What exactly is cellulite?

You either don't have it yet or you do. Cellulite...that ugly, dimpled, fatty tissue that just "shows up" one day...what's a girl to do?

Depending on your age and your build, you may not yet have had the pleasure of experiencing the joy and amazement of cottage cheese somehow making it to your butt and thigh area. Well, it’s not cottage cheese but that is what looks like.

Cellulite is actually the dimpled look of the skin that appears usually under the thigh, stomach, buttocks and the knees. More women than men will develop cellulite at a ratio of 90 to 10%.

As women approach menopause, cellulite will generally start to form due to decreases in estrogen. Women may even begin to notice it between the ages of 25 – 35 and as early as 14! This occurs with women of all sizes. A woman does not have to be overweight to develop cellulite.

I really did not begin to notice cellulite until I reached 40 (and 125 lbs). It was actually by accident that I first saw caught a glimpse of it after coming out of the shower. I guess you could say I was a little bit in shock because I had not really gained any weight but there were noticeable dimples in my butt and thigh area. However, what had changed is that I had slacked off considerably in my exercising. I used to be devoted to my exercise and healthy eating lifestyle – using my FIRM tapes and also speed walking. I went through some transitions in my life and exercise moved to the bottom of my priority list.

What Can Cause Cellulite?

Although most women will develop cellulite at some point in their lives, certain factors can determine when and how it occurs. This might include:

Genetics – A slow metabolism, race, gender, distribution of fat under the skin are factors that can predispose women to the development of cellulite.
Diet – An unhealthy diet of too much saturated fat or too many carbohydrates can speed up and increase the growth of cellulite.
Exercise – Not being physically active enough can lead to early cellulite development.
Clothing – Wearing tight undergarments that restrict blood flow can contribute to cellulite growth.

An interesting finding from Scientific American states that cellulite was not even an issue until the 1970’s and 1980s. During that period, there was a shift in diet and activity, as well as underwear. That is about the time Americans were into the “low fat diets” and sugar consumption exploded. In many cases, we began living more sedentary lifestyles with less physical activity. According to SA, “cellulite is always underneath where the elastics go, and if you draw an invisible line where the cellulite is, you will see where your panty lines are.” I found this to be quite accurate.

There are many promises of cellulite removal from creams to massages and these treatments will probably have to be ongoing for continued results. Any type of change in cellulite that is not obtained through diet and exercise is a short-term fix and probably not worth the money. Liposuction can go a long way in removing pockets of cellulite but that also is not a permanent cure. Proper diet and exercise have to be maintained in order for cellulite to be decreased or eliminated.

At the age of 43 I have noticed that to keep cellulite under control, my workouts have to be more rigorous than they were even three years ago. I have to watch what I eat more closely and if I slack off, the cellulite that did disappear (and it did with much hard work), does return.

Since we as women are probably going to get cellulite (unless you’re in that lucky 10% minority), use is a means of motivating you to work that much harder to stay in shape and to be healthy.