There’s a scene from “Fried Green Tomatoes” (the movie, though “Fried Green Tomatoes” is one of my favorite books, movies, and foods) where Evelyn (Kathy Bates) has the worst day dream ever where she surprises her husband with what’s meant to be a sexy cling wrap dress, but is really like some horrific 80s prom getup. This moment pops into my head every time someone talks about encasing themselves in plastic wrap to lose a few inches, because like the iconic image of Kathy Bates’ ill-advised ensemble, it seems like the kind of thing that goes horribly awry more often than it doesn’t.
But, just because something looks or seems weird, doesn’t mean it doesn’t work. I’ve found all kind of weird ingredients and tricks that have something to them. Even though this one seemed blatantly wrong, I’ve heard people say that it really works. So, I went digging.
Cling Wrap and Weight Loss
So, technically you can lose a particular kind of weight with cling wrap: water weight. You body is just sloshing with water all the time. When you get hot, your body sends out sweat that eventually evaporates to help cool you off (Scientific American). In fact, according to the Buffalo Bills’ athletic trainer Chris Fischetti, when professional athletes sweat, they can lose pounds very quickly. He explained that in a football game, a running back might lose four to five pounds and a lineman might lose close to nine pounds — and all of this is what we refer to as “water weight.”
But here’s the thing, when you’re losing water weight, you’re becoming dehydrated. As soon as you drink water, you’ll be replacing the weight you lost. Except unlike the pro athletes mentioned above, you haven’t expended caloric energy for real weight loss.
For that reason, some people recommend working out while clad in cling wrap. Please, I beg you: Do. Not. Do. This. Here’s the problem, the cling wrap doesn’t just siphon the hydration from your body like a bad neighbor stealing fuel in a gas shortage; it also prevents that sweat from evaporating, which inevitably undermines sweat’s main purpose: to keep you cool. Wearing cling wrap while working out is a recipe for becoming dehydrated and overheated all at once, which is a really bad combination.
And after putting your body through all that awfulness, it’s all temporary. You’ve burned the same amount of calories you would burn normally during exercise — and that’s it — the rest will all come back. You’re definitely better off exercising free of cling wrap.
Are BPA and Phthalates a Problem?
A few years ago, everyone was freaking out about BPA and phthalates in plastic. So, it would make sense that people might freak out over the idea of BPA in plastic wrap. But you shouldn’t be concerned. Companies like Johnson & Johnson have been clear that their products do not contain BPA or phthalates (Environmental Health Perspectives). And if you want to see it tested, you can check out this Good Housekeeping study that found only minute amounts of phthalates or BPA in only four out of 30 products tested. Even in those with BPA and phthalates, tests in microwaves in their labs showed that the chemicals weren’t leaching out onto food.
However, other concerns have been raised that plastics could contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals that could be problematic (National Institute of Health and Environmental Science). A study done by PlastiPure, a company devoted to making safer plastics, found that several chemicals found in plastic products possess endocrine disrupting qualities, saying that consumers should demand safer plastic products (Discovery).
This could be something to dissuade you from regularly rocking a plastic wrap dress.
Verdict: Trick
In theory, with its airtight seal and propensity to make you feel really hot, plastic wrap can help you lose some water weight temporarily. But it comes at the price of potentially dehydrating or overheating your body, and some researchers think that being regularly exposed to possible endocrine disruptors in plastics might not be so great for you. There are other ways to drop water weight, like cutting back on sodium, which causes you to retain water. And if you’re looking to drop serious weight, then this isn’t the kind of trick you want to employ.