Cellulite: Definition and Causes
Fat is deposited under the skin in clusters of cells held together by a fibrous network of connective tissue. The pattern of fat storage in your body is partly controlled by the sex hormones. In men, the fat is stored in a fairly uniform manner. In women, on the other hand, fat is stored to a large extent, in one or two specific areas like the thighs and the buttocks. Some ‘body care people’ have termed the fat stored in these areas as cellulite.
Tension, fatigue, smoking, lack of exercise, alcohol, and drugs have been held responsible for the poisoning of connective tissue and formation of cellulite; these factors are thought to slow down the rate of elimination of waste materials from the body and these then collect in the connective tissues.
It stands to logic that if you eat more than you require, you would put on weight. The body can easily store this excess fat in the skin. When too much fat is stored, it tends to bulge out between the fibres of connective tissue. The overlying skin then begins to look and feel uneven and flabby. Doctors also agree that too many calories and too little exercise both contribute to this excessive collection of fat.
Doctors, however, do not regard cellulite formation as a special condition at all: they think that cellulite is nothing but a fancy name for excess fat. Chemical analysis has shown that Cellulite is similar to ordinary fat. There is also no indication of the presence of any abnormal connective tissue or excess amount of water in the skin of people having excess amounts of the so-called cellulite.
Cellulitis: prevention and treatment for Cellulite
Anti-cellulite diets-
These diets claim to purify the body and to eliminate the so-called “poisoning agents”. They basically contain the all too familiar list of low calorie foods- plenty of raw vegetables, skimmed milk, cheese, fish and lean meat. Logically, they exclude the so called ‘body polluters’ like chocolates, chips, and alcohol — all having many many calories. So, naturally these anti-cellulite diets will help you lose weight.
Apart from their low calori value, these anti-cellulite diets contain plenty of fluids, restrict salt intake and contain large amounts of iodine. Fluids are included because they are supposed to increase kidney activity and speed up the rate at which your body gets rid of the waste materials. Once the “poisons” are eliminated, the cellulite would follow. But this is a hypothetical explanation, because doctors do not believe that the kidney activity has anything to do with accumulation and elimination of fat.
Iodine is included to hasten up burning up of fat. Iodine is used up normally in the body by the thyroid gland to produce hormones which control the rate at which fuel is burnt. Including extra iodine in the diet is, however, unlikely to be of any use in speeding up the process of getting rid of fat, as the thyroid gland only needs a minute amount of iodine and this is generally provided by a normal balanced diet.
‘Massage type’ appliances for cellulite treatment
There are several models of these gadgets available — small portable models can be bought for use at home. Saloons have the more powerful versions, which need trained staff to operate. These appliances basically consist of rubber pads, which are Strapped to the body. On switching on the current, the muscles are stimulated to expand and contract about 40 times a minute. This forms a passive alternative to active exercises. Over a period of weeks, you can improve your muscle tone, thereby firming up the flabby flesh. So you tend to lose inches, but there is no loss of weight as there is no burning up of calories.
These passive exercises are actually only a poor substitute to active exercises, which have several other beneficial effects besides firming up muscles. These gadgets are of use for those of you, who are heavily overweight and out of condition till such time that you can build up your stamina to undertake the optimum active exercises. And since use of these gadgets requires very little physical effort, you can use them for long periods of time without getting tired. In addition, you can work on specific problem areas, such as poorly shaped thighs or a protuberant tummy.
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