Wearing an ice vest or taking daily cold showers could help people lose weight, according to researchers. A study of 47 adults with obesity or overweight found that regular exposure to cold temperatures led to fat loss.
Researchers at the University of Nottingham and Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands gave half the participants an ice vest and waist wrap to wear for two hours each morning. The vests, worn over a thin T-shirt, contained gel packs kept in a freezer overnight and maintained a temperature of 15°C.
After six weeks, participants lost 0.9kg (2lb), almost entirely from body fat, while the control group did not lose weight and gained 0.6kg (1.3lb) on average. Lead researcher Dr Mariëtte Boon said this is one of the first studies examining prolonged cold exposure in people with overweight and obesity.
The study, presented at the European Congress on Obesity, suggests cold temperatures could speed up the body's calorie burning. Co-author Prof Helen Budge said daily cold exposure activates brown fat, which burns body fat to produce heat. She added that wearing a cooling vest may train brown fat to be more active, with potential benefits for lipids, glucose, and inflammation.
The researchers, funded by the Dutch Heart Foundation and British Heart Foundation, are investigating other cold exposure methods. A separate study is examining whether cold showers promote fat loss, with half of 34 women taking 90-second cold showers each morning. Dr Boon noted that while the shower is colder, the vest provides longer exposure.
