I’m not sure there is a trait that is used more ubiquitously to shame women than the presence of cellulite. Case in point:
Uh…Scarlett Johansson does NOT look like hell. She looks freakin’ HAWT.
Listen folks. Cellulite is not a ‘problem’. It is not a flaw. Cellulite is a normal function of the way women’s bodies store fat. 80-90% of women have cellulite to some degree. Lean women have cellulite, healthy women have cellulite, vegan women have cellulite, paleo women have cellulite, celebrities have cellulite, body builders have cellulite, bikini models have cellulite, women in isolated cultures who still live a hunter-gatherer lifestyle have cellulite, women with access to unlimited amounts of plastic surgery have cellulite. Most of the women reading this have cellulite. You’re not flawed. You’re normal.
An Anatomy Lesson
Above is a depiction of the way women’s bodies store fat. From the Mayo Clinic:
“Cellulite is caused by fibrous connective cords that tether the skin to the underlying muscle, with the fat lying between. As the fat cells accumulate, they push up against the skin, while the long, tough cords are pulling down. This creates an uneven surface or dimpling.”
This is a matter of structural mechanics, folks. It’s not caused by poor circulation, PUFAs, animal foods, sugar, toxins, ‘negative energy’, poor diet, laziness, or any of the other novel and ridiculous things charlatans have come up with to sell you ‘cellulite cures’. Men are less prone to cellulite for three reasons: their connective tissues have more of a criss-cross pattern, their skin is actually thicker so any unevenness in fat below the skin is less evident, and they store more fat viscerally (around their internal organs) than subcutaneously (between the skin and muscle). Ie, their bodies are structurally different.
In 2008, Dr. Molly Wanner, from Harvard Medical School, did an in-depth review of cellulite treatments and the evidence supporting them. You can see the abstract here. I got my hands on the full text and wasn’t surprised at all by the conclusion she reached after examining the evidence:
“The best of the currently available treatments have, at most, shown mild improvements in the appearance of cellulite, most of which are not maintained over time.”
In other words, even the best treatments produce only mild changes and those changes are temporary. When you consider how expensive cellulite treatments are, and how painful and time consuming some of them can be, I have to ask WHY we are willing to spend the money and put ourselves through the discomfort for such a minimal return on our investment. I’ll tell you why: because the media and our culture have made us feel ashamed of something that is perfectly normal and that almost ALL of us have. And in response, we spend our emotional and financial resources chasing an impossible ideal. It’s time to get the hell over it. We have FAR far far better things to do with our time and energy and money than ‘fight’ cellulite.
And here’s another thing, for the single women reading. Once a man has seen a couple real-life women naked, he knows that real-life women have cellulite and stretch marks and jiggly thighs and other normal little traits that the media tries to convince us are flaws. Men who expect women to be perfect are men who have more experience with porn and magazines and blow-up dolls than real-life women. Any man who judges your worth on the basis of the presence of cellulite is only doing you the favor of letting you know that he doesn’t have much experience with women, and that he isn’t worth your time. There are plenty of men out there who know what real-life women look like, and who will value you for who you are and not the dimpliness of your thighs. Do yourself the favor of not wasting your time on the former.
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Check out my ebook Taking Up Space for more on body image, cultural ideals, and eating to support a healthy weight.
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You rock.
Thank you!
I just love your approach so very much – thank you for your wit, your candor and your intelligent common sense. Kickass.
Thank you Jenn!
Epic. Love this! You hit the nail on the head! I’ve actually never been bothered by cellulite on my thighs, never thought of it as a problem when I was skinny or heavy. But I understand that so many women do. Its saddening. All the time, money, and/or emotional energy they waste on trying to fix/worrying about, something natural and normal. You’re beautiful ladies! Don’t you forget it!
The existence of cellulite treatments makes me ragestroke. I was researching a similar (never published) post last year and I kept finding all of these horror stories about women who were seriously disfigured – and in some cases even died – as a result of these quack-a-doo “treatments.” Even though I’m pretty sure no one has ever died from having cellulite in their entire lives.
Yes, I didn’t even get into the dangers of some of the treatments. It’s awful. We think cultures that encourage female circumcision or feet binding or other forms of female mutilation are barbaric, but look what we voluntarily do to ourselves here in the good ol’ USA!!!
Yes, just think how much the hype about cellulite has sold in the way of creams & surgeries, etc… Bashing woman’s bodies has made many entities/individuals very wealthy.
Thanks for the post!
What an awesome way for to see the light in cellulite!
Or, the ‘lite in cellulite!
Scarlett Johanssen looks amazing, I wish for her cellulite any day!! Tabloids are ridiculous. Why does everyone want us to hate ourselves?!
Because when we hate ourselves we’ll buy their useless crap.
Eh. Painfully true.
Her body is bangin’. Not a dang thing wrong with her. Too bad that some people are so harsh.
I would be curious to hear others comments on the women who are obsessed with ridding themselves of cellulite
I’ve always known that cellulite was just “one of those things” – everyone has it, impossible to get rid of. But I never bothered to read up on what exactly causes it, so it was nice to read a scientific explanation. Thanks! Also, Scarlett Johansson looks amazing in that photo. Nothing wrong with that backside!
Yeah, the resounding opinion of the men in my news feed is that Scarlett is eminently do-able.
While I fully endorse the idea of accepting our bodies (even though I still struggle), and I understand that cellulite is prevalent among women and not easily rid of, I am of the mind that if you eat as cleanly as possible and work out with intention, cellulite is not something that is to be embraced and loved because bottom line (as evidenced in photo above), it is not attractive. My opinion, no disrespect intended.
Who gets to decide what’s attractive, and therefore ‘worthy’ of acceptance? Oh that’s right, the media and popular culture.
The conditioning runs strong in you.
*APPLAUSE* to Go Kaleo for the response.
I feel badly for anyone who, like Susan, has internalized these terrible messages so deeply and without any examination, and believes our natural bodies are something which we should battle.
“The conditioning runs strong in you.”
Haha! This sounds like Yoda. I’m going to start thinking of you as the Yoda of Fitness. Great post once again. Thanks for reminding us to think for ourselves and not be led around by the nose by the media, or by shallow men.
Susan, what if you grew up thinking the look of cellulite was just normal and no one ever pointed it out or talked about it? You’d probably not have the opinion that it’s not attractive. It would just be there, no big deal.
Perhaps, but I did not grow up in a family that placed ANY emphasis on bodies, specifically female bodies. I just know that aesthetically cellulite is not attractive. Again, my opinion, and there is no underlying psychological, or any other hidden meaning.
Jean Kilbourne’s documentary “Killing Us Softly” is a must-see on the topic of how the ad industry contorts women’s self-images (and men’s images of women). I saw the film on vimeo.
There’s also a TED talk about how porn gives men unrealistic ideas about sex. Another must-see for all young hormonal men.
People totally need to get real about bodies, sex, and relationships
Wait… so you didn’t get the sarcasm about Scarlett Johansson? The point is that she looks amazing, as evidenced in the photo above.
