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Kim Kardashian and her famous sisters swear by their waist trainers and Spanx for their flawless looks on the red carpet, but what are the health effects of regularly squishing your body into restrictive shapewear?

Researchers warn that regularly using figure-forming undergarments can contribute to a number of health issues, including incontinence.

Since shapewear and waist trainers constrict your stomach, digestive tract, bladder and other organs, they may place people with pre-existing conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome at greater risk of faecal incontinence episodes.

In those with stress urinary incontinence, the pelvic floor muscles and sphincter muscles already don’t function effectively, and tight underwear may place additional pressure on the bladder.

Visit our Incontinence Centre for more on managing this condition.