A friend of mine used to brag about her butt. She was fairly confident that it was her best feature. As she got older, she started to worry a bit that the “cottage cheese” had started to show up on her derriere. I never inspected it too closely, and didn’t worry all that much about it. And, according to a recent article I read from the LA Times, cellulite is a common occurrence in most women and is fairly difficult to eradicate.
The article, which featured ads on the side advertising liposuction for $1195, contained a great deal of statistics about just common cellulite actually is. The writer goes into great depth about what exactly cellulite is; the story is not pretty and not for the faint of heart.
From the LA Times:
"An article at Mayo Clinic.com explained that cellulite is caused by clumps of fat cells pushing up against the skin that are interspersed with fibrous cords connected to the muscle underneath. The cords pull the skin down in places and the fat bulges up in between, creating a dimpling effect."
That’s at least one reason to think about getting back on the treadmill. Not that it always helps. The writer concludes that exercise and diet change may or may not help decrease cellulite, but that it might decrease the appearance of cellulite.
Which is a great help to most women, I’m sure. To his credit, the writer actually did an informal survey in which most of the 100 respondents claimed that they hadn’t lost any cellulite from exercise, even when they had shed extra pounds.
The problem with the survey as I see it is that the women who tend to exercise the most are often the most critical of their bodies. Relying on their own opinions of their respective cellulite and body fat probably isn’t the most reliable method. So, he turned to the medical experts, who were also a little murky on the subject of cellulite; they seemed to cautiously recommend exercise as a way to decrease the appearance of cellulite.
But only cautiously.
There is dispute about whether or not liposuction will decrease or increase the appearance of liposuction, much to the chagrin to the entire female population of Las Angeles. The creams and other treatments haven’t yet been proven to be effective and other methods don’t necessarily work either.
Of course, the worse part in the entire story is when author James F. Spell reminds his readers that he is “just a guy” and that “guys don’t get cellulite.”
Thanks, James. I’m sure all your female readers are exceptionally happy to be reminded of that little fact. (Ladies, is it time to remind him that most women don’t go bald?)