Your thoughts are understood. My opinion has nothing to do with media, or any other convoluted outside source, it is simply the way I feel. I do not think cellulite is attractive, nor do I think it is a choice, but again, my opinion of what I find attractive. Emphasis on “my opinion”.
The question isn’t whether or not cellulite is or isn’t attractive. Like a lot of things in life, it just “is.” Plain and simple.
That’s kind of like saying you find noses unattractive on women.
From one Susan to another let me offer a piece of advice: you’re still struggling with body acceptance because you think that if you eat as cleanly as possible and work out with intention you’re going to someday be perfect. You won’t be, even if a lurking paparazzo snaps a picture of you with a perfectly smooth, taut backside. You certainly won’t feel perfect. Relax your standards. It’s kind of like looking at a picture of pubic hair. A picture of it is not all that attractive, but who cares in real life. If my husband started waxing his man parts, I would not be thinking how aesthetically pleasing they are, now. I would be calling for an appointment with a shrink. I think Amber nailed it when she said that the guy who posted this probably has only had relations with victoria secret catalog in his mom’s guest bathroom. Any red-blooded guy looking at her would be thinking about how hot she is. In fact, I showed my husband the picture (sans captions) and asked if he thought she was attractive– he was like ” is this a trick question? Am I supposed to say not as a hot as you or too skinny or something?” When I assured him honesty was in order he answered, ” um, she’s gorgeous.” Me: “what about the cellulite?” Him: “what’s cellulite?” (he grew up with a bunch of brothers, no girls- still confused about periods and such) Me: “you know — the dimpled skin on her thigh”. Him: “Don’t all girls have that? you sure do.” Then he proceeded to playfully give me a slap on my behind. End of story.
Uh….thank you for your insight as to my struggles (sarcasm noted). I know what MY struggles are and I can assure you that my opinion re cellulite is again, just MY opinion. No psychoanalysis needed, thank you. And as an aside, I do not think man parts are aesthetically pleasing, whether au natural or waxed. And before you respond to that, I am happily married for 30 years, have four children, and still find my husband very attractive.
I get that it’s your opinion and I can say that most people are in agreement that man parts, cellulite, stretch marks, etc… are not attractive. I know I agree — at least when you see it on the screen or some glossy pic– but, who gives a fig in real life with real people. Your opinion is a majority one. But your opinion that you just have to eat as clean as possible and exercise to get rid of the abomination is, frankly, tiresome and sad in the comments on this page and in this article. I’m sorry if you thought my remarks were patronizing, but I swear I don’t know what happens to women in middle age that they think if they just get all their ducks in a row–eat perfectly, look perfect, perfect house, perfect kids– that they are going to win the game of life. I’m not saying this is you– I don’t know you, but I know that anyone who mentions ‘eating as clean as possible’ is fiddling with perfectionism. That juice ain’t worth the squeeze. Of course be healthy and take care of your appearance, but not as much as possible. Don’t exercise as much as possible, don’t eat clean as much as possible, don’t keep your house as clean as possible, don’t earn as much money as possible.
Let me get this straight, you look at this photo and think Scarlett Johanson must not be “eating cleanly and working out with intent”?!? Do you get that it is a still photo? Not staged, no make-up, not air-brushed, not professionally lit… I guarantee that if you saw Scarlett in real life that day, your jaw would hit the floor. She looks amazing.
Doesn’t this cause you even for a moment to consider that perhaps your standards of beauty are completely unrealistic? You are finding flaw in a woman who is almost impossibly beautiful. God help the rest of us!
No, Bob, I am looking at the photo of a woman who has cellulite. I never once said she was not pretty or that I am privy to whether she works out or eats a healthy diet. AGAIN, whatever the cause, or whether you eat healthy and work out, I do not think cellulite is attractive. Period. Only that. God bless the people who are happy with their bodies and have no desire to be their best, cellulite or not. Remember the saying, your body is a temple. If you want to justify your eating and/or workout ethics by blaming cellulite, and it makes you feel good, by all means, do so. But, at the end of this day and every day, I find it unattractive. Enough said.
I’m pretty sure Susan isn’t who s/he says s/he is, or s/he wouldn’t be so emotionally invested in keeping this argument going.
Mature, emotionally healthy adults generally aren’t compelled to engage over a three day span in a matter as trivial as this. If they even feel the need to share their opinion in the first place, they certainly don’t return day after day to defend their stance on what is ultimately an extremely insignificant subject (ie, their opinion on the attractiveness of cellulite).
Hmmmm….interesting. Thanks for the insight. Truly. And, I can assure you I am exactly who I say I am..54 yo woman, married for 30 years, with 4 (yes 4) daughters, who enjoys working out for the good feelings, and to eat healthy for the same reasons. Also enjoy reading what i thought were insightful forums and fitness and women, etc. So to be certain I have this straight, this is supposed to be a blog where opinions are expressed and rebuttals made, but apparently only a limited number of rebuttals? I thought you were operating a forum that encouraged opinions and responses. Apparently, I was wrong. My bad. Last response. The end.
Keep rebutting all you want ‘Susan’.
THANK YOU!
as a woman learning to love her
cellulite, stretch marks & jiggly thighs,
and slowly embracing all of those other aspects of my body
that i have spent so long despising
i thank you for reminding us once again of how distorted our perceptions can be
you are a beautiful human being
Thanks Mel! You’re beautiful too.
While I LOVE this post, I have to say that the problem is with all the pictures of the baby smooth thighs and bottoms that we see all over the place allowing us to think think that it’s not impossible and that if we workout hard enough it will go away. While this is the part of the media that is mentioned above, I have seen smooth bottoms in women. So is it just some women have more of a problem with it than others, or is there hope that if we work hard enough we can have a somewhat smooth bottom? I would love to have some insight because I have a couple dimples on my bottom that I would love to have go away.
I had a really candid combo with my trainer the other day. 1st of all I’m 40, 5’4″ 128 lbs. 37,27,34. I love to exercise in all forms. But I’m always striving for PERFECTION. I was going to do a figure/bikini muscle comp. (he is a coach) he told me I have the right shape to do well. But he said what entails to get there is not healthy. He said you are built the way a woman is supposed to be voluptuous. Not ripped.
“Men who expect women to be perfect are men who have more experience with porn and magazines and blow-up dolls than real-life women.”
This and the next few sentences….pure awesome….I love it.
I love this. It’s sad that we can all back it up with science as much as we want but misconceptions propagated by the media keep on winning the battle. Thanks for raising the issue, we just can’t do it enough times.
everything about this is spot-on! we have been so deeply conditioned to believe that if we eat cleanly enough, work out hard enough, work out the “right” way…that we’ll have the flawless, bump-free, cellulite-free, and sometimes pore-free (and utterly photoshopped!) bodies we see in magazines and in the media. a lot of industries make a LOT of money convincing us that we need to be “fixed.” thanks for some wonderful words of truth!
