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Cellulite: The Bottom Line

About 95 percent of women complain that they have some degree of cellulite. What the French call "peau d'orange" or (rather nastily) "graisse parasite" (inactive fat), we call "cellulite", "cottage cheese fat", "orange-peel skin" or just plain "aaargh!"

No one knows for sure why women lose out in this particular battle of the sexes. For starters, women have an average of 35 billion fat cells compared with 28 billion in men. While cellulite is linked to obesity meaning you're prone to it if you're overweight, slim women too are not spared - they may have a high percentage of body fat around their thighs and buttocks which can go all wobbly. Puberty, pregnancy, going on the pill and menopause are times in a woman's life when cellulite often appears or accelerates.

Poor lymphatic drainage, sluggish circulation, constipation, weak functioning of liver and kidneys are common in women prone to cellulite. Cosmetologists postulate that a harmonious equilibrium must exist in the fat cell layer for the skin to remain smooth. Stress, poor diet, too much tea, coffee, salt and/or lack of exercise can increase fat storage and disturb this equilibrium.

Fat is stored as triglycerides in fat cells. Lipolysis is the process in which triglycerides are split into free fatty acids (FFAs) and glycerol. This reaction involves triglyceride lipase, a key enzyme in the breakdown of fat. FFAs and glycerol which are released into the bloodstream provide body systems and muscles the energy that they need. Phosphodiesterase (PDE) found in fat cells can inhibit lipolysis. Certain compounds such as theobromine and caffeine can inactivate PDE which in turn enhances the performance of triglyceride lipase to breakdown stubborn fat.

Lipogenesis is the process in which the circulating FFAs are reconstructed into triglycerides which then enter fat cells increasing their size. This reaction requires the lipoprotein lipase enzyme which encourages the storage of fat. This causes the unsightly bulges apparent in cellulite. When present in high concentrations, caffeine reduces the activity of this fat-storing enzyme, making it an effective anti-cellulite agent.


Fat Facts

  • Fat cells develop during certain periods of life - before birth and during growth periods like infancy and adolescence. Though the number of fat cells may be genetically determined, it appears that if we are overfed, or we overeat during these periods, more fat cells are produced.
  • As adults, we possess a specific number of fat cells. They increase in size when we take in more calories than we use. When fat cells get larger, they puff out - the result is the 'old mattress phenomenon', that is the pitting, bulging and dimpling so characteristic of cellulite.
  • Slim people generally have less fat cells or smaller fat cells than heavier people. When a person starts losing weight, the cells decrease in size but the number of fat cells remains unchanged.
  • A fat cell stores approximately 0.5 micrograms of fat. An average individual has between 30-50 billion of fat cells throughout the body. This translates to approximately 15kg of fat which serves as his or her spare tank or energy reserve

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