This much discussed and written about 'ailment' is not an illness at all. The orange-peel-like skin that characterizes cellulite is not the result of a build up of toxins, but rather something that happens to the skin of most women - and it's almost only women who complain of this problem (98% of sufferers being female). This is because women have thinner outer skin than men, a thinner underlying level of the dermis and a different composition of fat cells in the subcutaneous layer.

Cellulite is caused by a combination of hormone changes, skin structure, and fat deposits, and though it occurs in women of all shapes and sizes, it is undeniably more common in those who are overweight.

Despite being a cosmetic problem, cellulite is the cause of considerable distress to those suffering from it. And since a woman's total number of fat cells is partially determined by her mother's nutrition during pregnancy, there are certain women who are more prone than others to experience this particular problem.