Keeping women focused on something that isn’t an imperfection potentially deprives women of real lives and enjoying activities. I recently started wearing short shorts once a week to the gym, because I discovered that wearing a swimsuit in public panicked me. I realized that with my upcoming first triathlon that such fears were inconvenient and I decided to de-sensitize myself. My legs are strong and I worked hard to knock off a few pounds. They work beautifully and I am proud of them even though I still limp from my stroke. Life is short. People stare at me because I limp. For the people who sneer at me in my shorts, all I can say is enjoy the view of my cellulite because when I’ve run 3.5 miles on the treadmill after finishing a spinning class the last thing I’m thinking about is the appearance of my thighs. I’m so happy to be alive.
For every person who sneers at you there are a hundred people who consider you an inspiration.
Thank you.
You are awesome and I wish you the best of luck on your triathlon . I did the same thing I hid my legs during hot seasons because I was embarrassed now I lift weights everyday I am a size 8 from a size 12 and am as strong as I have ever been. My daughters see me work out and they are proud of me!! That’s all I need, so I wear shorts working out and can squat 70lbs.. No ones going to make me feel bad about it!!
Good for you! What a great role model for your kids!
My ass doesn’t look as good as it did when I was in my twenties but it doesn’t concern me. Humans have a pretty brief window when they look their best and then you get another 50-60 years where you have to accept you can’t be 19 years old forever.
I can’t relate to a woman under the age of 40. Scarlett is gorgeous but way too young.
Great post! One thing that every woman ought to keep in mind is how unrealistic those images of “perfect” bodies are. Unrealistic not in the context of out of our reach, but because those “ideals” don’t exist in the first place. There is not a single image out there that doesn’t go through extensive airbrushing and photoshopping. So at the very least we can educate ourselves on how to consume media responsibly, and separate fact from fiction.
I think this story is really purposeful and enlightening! I am one of the many women who have in the past been bothered by the unflattering cellulite in the back of my thighs so much i considered harsh treatments. Growing up having suffered eating disorders just to feel thin was damaging enough. Then I became a mom grew up and have two daughters that look up to me everyday I make it a point to tell them there beautiful just how they are. I had to finally accept my body and realize that I can wear shorts too even if I don’t have perfect legs. I’m confident and I’m beautiful without having to waste money and go through laser treatments that literally burn fat through heat. Ouch!! I just said “fu@%” it I’m proud of who I am and if you don’t like it then turn around!
Rad KC, your daughters are lucky to have a mom who ‘gets’ it.
Criticizing Scarlett Johanson for not being Photoshopped all the time and having a beach vacation like a normal person should be grounds for exclusion from the human race on account of being a jerk. She has a perfectly healthy body, her boyfriend has a perfectly healthy interest in it, and what business is it of whatever celebrity stalker site which posted that anyway?
And cellulite is still just an undocumented feature, not a bug.
Discovering this website (thru a friend) is the best thing to happen to me in 20 years, fitness and body-acceptance speaking. I just LOVE. IT. Thank you, thank you Go Kaleo for your message.
Thank you, Vicki!
Photoshop and plastic surgery has ruined our perceptions. Wish we could go back to the days of real people with real bodies, hair and faces. Those were the days. :-/
love this post Amber!
deb xo
WORD.
Me too, Debbie! Thanks.
Can I just say–from the perspective of a gladly grey over-50 woman–AMEN. It’s ridiculous. BEing is being steadily overshadowed by LOOKing. Doesn’t matter what you do or who you are; it only matters that you LOOK “good.”
Interestingly, it’s spreading to the men, too, and it’s doubly nauseating to me to see a plucked and creaseless old guy with doll hair who thinks he’s got it all going on. Give me a man or a woman with their life story written on their bodies/faces every time. I have some stuff to talk about with THAT person.
Poor hideous Scarlett Johanson. I’m sure men everywhere are gouging their eyes out. And women.
Yes, I imagine she stays up at night agonizing that teeny-peened internet dudebros think her cellulite is gross.
http://www.naturalnews.com/038945_cellulite_hormones_cosmetic_surgery.html
I am going to have to respectfully disagree with you on this one. Cellulite is preventable by lowering stress and understanding your body’s nutritional needs, finding the correct metabolic balance. I believe, telling women that is acceptable (or not preventable) is misleading. I have worked with women who drastically reduced or lost all of their cellulite by reducing their stress levels (getting rid of a the stress “x” factors in their lives – bad relationships, changing jobs, etc.) and cutting out ALL processed foods and from their diets and learning to eat based off of their metabolic type -carb, protein, mixed. I am not saying that a female, or male for that matter, is bad, wrong, ugly or should beat themselves up over having cellulite, BUT to say “it’s OK live with it” is to sell someone short. Cellulite is a sign of something being out of balance, just like all unpleasant physical conditions form belly fat to insomnia. Our bodies display external signs when something is internally wrong – acne is a perfect example of this. The problem with cellulite is individuals seek to “treat” cellulite with exercise specific and other chemical or surgical procedures and fail to address it through their eating habits (like Hippocrates said, “Let they food be thy medicine, they medicine by they food”) and thought patterns. Fat absorbs toxins (that’s why we crave it when we have hang-overs), so the more toxic you are the more cellulite you will have. It’s a fact. Accepting it allows folks more room to justify other areas in their life – “Might as well eat this _______ , I am going to have cellulite anyways” – “Skip doing a leg workout today, I am going to have cellulite anyways” – “Meditate, why?! I am going to have cellulite anyways.” I think when we allow ourselves to start thinking (justifying) in this way, we walk a slippery slope. Slippery slopes turn into impossible climbs.
I have enjoyed reading your initial post and the other comments on here. Thanks for allowing me to offer my opinion, even if we disagree
I’d love too see your scientific studies backing up these stress gives you cellulite claims. Oh wait, there aren’t any. (and no, your pseudo-science personal observations don’t count.)
Nice to see another perspective. Remember folks for everything, “experts” on both sides have scientific findings relevant to their perspective.
Yeah, that’s the thing BP – you’re offering your opinion. Amber’s offering a fact-based reality check.
Natural News is one of those “broken clock right twice a day” websites. Sometimes they *do* have scientifically valuable information, though.
Eh, no. Even when they accidentally include a fact it’s usually so mixed into the fantasy, paranoia and delusional ravings of Mike Adams that it becomes untrustworthy by sheer proximity to nonsense.
I am so glad to read your comments about NN! I thought I was being too sensitive about some of the ridiculous topics they’ve churned out lately. Glad to hear I’m not the only one that thinks so!
No love for Natural News here either.
“Eh, no. Even when they accidentally include a fact it's usually so mixed into the fantasy, paranoia and delusional ravings of Mike Adams that it becomes untrustworthy by sheer proximity to nonsense.”
That has got to be one of the funniest things I’ve read in a while!! I literally just lol’d.
Cellulite is not simply something being out of balance or due to stress. As with many things body related, genetics play a substantial role.
In high school I worked out daily. I was 5’1″ and 103 pounds with cellulite. I was not stressed or out of balance. I was a happy kid, stress free, and still plagued by dimpled thighs and bad skin.
