Our abs are some of the hardest-working muscles in the body. They keep us upright, allow us to pick up cups of coffee and protect our vital organs. Hourglass syndrome happens when you’ve been sucking for so long, you’ve caused a physical change in the structure of the abdominal wall. Not only can it be uncomfortable, but it can also impact your internal organs (kind of like a tube of toothpaste being rolled up).

There are two main causes. One, obviously, is body image. Most of us have learned to suck in our stomachs so as to reduce the appearance of the very normal, cute pouch of fat that sits around our belly button.

The other, according to Adam Taylor, professor and director of the Clinical Anatomy Learning Centre at Lancaster University, is poor posture. Writing in The Conversation, he says that slouching and hunching can lead to the spine moving away from its normal, healthy S-shape – and that can create tension in the abs.

Hourglass syndrome: why sucking in your stomach might be damaging your abs