced out by the diuretic effect of the caffeine. This causes temporary inch loss, but the important word here is temporary. So there you have it. The legwear might work by the same diuretic-driven process, but it’s most likely temporary as the body restores the water balance when the diuretic is removed. It’s also not clear whether or not there are negative health effects from wearing the restrictive leggings. Eating right and exercise are still the keys to weight loss. Coffee can actually help, but that’s through drinking it, not wearing it. See related article: http://www.roaste.com/CafeRoaste/News/2010/12/25/Got-New-Years-Resolutio...