Studies confirm that many women - nearly 90% - have cellulite somewhere on their body. Cellulite, or the infamous cottage cheese thighs is a constant battle for many women (and even some men). Cellulite is simply another term for extra fat on our bodies. The difference between cellulite and normal fat is that the fat in cellulite has pushed against the cell walls and expanded into the middle layer of the skin. In this middle layer, the added fat pulls on connective tissues creating that dimpled look we only wish was on our face. Cellulite can most often be found on hips, buttock, thighs and the stomach.

Why do we get cellulite? There are many reasons people may have cellulite, ranging from an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise to heredity factors and skin thickness. Supply has definitely met demand when it comes to cellulite treatments. There are a multitude of products and treatments that claim to permanently rid your body of those small skin craters.

Chemical treatments, dietary supplements, massage machines, laser therapy,wraps, and mesotherapy - a controversial treatment that involves injecting drugs directly into the cellulite - are among the few options out there. Most of these treatments have not shown any significant reduction in cellulite. Most are also unsubstantiated by any medical testing. Some treatments, such as massage, can show minor changes; however,they're only a temporary fix to a problem that will keep coming back, making those already-expensive treatments even more costly to maintain! If you're wondering about liposuction, don't! The process of vacuuming out fat can actually make dimples more prominent by sucking out too much fat near the surface of the skin.

The questions is how can we get rid of cellulite? The answer may not be what you want to hear, but completely eliminating cellulite is extremely difficult, if not impossible. If you're one of the millions of people who have been gifted with cellulite from your parents, it will be even harder to fight genetics! But don't give up. It is definitely possible to reduce the appearance of cellulite through healthy diet and exercise. Not too shocking, huh. But it's true - diet and exercise are so important for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, now you have yet another reason to make a diet and exercise plan and stick with it. Try and eat a wide variety of foods, that include lean protein sources, complex carbohydrates and plenty of fruits and veggies. This will help keep additional fat from being stored. For exercise, combine cardio (walking, jogging, biking, swimming) with weight lifting to keep your muscles toned, which help ward off those unseemly dimples.