Acne is also greatly dependent on genetics. I’ve been to dermatologists and tried very manner of treatment under the sun. I eat clean and workout regularly. I’ve had my thyroid and various hormone checks. Everything’s great. My skin is just an a$$. At nearly 40 my skin is just now starting to calm down with the acne. Wish I could say the same about the cellulite.
I’ve been plagued with acne and cellulite since my teens. I’ve tried everything to rid them to no avail. If diet, exercise, and stress reduction were the key to eliminating these issues then I’d look like an airbrushed model by now.
So while it’s great you feel strongly (and I do think you offer a solid point about the way we think), please don’t discount the fact that genes DO play a role and not everything can be fixed with diet or stress reduction. Obviously these things are good and can help a lot of people with such issues, but every body is different and reacts differently to different things.
I’m short, chubby, losing my hair, have a face covered in acne scars, a torso full of stretch marks, and thighs riddled with cellulite. I still work out. I still eat healthily. I still try. Attitude does count! But all the work I’ve done in the world has done nothing to solve the plaguing issues that emotionally cripple me the most (ie: cellulite, stretched out pregnancy belly, and bad skin). So reading things like this is sort of a slap in the face to anyone who has heaps of body flaws and still keeps trying. Are we just not trying hard enough?
YES to this! Even when I was 105 lbs I had it. My mom has it, grandma has it so on and so on. I eat alot healthier than them too and workout more.
If someone is exercising or eating healthy or ending bad relationships because they think it will make their cellulite go away then their priorities are REALLY screwed up. And if my saying ‘cellulite is normal’ makes a person stop exercising or eating healthy, or stay in a bad relationship, then their priorities are REALLY REALLY REALLY screwed up.
If my client told me that their primary motivation for exercising and eating healthy was to get rid of cellulite I would feel like I was doing a really piss-poor job promoting healthy goals and healthy motivation. There are far better reasons to exercise and eat healthy.
It seems like you got quite a backlash on this one, but I really appreciated the way you maturely wrote it. I think you may offer up some good counterpoints, which are always insightful to have, despite whether we all agree in the end.
It’s funny. After reading all this article and the comments, I felt so great. I mean, while reading I was thinking “well, mine has gotten worse due to diet and lack of exercise, but I’m working on that again, and it’s nice to know that some of it can’t be helped.” Until this comment. And then it’s like someone heaped a bunch of “if you only try hard enough!!!” perfection-striving onto me. The happy feeling of comradery, of loving our bodies the way they are, of not being stressed out because of not being perfect… just completely dampered. I know my body and I know this issue will get better (and by better I mean still noticeable) for ME by improving my lifestyle. But that isn’t the case for everyone. There are folks who literally work their butts off to perfect, and what they needed to hear was some grace. That they don’t have to strive so hard. I know you thought you were helping, but dude, we all have enough stress without being told that eliminating stress is the way to rid ourselves of cellulite. Thanks for giving us one more thing to stress about.
So, babies have cellulite and acne because they’re too stressed out? Do you think it’s because the breast milk they exclusively consume is “processed” by their mother’s body too much? How do you get a baby to meditate and do leg lifts? I don’t want my baby to have cellulite – how will she ever find a husband?
lolol highfive for that one!
Are you seriously quoting NATURAL NEWS as a source? LOL! That’s a good one.
These are arbitrary statements. If this article was based on any strong empirical evidence, surely the presence of cellulite would be considered a discerning factor when assessing ones physical and emotional wellbeing? I have never heard of anyone being questioned by their doctor about their cellulite progression.
Also, there are three sources listed for this article – two of which are from the same website, and the third includes sentences such as: “…reducing body fat thru a healthy diet reduces cellulite.” Not convinced.
While that may be true in part, I never had cellulite until I went through menopause which leads me to believe there’s a hormonal connection.
Sheila, I’ve had it my whole life and have seen it in several preschoolers I’ve taught. I remember one particular kid had it at two years old, and that’s about when I said, “This ‘cellulite is bad’ thing is crap.”
Yes, there is a hormonal connection. It’s being female and having female hormones.
I am an extremely fit woman, have been all my life. I have always had cellulite on the bottom of my butt cheeks, even as a competitive runner and swimmer. One of my good friends in high school had cellulite on the back of her thighs, despite being a top-in-state hurdler. The hormone you are looking for is called “estrogen”. It is strange that you had cellulite as you started to lose estrogen…perhaps you started accumulating weight in places you hadn’t before (very common after menopause), and only noticed it then.
Actually, tho I’m very late to this, I had to remark on the “losing estrogen” thing. If you read the books of Dr. John Lee, you’ll discover that a very high percentage of women in perimenopause and menopause are estrogen dominant, and may be lacking in progesterone, which balances the effects of estrogen. You can be low in estrogen and still be estrogen dominant, due to even lower levels of progesterone being made by your body.
I’m just finishing up my first year of menopause. I wish I’d known about Dr. Lee’s books in my early 40’s! It could have saved me some problems!
I think that some people who get it later in life also lose collagen in our skin, which serves to make our skin look more firm and thick, when that goes the collagen dimples shows more. That is also why our faces change so much . . .
Amber for President. That is all.
Ha! Hell to the no, I don’t want that job!
I grinned so hard when I saw this post today. And than I got serial-killer eye-twitch when I saw the comments that are basically like “yeah but cellulite EWWWW” and “it’s misleading to suggest that women devote their time and energy to actual worthwhile pursuits! Just because there aren’t any proven cellulite cures, and no need for one because it’s normal, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t hate ourselves and try to get rid of it anyway!”
I’m like, did they even read the post?
Anyway, thanks again for a wonderful reality check, and for being a voice of reason in this crazy world where it’s somehow revolutionary to suggest that a woman not worry quite so much about how her ass looks.
That’s what I don’t understand, why do people take such offense at the concept that there are more important things to think about than cellulite? It’s kind of mind boggling. People. It’s freaking CELLULITE. Get over it. (Hence the title of the post.)
Love your comment!
Note: newborn babies have cellulite. They do not burst forth from the womb, going, “OMG! Hold the breast milk; did I see a Detox Kit from Whole Foods around here somewhere?”
And, if anyone is in need of a visual feast of dimpled flesh, celebrated as a manifestation of feminine beauty, Google ‘Rembrandt’. His female models hardly represent the modern fitness ideal, but we’re not talking about fitness per se here, are we? We’re talking about a shallow and very narrow definition of beauty, as allowed by Western corporate media, the fashion and beauty product industry, et al.
Personally, I think anyone seriously concerned with cellulite and dedicated to its eradication should maybe go build schools in Haiti, or airdrop medical supplies to Darfur. It won’t get rid of the cellulite, but it might put it in a different perspective.
Yes. God forbid a woman think for a minute that her body isn’t a grotesque abomination, and that it’s not her own fault for failing to practice proper stress management techniques. If she thought that, she might start thinking about things that really matter, like politics and foreign affairs and human rights and shit. We certainly couldn’t have that.
