Amber Rogers is an American Personal Trainer based in San Francisco who writes a popular blog (gokaleo.com) about her experiences as a former obese individual now making health, fitness and good nutrition her profession. Recently she addressed a subject of special interest to most women whether they care to admit it or not. Cellulite. Below is a depiction of the way women’s bodies store fat. From the Mayo Clinic:
“Cellulite is caused by fibrous connective cords that tether the skin to the underlying muscle, with the fat lying between. As the fat cells accumulate, they push up against the skin, while the long, tough cords are pulling down. This creates an uneven surface or dimpling.”
As Amber explains in her blog this is a matter of structural mechanics. It’s not caused by poor circulation, PUFAs, animal foods, sugar, toxins, ‘negative energy’, poor diet, laziness, or any of the other novel and ridiculous things people have come up with to sell you ‘cellulite cures’. Men are less prone to cellulite for three reasons: their connective tissues have more of a criss-cross pattern, their skin is actually thicker so any unevenness in fat below the skin is less evident, and they store more fat viscerally (around their internal organs) than subcutaneously (between the skin and muscle). basically, their bodies are structurally different. While it may seem frustrating, there is actually very little anyone can do to eliminate cellulite as concluded by Dr Molly Wanner, from Harvard Medical School, in her 2008 study. Dr Wanner did an in-depth review of cellulite treatments and the evidence supporting them. Her ultimate conclusion about cellulite ‘treatments’?:
“The best of the currently available treatments have, at most, shown mild improvements in the appearance of cellulite, most of which are not maintained over time.”
So, perhaps it’s time to get over cellulite, as difficult as that may be. Focus on reducing body fat by increasing lean muscle, not specifically just trying to lose fat. Increase muscle and body fay WILL go down. Make it happen with appropriately structured resistance based training and strong nutritional choices.
