Scala Bio-Fir Anti
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
Enjoyed this post? Subscribe to Obesity Panacea and have future posts delivered regularly to your email account or your RSS reader.
Enjoyed this story? Share it with your friends by clicking the buttons below!
To get future posts delivered directly to your email inbox or to your RSS reader, be sure to subscribe to Obesity Panacea.
Incoming search terms for the article:
Similar articles
- Scala Anti
Scala Anti-Cellulite Pants Review Price: $50.00 Consumer Rating: For years anti-cellulite treatments have been marketed to women to cure cellulite, reduce inches, and provide an overall slimmer body physique. The Scala Anti-Cellulite pant claims to reduce cellulite and end your battle with inches of unwanted fat. These pants are actually closer to tights in
... - The Scala Bio-Fir Anti
Figures made public by the British newspaper indicate that, indeed, the anti-cellulite knickers are officially the best selling item of the kind this year. Not only do the underpants boast of being able to literally melt fat away, but they can also be worn underneath clothes (say, body hugging items) to create the impression of
... - PeachyBody Pants Melt Cellulite Away in Just 21 Days
Unlike the Scala Bio-Fir underpants we were telling you a while back, that came with a special fabric that included crystals that became heated when in contact with the skin, the PeachyBody pants only act by means of friction. That is to say, when rubbing against the skin, they stimulate blood flow to the
... - The Scala Bio-Fir Underpants Melt Cellulite Away
The idea behind this product is that it solves the problem by tacking it at its core, unlike the myriad of creams and lotions now available on the market. The Scala does it by means of crystals found in the fabric of the underpants, which heat up when they enter in contact with the skin,
... - Cellulite-Busting Tights That Melt Away Fat
The Scala Bio-Fir tights and leggings zap toxins and fat with in-built thermal crystals which claim to increase blood flow It sounds just too good to be true – leggings which melt away cellulite. But this is what new hi-tech legwear can apparently do for women simply by heating up their skin with
...
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.
Now the fact that the extra warmth helps in the cool weather – of
that I have no doubt!
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!
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!).
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.
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!
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!).
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.).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Of course if you find the pants are working for you, then I
If you come across any other
wouldn’t think of stopping you. But we might have to agree to
disagree on the mechanisms involved
possible mechanisms, please feel free to share them here.
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.
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.
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.)
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.
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.
Anyone else have personal experience with the Bio-Fir pants?
@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…)
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.
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.
Good luck with the tights, I’m looking forward to your one-month
update.