When I was in high school, I earned my spending money by working part time at a lingerie store. There, I was introduced to the wonderful world of Spanx. Those tummy and butt wonders that magically sucked it all in and where it was sucked to - who knew? But also, who cared? 'Cause girl, you looked gooooddd. 

Well according to this article, all the extra bits that were sucked in, were actually sucked inward; essentially compressing all your organs. 

Gastroenterologist Dr. John Kuemmerle says the squeezing of the stomach, intestine and colon can worsen acid reflux and heartburn. The digestive system is also affected. Chiropractor Dr. Karen Erickson was interviewed and pointed out that as your intestines are compressed, the food that is supposed to move along is stalled and the flow of digestion is stifled. Also not good. And this is probably obvious, but shapewear don't make for good breathing. 

Not only does shapewear mean your organs squish, but it can lead to a tingling and numbness condition called meralgia paresthetica. This occurs when the peripheral nerve in your thigh is compressed. And while wearing shapewear means that your posture is somewhat realigned, this doesn't mean that it is permanent. You need to develop that muscle tone on your own. Plus, they are usually made from a synthetic fabric. The tightness of the item means trapped moisture and this makes them a suspect for causing bacterial and yeast infections. So, maybe Spanx aren't a girl's best friend afterall? 

It should be noted that using spanx once, won't make you wake up with IBS. Continued usage is the culprit. Are you a spanx user? Will you continue to be now that you know what you know about them?