Is it fat or is it cellulite? Do you really know? Do you really care? The answer for most people is no, because if it's hanging off your body and making you feel bad, then does it matter what it's called. Let's try to put some history to the term cellulite. Cellulite is a term that came from France more than 150 years ago and the word started to appear in the English vocabulary in the 1960s. Cellulite has also been called other very unappealing names, like cottage cheese skin, orange peel syndrome and hail damage. Ironically, cellulite has no relation to cellulitis, which is an infection of the skin and its connective tissue.

Cellulite is not a symptom of being overweight, since average and underweight people can also have cellulite. It is estimated that over 80% of females develop some degree of cellulite after puberty. Women of all races can and do get cellulite, but it is more common in Caucasian women than in Asian women. There are factors involved that can determine whether a person has cellulite and how much they have. Some of these factors are, your gender, your genes, your age, how much fat is on your body and the thickness of your skin.

For whatever reason and probably to most women's chagrin, cellulite is not very prevalent in males. Not only that, but chances are if you do see it in males, it's probably because they're sick. Cellulite is mostly seen in males who are in an androgen-deficient state. What that means is that the male body has lower than normal amounts of male hormones, including testosterone. Cellulite can also occur in males after castration and in those men who are receiving estrogen therapy for prostate cancer.

It is important to note that, cellulite is a skin problem, not a fat problem; that's why people of all shapes and sizes can have cellulite. The fat that most of us complain about lies closer to the bone and it's what the body burns as fuel for energy. However, cellulite is made up of fat cells that make their home within the skin.

So, what can you do about this cellulite skin problem? Like with any abnormality that people perceive with their bodies, they will always search for remedies, whether real or illusory. Some people have tried to rid themselves of cellulite, with massages but apparently all this did was puff up the skin, making it look like the cellulite was gone, but of course, this was only temporary. Others have gone the more drastic route and tried liposuction. The problem with liposuction; besides the fact that all surgery carries a danger with it, is that liposuction was designed to remove fat and as we know, cellulite is in the skin. So just how effective is liposuction when it comes to cellulite? There are other treatments making the rounds that may or may not prove to help in the fight against cellulite. These include, creams and lotions, mesotherapy and using light. With all of these so-called treatments out there, maybe the best way to deal with cellulite is how we deal with anything weight related. Watch what you eat, how much you eat and have a good daily exercise regimen.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Cellulite