Description of Cellulite

Cellulite isn’t actually a name of a part of the body or even a name of the skin which is affected by it. It is actually a name of a non harmful condition that many people have issues with. It simply is the dimpling of the skin especially in the lower butt, hip and thigh that women are particularly prone to developing as they start to mature in age. This condition does happen to men but in much smaller numbers because of their reduced fat content in their butt and thigh areas.

Although the onset of cellulite is normally gradual sometimes specific occurrences of cellulite happen. It can really stress people out but most of the time fast onset means that it will only last for the short term. Sometimes females who are post pubescent will experience a fast onset of cellulite due to the burst of hormones that their bodies experience at the time. This is especially true if they are on a diet of high carbohydrates / starch and fat. Fortunately for situations like this the affects are not normally long lasting and will subside over time if they control their diets.

There is a common misconception that cellulite is caused by being overweight, lack of exercising or a poor diet. These factors can combine to cause a higher incidence of cellulite however are not 100% to blame. Most of the time cellulite is caused by genes and hereditary factors beyond the control of the individual.

On factor that I’d like to especially touch on is about the link between cellulite and being overweight. To be fair there is almost no link! It is perfectly plausible for a skinny person to suffer from cellulite and a fat person to have perfectly smooth butt and thighs. Of all the factors controlled by individuals that contribute to cellulite, the one with the most affect is your diet. A diet with a high amount of processed foods laced with high fat content and simple carbohydrates will contribute quite significantly to the onset of cellulite if you have the genes that make your prone to the condition.

Cellulite and Higher Female Occurrences

Although the exact causes and the reason for cellulite to develop isn’t 100% known there is a reason why females are much more likely to develop this condition compared to males. The reason lays in four main factors.

Firstly female fat structure and fat connective tissue structure is different compared to male. Females have connective structures which are much more rigid and less tensile compared to men’s. Therefore any increase in the size of the fat cells will mean that the fat will have no where to expand to except up, this creating the dimpled orange peel affect.

Secondly, men generally have thicker skin. This thicker skin is able to mask of any dimpling that might happen in the fat layer of the skin so the surface of the skin will not look as dimpled compared to a female with similar fat composition on their butt and thighs.

Thirdly, and most obviously men simply do not have as much fat in their butt and thigh areas. The smaller deposit of fat means that the fat cells will almost always never have to expand upwards due to a lack of space between the connective tissues. Men will instead have a tendency to accumulate fat around the stomach and back areas which almost never create a cellulite affect.

Lastly, is that cellulite has a much higher occurrence when exposed to the female hormone estrogen. For reasons unknown estrogen seems to start and also aggravate the cellulite condition in females. Independent studies have confirmed that when estrogen levels have been reduced that cellulite levels will also be reduced over a period of time.

Other Causes of Cellulite

In addition to the female factors that we have discussed above there are also other factors that can also push the development of cellulite. The first additional factor is the other hormones (not including estrogen) that are produced by the body. The most obvious in this case is insulin. Insulin is produced by the body when starch is converted to sugar and it signals the body’s cells to take up the sugar. High levels of insulin for sustained amounts of time have been shown to greatly increase the size of fat molecules especially those in cellulite prone areas.

Another important factor that causes cellulite is the genetic makeup of the individual along with their hereditary predisposure to the condition. Some things like the individual’s gender, biological type, body type and also race will play a very large role in determining if they will develop a cellulite problem when they get older.

Lifestyle and food factors also weigh in largely to be one of the leading causes of cellulite. Those that are particularly prone to develop cellulite are those that have poor diets, lack exercise and have jobs that require them to stand in one position for long periods of time. When all these combine it is almost impossible to avoid the development of cellulite even if you are a guy. Of all the lifestyle factors, diet is one of the most determinant factors and should be watched carefully if you want to reduce your chances of developing cellulite or want to treat the condition.

In the below sections we will cover how you can treat cellulite. We will split it into two sections so you can easily understand the procedures:

- Diets for Cellulite;
- Exercises for Cellulite.