Cottage cheese thighs. Lumpy, bumpy belly fat. Ripple hips. Call it what you want, but by any name, cellulite is far from a friendly sight when it shows up on any part of the body. Sadly, nearly all of us have it.
What is cellulite and is it truly all that different from other forms of body fat? More importantly, is it possible to eliminate it and how?
You probably know what cellulite looks like, but how much do you actually know about what makes up cellulite and how it forms? Knowledge is power, especially when it comes to combating the dreaded cottage cheese thigh. Arm yourself with some accurate information on cellulite and other forms of body fat for your best bet to minimize its appearance on your body.
What Exactly is Cellulite?
Cellulite appears on the body as dimpled, puckered flesh most commonly affecting the thighs, stomach, hips, and buttocks of men and women. While it does in fact occur in both genders, it’s much more common in women as it affects 90% of all women and only gets worse with age.
In short, cellulite is caused by skin-deep fat deposits that put pressure on the crisscrossed tissue formations under the skin. These create unsightly and unwanted bumps on an otherwise typically smooth surface. Factors such as diet, body composition, age, gender, whether or not you smoke, and above all else, genetics, have a direct impact on an individual’s likelihood for developing this common skin condition.
Cellulite vs. Body Fat
Is cellulite different from other forms of body fat? The truth is a surprising yes. We all have fat in our bodies and nearly all of us have cellulite-based fat on our bodies as well. The difference is that regular bodily fat can be reduced or eliminated by adopting a healthy diet, engaging in regular exercise, and overall reducing excess weight.
Unfortunately, because cellulite is primarily rooted in genetics, weight management can help with its appearance but it cannot eliminate it altogether. Individuals ranging from overweight to underweight are susceptible to cellulite deposits due to the fact that where we store fat on our bodies is the product of our parents and their parents before them.
How Do You Get Rid of Cellulite?
If cellulite is based on genetics and lifestyle choices alone can’t correct it, is it therefore impossible to discover how to lose belly fat and eliminate cellulite?
Thankfully, the answer is no. Modern medicine and ongoing advancements in technology have created non-invasive, science-backed strategies to combat cellulite in the short term. Treatments such as lipo laser, cellulite removal, and body contouring techniques have been proven to reduce the appearance of cellulite. So, while it may be impossible to change your genes, science has made it possible to change how they affect your body.
