Medical and government authorities say that cellulite those dimply bulges that collect on the thighs and buttocks of thousands upon thousands of despairing women is just plain flab.
If youve heard that cellulite is something unique, a buildup of toxins and wastes that you can get rid of only with special creams, massages or other treatments, forget it. There is no medical condition known or described as cellulite, says the Journal of the American Medical Association. When doctors look at cellulite: under a microscope, what they see is ordinary fat.
Certain body cells have the ability to hold enormous amounts of fat. Fast has to be stored someplace, and people vary in their characteristic storage depots. These variations tend to run in families. In addition, men generally park their excess poundage around their middle, while women often carry it well below the belt. The unhappy result is frequently whats become known as cellulite: fat deposits on the thighs and fanny that get their orange peel appearance from overstuffed fat cells that bulge up just beneath the skin surface.
What can you do about the hard-to-budge pudge? The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warn that the first thing you should do is ignore any claims about special treatments that get rid of those lumps. Hang on to the money you were planning to spend on special sponges, washcloths, mitts, creams, vitamin-mineral supplement, books, bath liquids, massagers, rubberized pant, brushes, rollers, and toning lotions. Stay away also from salon treatments, which are equally worthless and costly.
Does that mean you cant get rid of cellulite? Not at all. Obesity experts advise using exactly the same tactics as you would on any other body bulge: exercise and a carefully balanced weight-loss diet.
About the author: Robin Westen writes about health for national magazines.
See what others have to say about this story or leave a comment of your own
