Researchers have found that regular exposure to cold temperatures, such as wearing an ice vest or taking cold showers, may help people lose weight. The study, presented at the European Congress on Obesity, involved 47 adults with overweight or obesity.
Half of the participants wore an ice vest and waist wrap for two hours each morning, while the control group continued their normal routines. After six weeks, those using the cooling garments lost an average of 0.9kg (2lb), almost entirely body fat, whereas the control group gained 0.6kg (1.3lb).
Dr Mariëtte Boon, lead researcher from Leiden University Medical Center, said: 'This is one of the first studies looking at the impact of cold exposure over a prolonged period of time, involving people with overweight and obesity.' She added that such vests could be a simple, inexpensive addition to lifestyle strategies for weight loss.
The researchers believe cold exposure activates brown fat, which burns body fat to generate heat. Professor Helen Budge, co-author from the University of Nottingham, said: 'It is possible that wearing a cooling vest trains brown fat to be more active and has a healthy effect on lipids, glucose and inflammation in the body.'
The team is now studying whether cold showers can produce similar effects. In a separate trial, 34 women in the Netherlands will take 90-second cold showers daily. Dr Boon noted that while cold showers are briefer, they are much colder, and the results will show if they impact weight loss.
