In the last few years, the fashion industry has taken heavy criticism for idealizing and perpetuating unrealistic body expectations for women, and people are getting more vocal about it as the body-positive community gains traction.

Internet star Nicole Arbour learned this the hard way when she was fired from a real-life pilot for an incendiary video she posted to YouTube that claims “fat-shaming is not a thing.”

RELATED: The Internet Reacted to This Woman's Viral Fat Shaming Video

It is a "thing," though. And while hashtags like #ThighReading are great for spreading messages of love and self-acceptance, the reality is that Victoria’s Secret is still a cornerstone of what is "sexy" in society. (This is despite the fact that the company clearly has some interpersonal communication problems with the editors retouching their photos.)

This beauty standard leaves a lot to be desired, and not in the right way. This is exemplified when companies sell contraptions you can squeeze into that will push and pull at all of your “flaws,” leaving you with less in your wallet and a pain in your side. Spanx was only the beginning. Here are the five most ridiculous slimming products marketed to women.

1. Miss Belt

Miss Belt is a TV “waist trainer,” advertised to “slim the waist in seconds.” The Miss Belt website encourages users to jog, bike, work, and even relax in the waist compressor, but Youtube personality Lisa Schwartz tried it for herself and asserts that it’s uncomfortable at best.

2. Butt Lifter Panty

The Butt Lifter Panty by Hourglass Angel is a device meant to lift the butt while slimming the waist. Unfortunately, it looks less like underwear and more like a rock climbing harness, and the latter is probably a better place to spend your money. Hourglass Angel is not the only brand to produce a booty-lifting undergarment.

Hourglass Angel Screenshot - hourglassangel.com

3. Thighs shape wear

Amazon boasts a variety of thigh-slimmers and shape wear that are supposed to get you closer to the phenomenon known as a thigh-gap.

Amazon.com screenshot - amazon.com

RELATED: Social Media Makes You Feel Worse about Your Body than the Swimsuit Issue

4. Body Magic by Ardyss White

Body magic is a head, shoulders knees and toes affair. The garment is advertised to "sensationalize your body by giving you the appearance of a liposuction transformation without the surgery." It attends to your abdomen, lower and upper back, shoulders, posture and buttocks. Putting it on is complicated enough that it warrants YouTube tutorials for beginners.

5. Velform Arm Wrap

No body part is left behind in the crusade for compression. The Velform Arm Wrap advertises that its use will give you younger, firmer looking skin as it tones your arms.

Amazon.com - amazon.com