I once read a post where a fairly popular blogger was going to stop wearing underwear because she read that it caused cellulite. All I can say is LOL.
Oh goodness, that’s a new one.
LOL. I read the same thing. Also, bras cause breast cancer — another doozy. There is so much ridiculous fear-mongering out there.
Just out of interest, Jeannette, what made you think there wasn’t any truth to the bras-contributing-to-breast-cancer possibility? It sounded and felt quite reasonable to me, but I’d really be interested to hear why you felt otherwise. Thank you!
The assertion that bras cause breast cancer is based on the same reasoning that underwear causes cellulite — the garment is alleged to restrict lymph flow and enable a build-up of toxins. In the case of bras, the underwire is said to restrict lymph flow and cause a build up of toxins in the breast. Anatomically, I can’t figure how anyone makes sense of this, as my understanding of the lymphatic system is that fluid flows upward. So, fluid would be flowing up to the armpit, not down into the breast. In any case, no credible study exists that demonstrates any causal link between bras and breast cancer. The only study cited to prove such claims is the book “Dressed to Kill,” which is a very sloppy piece of pseudoscience. The authors’ “research methods” were virtually non-existent and they didn’t control for any factors other than hours spent wearing a bra — an obvious one being obesity, which is a well-known risk factor for breast cancer. (The authors themselves are not very credible and have produced other books that are questionable at best.) Cancer is complicated and I simply have no respect for people who prey upon people’s well-founded health fears with the stuff of email chain letters.
This is such a great post! Glad to hear your voice loud and clear through the haze of so much body hatred in the media. Scarlett is gorgeous
Thanks Kendahl!
I am so glad I found your blog. I am excited to see more. As women we often feel like we are never good enough, or if somehow a woman happens to fit our modern definition of beauty then she has to use all her efforts to maintain that ideal. It truly just robs us of living our life to the fullest. We start to live our lives in the “when”: “(When) I lose ten pounds then I will buy that new dress”, “(when) my skin clears up then I will…”, “(when) my cellulite is gone, then I will go swimming with my kids”. Don’t live in the “When”, live in the now!
Yes!
Well said, Aimee.
OMG yes! You know you can grab a dog by the back of his fur and it moves freely? Or when it shakes itself dry, its skin and fur follow the inertia? That’s because they don’t have that skin tethered to the muscle like we do. I would MUCH rather have cellulite and stretch marks from tight skin that hugs my body than have skin like a dog that just hangs there and moves like it has a mind of its own!
Wait. I must have missed the memo. I saw the picture of Scarlett (and all the others at the top of the screen) and wondered just what everyone was going crazy about. I fail to see the “flaws”…We are all different, and I am so thankful for it! This culture is one to say that I have a weight problem because I weigh more than I should for my height…you’d never guess it to look at me, though…as a good portion of it is pretty much solid muscle. Priorities definitely need to be straightened out. My poor sister has spent her years growing up and being told that she’s not pretty/beautiful by media because she’s not the tiny little thing that I am (yes…I am quite small, standing at not quite 4’11” and not quite 120 lbs. but even I am “not good enough” because I lack height…whatever. They can keep their opinions of me…I don’t care what they think.)…my response is to remind her that she has a different body build than I do and to not compare herself to me! It’s not fair to her. I wear clothing that pretty much covers me, but it’s for modesty so much more than anything else…and I’m not afraid of shorts or short skirts (although working with children, short skirts are a big no-no to me…) or showing off the rest of my body. Take a deep breath, everyone, and embrace who you are. Make changes because it’s what YOU want and not what media dictates…and I’ll get off my soapbox now…
Yep. The only person one should try to please is one’s self. because no matter WHAT you do, someone is going to hate it and tell you you’re doing it wrong. So just do what you want!
I have had cellulite on my ass and thighs since I was 12. And now I’m 5’10” and 115 lbs. and still have it. Its NOOOORRMMMAAALLL
Totally, completely normal.
that one was good, thanks! any chance that you could send the pdf of that article?
I’m moving to Hawaii this summer. You would think its all about who looks the best on the beach in a bikini, but surprisingly it’s not! Everyone seems so relaxed and in tune with nature and just enjoying themselves. It’s a place known for little clothing, and I love that women there, whatever their shape, cellulite or not, walk on the beach, swim, lounge, play with their kids or dogs in their bikinis/shorts and don’t seem up have a care on the world…especially about cellulite. There’s just not a lot of pressure to look ‘perfect’ and that probably has a lot to do with the fact that those who live there have plenty of opportunity to see what normal looks like and it’s accepted.
I just got back from Hawaii and at first was VERY self conscious. As the week went on, I felt better and better. Coming home (San Jose, CA) was kind of rough. I’m looking forward to spending my summer weekends in Santa Cruz, pretending it’s Hawaii and not caring!
I grew up and still live in Hawaii and personally the journey to feel comfortable in my own skin, lumps, bumps, curves and all, hasn t always been an easy one. There still is the push to be the perfect Beach Betty and we all feel it. But overwhelmingly the ocean calls to you and you cant sit and hide in a tent. I think it s equal parts it s hot and when you re on the beach you don t want to be in a lot of clothes, you get to see what real bodies look like, and many of us have developed a well honed sense of screw it I m going to have fun and be conformable. I long ago gave up trying to be “perfect” and while I do have one of my step-dauaghter s skimpy bikinis (she s a designer) hanging in front of my elliptical for motivation (LOL) it s about wanting to feel fit and sexy in it and to go out and catch some waves with my Hubby and see that look of love in his eyes.
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LOVE this. I intend to make 39 my year of eating the food, exercising because it feels good and makes me strong and learning to love my body (bottom curves, cellulite, the “tapestry” 2 pregnancies left behind, and all).
You rock.
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A long time ago (1982, I think) I watched the military cross country running championships. I saw the women’s race winner finish; she was an excellent runner who had beat strong competition. She came across the finish line and, yes, had a few dimples in her upper legs (she was wearing a tiny bun-hugger that the faster female runners wear). If SHE had cellulite (given that she could run the 5K in 16 minutes or so), well, draw your own conclusions.
Who wrote the caption under the photo? Someone needs to be taken out back and straightened out! She is hot! I can’t stand skinny women.
there is nothing more ridiculous than celebrity reporters. It feels like on my yahoo feed there is one story about Miley Cirus per week and they alternate between calling her “way too skinny” and allude she might have an eating disorder or a work out addiction, writing about how gorgeous she looks and babble about that she looks like she gained weight and is grossly fat now…same goes for dresses “they” like or dislike and Kim Kardashian which is a gorgous curvy woman on the one day and an obese abomination with way too tight clothes on the other…I feel really sorry for all famous women because you just can’t make it right…and I’d like to see how this people writing those captions look, they probably never saw themselves in a mirror
David wrote “I can't stand skinny women.”
