Curious about cellulite and your health? Is the amount of cellulite on your body any indication of your overall general health? Although it may just appear to be a cosmetic flaw that is hard to get rid of, there is more to the condition of cellulite than often meets the eye.
The word, “cellulite” was coined in the early 1920’s but didn’t become a household word until appeared in an edition of a popular woman’s magazine in the 1960s. Vanity played a major role in the coming of age of this word and knowledge of this condition just as vanity has played a major role in most conditions that cause some sort of blemish or “stain” on a person’s body.
The condition of cellulite, which generally occurs in women more than men, is the dimpling of skin on the legs, stomach, and hip areas, which generally occurs after puberty. There is a big difference between stretch marks and cellulite however. One fact holds true though, those who suffer with cellulite not only suffer from the condition itself, but also suffer from the social stigma that comes along with it.
Cellulite is brought on by a hormonal change, usually around the age of puppetry and is commonly mistaken to be a condition only for people who are overweight. This is not a fact, because people who are at their normal or even below normal weights will still get cellulite. It is agreed that the condition is related closely to estrogen, the female hormone, which is why most cases are found with women and not men.
One explanation as to why women have cellulite on the front of thighs area, and few men don’t, is because of how the male and female body structure differs. A woman’s tissue is not as flexible as a man’s so when a woman gains weight, the fat cells will push up and towards the top of the skin, which gives it that cottage cheese look. Men, however, have much less fat on their legs but their skin is thicker and hides what might be going on underneath the skin. Plainly put, men hide it but women can’t. There really is very little known about the causes of cellulite but many believe that it has a lot to do with a person’s metabolism and the way their body deals with fat.
An interesting fact to consider about cellulite and your health is that cellulite is most likely a condition that somebody is predisposed to depending upon a variety of different aspects, such as sex, race, and the cellular structures or “hormone receptors”. By being classified in one or more of these classes, you may risk a higher chance of developing cellulite whereas others might not.
Although cellulite is not caused by being overweight, the foods you eat do play a significant part in the development of the condition. Diets high in sodium, fats, and carbohydrates, as well as diets too low in proper amounts of fiber considerably put you at risk for the development of cellulite.
The way you live your life also tends to be a determining factor in the development of cellulite and your health in general. People who eat starchy or fatty foods, tend to stand or sit in one position for a long amount of time, and who smoke are more likely to develop the signs of cellulite, even if they were not predisposed to the condition. It is also shown the extreme stress and anxiety causes and increase in a hormone called “catecholamine” which increases the chance of forming cellulite even to a higher percentage.
There are different stages of cellulite ranging from mild (unseen) to severe and painful cellulite.
- The first stage there are no visible detection and can only be found by doing a pathology of the cells below the surface of the skin.
- The second stage will show some change in the skin texture but still not real outward symptom, such as the dimpling will appear.
- By stage three there are true visible signs of the condition, especially when the skin is resting. In the deep layers of the skin, granulation can be felt when examined.
- Stage four; the symptoms are severe and sometimes quite painful. Lumps which attach themselves deep within the thick layers of the skin begin to push outward which causes the “dimpling” effect.