It is phrases like the one above that continue to polarize women. Some women are naturally curvy, some are not. Some women are naturally skinny, some aren’t. Putting down one type of woman doesn’t legitimize the other type. There are many body types of women. People who make comments like the one above only contribute to the body image issues women face. We all are attracted to different things, that’s okay, but lets not contribute to ignorant and hurtful messages!
Excellent reply. Body snarking towards any shape is not okay. Can’t we promote acceptance of some body traits without tearing down those with others?
Thank You!
There’s nothing wrong with the fact that he prefers non-skinny women. He’s entitled to that preference, and he’s entitled to share his preference out loud, in a forum, wherever. What’s not O.K. is the hateful tone. So you don’t dig skinny women? Then pay them no attention, and go on enjoying curvy women- there are plenty to go around! No need to sound so rude and bitchy!
I have stretch marks as well they are very light and thin around my hips and my knees (!). I assume I got them not because I gained a ton of weight (I didn’t), I think it’s more likely because I simply grew taller and bigger, I have the ones on my knees since I’m about 12! I think they are hardly noticable and even if, they don’t disturb the way I look (and odly enough I always liked them because they reminded me of tiger-stripes – maybe stupid but true^^). When my Ex-Boyfriend said that if he could change one thing about my body, it would be those stretch marks and a scar on my hip I didn’t think “oh my god, I’m ugly”, I thought “screw what he thinks!”…well after all he’s my Ex now.
We shouldn’t get ourselfs down because of minor flaws like that and we shouldn’t others allow to do the same. Bodys change, they get bruised and they heal, they develop along with us and that’s why I consider things like that a part of my life’s story and who ever can’t accept my story doesn’t have to be part of my life
Perfect response!
What a baby. Stretch marks and scars are proof of having lived.
smart move on the ex part
Tiger stripes!!! I now have “Tiger Stripes” where there once were stretch marks on my hips. Thank you!!!!!
Tiger Stripes!!!! You have just replaced the “stretch marks” on my hips with TIGER STRIPES!!!! I can’t thank you enough. <3
I didn’t like my stretch marks on my hips (Pre-eclampsia water retention+bed-rest for a day+IV of fluids+standing up for a shower=all the upper body fluid went to hips in 30 minutes or less)… Till I realized they looked like lightning bolts. Now they’re awesome!
I’m sorry if it’s already been asked, I didn’t read all of the responses, but what happens to those connective cords when a person has fat sucked (sorry gross, I know)? Do they re-grow, re-connect, or are they severed for good? I just have an image of someone who 30 years after having fat sucked, their skin just hangs there because the connective cords are damaged. Is this what happens?
That’s a very good question that I don’t know the answer to. I have an idea of who to ask, though. Stay tuned!
Great post! The only part I disagree with is when you talk about male expectations. I don’t believe that men are doing as much of the body snarking as women. I’m so tired of it. As someone else pointed out, most men don’t even notice cellulite and have a much wider (both metaphorically and literally :-P) range of what’s beautiful than women. I follow a funny mom blog on Facebook and last week she posted a picture of Kim K in a black and white dress next to a whale with the caption “Who were it better?” While I certainly have no love for Kim K, the female on female body shaming is just awful and doesn’t help any of us.
Actually I totally agree with you and tried to convey that in my post! Most men don’t even notice cellulite and if they do they really don’t care a whit about it. I get comments from young women pretty regulalry about feeling like men expect them to be perfect (and there are certainly loud and douchey men on the internet who seem to make it a point to seek out pictures of women in order to post derogatory and demeaning slurs against their physical appearance), that’s why I included the last paragraph.
The very worst body shaming I’ve received though, like you said, has been from other women. It’s incredibly sad.
I agree with you both. The sneers, snarking, and general “body hostility” towards women typically comes from other women. It’s some sort of strange, twisted competition that appears to be centered on the idea that women have nothing to offer besides being decorative. Ranking complete strangers is nuts.
My motto is, “Keep your eyes on your own work, moisturize, and go forth”.
On the topic of women being derogatory towards other women, does anyone else find it strange that women’s health and fitness magazines have nothing but pictures of thin, perfectly made up and airbrushed women in them, and so do men’s fitness magazines? Women and men of all ages are taught by what we see around us in our culture as to what is considered beautiful. When we read the magazines, even ones that promote women’s stregnth and fitness, we are bombarded with images of what we are supposed to look like. Who of us can measure up to the fitness models, celebrities and atheletes who make up 1% of the female population?
My trainer (male) and I were having a conversation about one of these women, and I said “I can’t compete with that!” He replied, “Why would you even say that, or think you have to?
It goes to show that even though men like to look at these women, most are well aware of the difference between models and real women, and chose real women over them.
This post actually sparked a conversation between me and a girlfriend about magazines and the images we are subjected to. As a 36 year old woman, I have a tough time looking at them and not feeling insecure. Probably a little crazy, but I wonder what happens when vulnerable, younger women see these images? What message are we sending them? That you should be a cartoon?
I have stopped reading women’s magazines for this very reason. Runner’s World is a keeper though.
This reminds me of when I picked up a Shape magazine, and read an article in which a women stated that at 145 pounds, she was overweight, and worked out until she was down to 115. At the time, I also carried 145 pounds around on a 5’2″ body, and yet I wore size 8 jeans. I played ice hockey, and my weight was all muscle. I realized then that it’s all numbers, and the only thing that mattered was how I felt in my own skin. By the way, Kaleo, I was also classified as obese then, because of my BMI. No consideration was given to my muscle tone or body structure. When I dropped to 125 lbs after I quit hockey, I had a lot of people, including some women, tell me I looked too skinny. My ideal weight according to the medical community is 115 lbs. Fifteen years and one child later, I’m several sizes larger, but my husband (and other guys!) still find me attractive.
IMO, the best beauty treatment is self confidence.
I love women who have confidence about their bodies. Its time we as a society stop the dialog about womens bodies! Stop supporting magazines, tv show and media that put down women for their shape. Women are all shapes and sizes. Confidence is what makes a woman beautiful!
WE also need a post on why the idea that your skin shouldn’t be shiny is ridiculous. Thanks photoshop.
I love watching old 20’s movies, the silent kind. In those movies you will see REAL actors and actresses without anything fake but a little stage make-up. These days the industry expect perfection. Oh how our values have changed. Fake is not beautiful. I can understand a little nip and tuck, but it’s gotten way out of hand.
Fantastic post. Fought a fleeting moment of apprehension myself when I first signed up for a mommy and me swim class-oh no, people will see what I look like after 2 kids!! The horror!! Then I thought, seriously, who gives a shit? My kids and I will have a great time and that’s all that matters. The more you adopt that attitude, the easier life gets
I am right there with ya!
a mom, a runner and i have cellulite and my husband thinks iam his sexy beautiful mama!! =)
I have always had more men friends than female. So one time when the guys asked me if I wanted to go to a strip club with them while we were in Vegas, I was like, hell yeah! I’ve always wanted to see what all the hullabaloo was about. I seriously had the best time. Not because I was enjoying watching the ladies -although many of them were gorgeous- but because I was enjoying watching the men enjoy the ladies. We sat at a round table and as each lady came out to perform, the guys told me what they did or didn’t like -and not in a crude or obnoxious way. It was just me and 6 guys discussing what makes women beautiful. The thing they disliked the most? Fake boobs. But for the most part nothing else mattered. As long as the ladies were dancing in their underwear it was all good. We didn’t see any obese women, but we saw curvaceous, beautiful plump women and stick thin ones. They loved them all. Every lump, bump, wrinkle, it didn’t matter. They just like a watching a woman dance in a seductive manner. Not one of them zeroed in on flaws. As long as she had a thong on and danced to the music, the men thought they were all godesses! It was one of the best nights I ever had because not only was I with my best guy friends, but I learned to appreciate my flaws, because ladies, the guys just don’t see them the way we do.
Now put on your sexy undies and dance for your men!!
That’s so awesome that you have cool guy friends like that. I’ve always been friends with more guys than girls, and most of them had the same sort of opinion- pretty much all women can be sexy in their own way- real.
Since I started going to Crossfit and realized how much I like to watch men work out, lift heavy weights, struggle and sweat, I’ve gotten a whole new understanding of why men like to go to strip clubs! I used to go to all female gyms because I was embarrassed to have guys watch me work out and get sweaty. I’m in my 50’snow and have 30 pounds to lose, but the guys in Xfit treat me like I really belong there and are one of them. And I know they are watching me and aren’t disgusted by what they see. I realize now that my negative feelings about my body are coming from inside my own head.
Impressively good call on this. I’m really tired of the “standard” beauty rules. They’re never consistent and set up unrealistic goals for just about everyone. As long as we’re all striving to not be disgusting, I think it’s okay to maintain a physical appearance that resembles your natural (human) look. The bottom line is, sometimes bigger is beautiful and sometimes it isn’t. But every single person on planet earth is going to have scars, stretch marks, veins, cellulite or any other number of physical characteristics that the media tries to convince you of being so gross that you should pay money to hide them.
HELL YES! Men always comment on my smooth skin. I actually have very thin skin, which is what makes it nice…and now I know it’s also what makes those precious little dimples on my thighs so evident. Hey man. It’s a whole package. Let’s all get over it and move on. And there is no heterosexual man worth their salt who would refuse Scarlett Johansonn as pictured above.
No heterosexual man wortt his salt would refuse her?
Why do you say that?
Do you not realize that not everyone is attracted to or sexually compatable with everyone else?
I get what you meant, but please reassess.
OMG! What a phenomenal post! In this air-brushed, photo-shopped culture we live in it is easy to forget what a ‘real’ woman looks like, cellulite and all. And, I completely agree with the comments here. Men will, for the most part, not zero in on the flaws, but rather relish in the confidence that a woman exudes when she’s not too focused on her own physical hang-ups…
Awesome post. Our definition of beauty is so narrow and idiotic.
When we look for perfection in the minutae we often miss the beauty of the whole.
I agree!!
While watching a movie years ago with an ex-bf in which Ms. Johannson was a co-star my boyfriend made a comment that “ewwww she’s chunky.” She actually looked pretty good and played a harlot in the film. It cut me to the bone because I too am built larger in the posterior section and am also “chunkier” than Scarlett. I wish I had walked out on him at that moment.
Anyone that thinks Scarlett is “chunky” is off their rocker. I’m glad he’s your ex… I’m sure you’ve moved on to better things!
I’m 32. I’m 5’7″, 125lbs. and always felt I looked horrible. I mean, my height and weight fit the bill… but the stretch marks and the cellulite.. it always killed me. I read through these comments, of the many women who feel like I do. I have the stretch marks on the inside of my knees that one woman mentioned and honestly, I was so happy to hear I am normal. Thank you for posting this, and thank all of you ladies who commented. While I’ve never had a man tell me he thought I didn’t look good, when you feel ugly you look ugly to others. I am tired of feeling this way and knowing I am not alone is a great step toward looking beautiful because I feel beautiful.
Star Bellied Sneetches….read it…Dr. Suess was onto something!
As usual, just letting you know that you are amazing. I love the way you describe things so that anyone can understand them. I always feel empowered and maybe a bit proud of being who I am when I read your posts. I am slowly moving towards accepting that I might just be enough. This has started happening ever since finding your blog. Thank you.
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Just leaving a note to say that I left the “your blog is scary” comment in response to a comment that was left by the person who runs the Nicole and Gwendolyn blog — a relatively popular ED/”thinspiration” blog. That blogger regularly talks about drinking to oblivion to escape food temptation; she is the one who very desperately needs help for both alcoholism and anorexia. Either there is something funky going on with the comment system or Nicole deleted her absurd comment about Scarjo looking like hell and “flaunting her fat.”
Anyway, just thought I’d clarify. Your blog rocks and you are an amazing inspiration, so I didn’t want you to think that my comment was directed to you. Like I said, funky things must be happening with the comments. Thanks so much for all you do.
Ah! Thank you for the clarification. That makes so much more sense.
Nicole deleted nothing.
Scar does, indeed, need to lose a few LBs to be aesthetically perfect, in my eyes.
My blog is about Girl and Dog.
Nothing more. Nothing less.
xoxoxo
NicoleAndGwendolyn
I don’t think Scarlett is worried about being aesthetically perfect in your eyes.
Right? I’m pretty sure she’s got that covered. (Moderately NSFW) http://www.craveonline.com/images/stories/2011/2011/November/Comedy/BigList/scarlett-johansson.jpg
To be fair that’s photoshopped, so not a valid response.
You are torturing yourself and others. Look at what is real and stop obsessing over meaningless garbage and spreading negativity. Life is too short. You are what you consume and what you push. By this I mean your spirit and life are consumed with things that do not matter. I just wasted 10 minutes of my time that could of been spent looking at the wonders of life to get across this message. I consider it a public service announcement.
I agree! I, too, just spent 10 minutes reading the NicoleandGwendolyn blog with chills and a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. You may say you have conquered your past struggles with bulimia and have overcome the deep-set mental issues and insecurities behind disordered eating, but it’s clear you haven’t. This scares the crap out of me that other people who are easily swayed will be reading about your no-dinner-day of the week, how you binge and purge, and you place every happy moment in your life on how thin you are. Please find help. Don’t spread this horribly sad view on life you have!
Your pro-ana site is sad. I suspect you are also sad on the inside, at least on some subconscious level you may not be aware of. Seems like you probably drink to cover up that awareness… Go, Kaleo. Thanks for sharing this BEAUTIFUL picture of Scar-Jo. She’s always been an inspiration for me. We have similar body types, I’m sick to bits of scary-skinny women who have curve-envy calling the rest of us fat. Trust me, my curves have never stopped a man from wanting to shower me with love and anything else I want.
And GOOD-looking men at that. Love this site. xx
please think about what you are doing with your pro-ana site. it is not the way to live, it is a way to die. i have recovered from ED and THANK THE UNIVERSE I CAN SEE it is selfish and does not help anyone! how inconsiderate and ungrateful of me to use my life to hide from the world and keep myself small. IT IS SAFE to grow up and allow the body to be what it is. be of service to others- perhaps you can heal yourself and share your story with those who frequent your site to help SAVE the world. The body will return to ash in the end, hardly anyone remembers what people looked like- they remember what they did and who they were. i pray you will live a healthy happy life that is fulfilling and filled with a deep love for yourself, see the beauty, gratitude, and discover what a gift you truly are. awaken <3
You missed the point. Please read the post again and do your research. Doesn’t matter if she loses 50 lbs, she will still have the cellulite. BTW no she does not need to lose any weight. Look at her tiny arms and tiny waist. Are we not looking at the same picture? I feel sorry for you and shamed of the people in your life who made you feel ugly. They have created a monster out of you. But, the good news is you’re an adult now and can choose to be a better person. Please do.
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Seems a bit extreme to say she looks like hell….she looks pretty good in that picture to me. People that create mountains out of molehills are basically unscrupulous marketers preying on people’s insecurities.
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Today I found a horrible picture on Instagram shaming women for cellulite. I instantly gave them my opinion is a super nice way and a link to this article. I went back to check out responses and saw that my comment was deleted. I have stopped following her (yep….her) on Instagram. Some people will never be open to forming their own ideas about certain subjects.
brutal
Showing celebrities in real life pictures, highlighting their flaws, is part of the same logic of showing them perfect, photoshoped, flawless in media vehicles. That’s why normal people get such a pleasure of seeing them “real”. If celebrities themselves start to appear more real and stop fighting to appear perfect, perhaps they would do themselves and a world’s favor.
Strange to me people are trying to “shame” women for cellulite. As if it’s a choice. Well, it’s not. It’s genetic and part of our physiology. Are these same people going to start shaming us for having ears as well?
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Thank you for this! I have always had cellulite and for years I was embarrassed by it. I just turned 40 in January and I am finally embracing my body. Every curve, every stretch mark, ever dimple is what makes me – ME!
Love this blog!
I have spent thousands of dollars on so called cellulite treatments, I am 26 I have nevr been hugely over weight, I eat well and I exercise and I have cellulite all over my legs and some on my arms. Because of all the pressure on us women to be perfect I have obsessed with ridding myself of this since I was a teenager. It’s a horrible way to live and it’s a horrible message that the world is sending us girls that if we are not perfect that we are less desirable. Thanks for all your supportive posts, if only we women could unite on this topic and get the information out there to all other women and men maybe we could reduce some of the cellulite ‘stigma’ that is causing such sadness and shame for women.
Sooo true! I have always been active, I eat clean, I workout daily, and I still have cellulite. I have been told it’s hereditary as well. Years ago I tried just about every damn cream, gel, etc., on the market and NONE worked. I even did the ultrasound heat therapy, what a waste of money AND Zerona (luckily they had a Groupon deal so I only paid $299) vs. $2000. That didn’t work either. I came to the conclusion that I look damn good for my age (I will be 40 in a few weeks), I did everything in my power without any plastic surgery too, I am also a mom, so I don’t really care anymore whether I will ever get rid of cellulite or not. Some women store fat differently and it’s a known fact that you can’t get rid of it 100%. We will always be a society obsessed with perfection when no one is perfect. Women just need to BE happy with their bodies regardless. And if your husband/boyfriend don’t mind the little imperfections, than the heck with what anyone else says.
You say you have read cellulite is hereditary. Well, yes, it is. ALL WOMEN HAVE IT. It is not something wrong with you. It is not a fault or a flaw. It is reality.
It’s like saying, why can’t I get rid of this pesky gravity?
A-FREAKIN’-MEN.
Loved this post – it’s about time we ALL get over it and be comfortable in our own skin.
uhmmmm…has anyone seen a middle aged man naked lately? I’ll take my lumpy thighs over the 50 gallon visceral belt drape any day! My lumpy ass doesn’t impede my ability to see my toes…or my junk! Size and shape are not the defining factors of attractiveness…it’s all presentation! heigene, grooming, and personal care. Stop caring about this meaningliess crap…and if you can’t …then just spary tan…
I saw this site linked on Facebook and, asand a big fan of the sexy Scarlet I decided to read through some of these comment.
I’m not trying to gloat when I say that I am a young intelligent and successful man; I do so to provide perspective. As such a man I love what the women (or men) have to say here, cellulite is not a big deal and no man I know gives a damn about it. I would be insulted if they did.
That said, the above comment hit me as pretty negative; how can one preach love of oneself while proceeding to portray a negative image about the opposite sex. Male or Female.
Tabloids and ignorance do nothing to stop the shameless portrayal of women, and men. Personally I feel that the comment above was unnecessary.
I do get where you were going with this, and I understand your arguments. Just my thoughts.
Yes I agree! I’m a middle aged man, and am very aware of myshape and size!! I prefer women to have these lumps or whatever, the imperfections. Are part of what I find sexy!
Totally agree with you here Shaun. If all bodies are beautiful, all are beautiful.
If shapes and sizes don’t change attractiveness then have a penis shouldn’t change acceptance of differences in individual body types.
How the hell does another person’s “50 gallon visceral belt” have any effect on you anyway?
Woooooow…. looks like hell? She looks bloody amazing, as always! Cellulite is NOT something to be ashamed of, ESPECIALLY when she barely has ANY. It’s texture to the skin, and every woman outside photoshop is going to have it at some spots on her body. The OP was an ass hat and will spend his life tossing off hand batches, because karma like that doesn’t bring you a loving sex goddess who wants to touch you, that’s for damn sure. Not that I’m ranting or anything. That comment was just out of control, in my opinion.
So glad I read this. I started developing Cellulite and now I feel better.
I have been married for 27 years and my husband has loved me thin, fat, lumpy, bumpy, sexy, needing a shower, etc. He loves me and he doesn’t expect me to be perfect and that’s what I love about him. He asked me once why I was hiding my body from him and my answer was that I was embarrassed about my stretch marks and he responded, “What stretch marks?” He honestly did not see them! Then I am thinking to myself, “OMG you just had to open your mouth and show them to him didn’t you?” LOL but he STILL doesn’t pay attention to them and there are other flaws I feel I have and he seriously doesn’t notice them. I can take my makeup off and he doesn’t notice the difference. My hair can be a mess and he will start coming on to me. WHEN a man LOVES a woman, he loves her 100%. He isn’t expecting perfection, but for her to be honest and REAL with him, P.E.R.I.O.D.
I agree with your post! I am 27 and a runner/pilates person. I still have cellulite which I have noticed more in my later twenties than during my high school years. When I bought a swim suit this past summer, I was looking in the mirror inspecting my body.
“I have cellulite,” I said and was pinching my skin under my butt. My husband came in and said the EXACT same thing…”What cellulite? Why are you pinching your butt?” Most men don’t even realize what it is or because it is everywhere, are blind to it. Women are more body-focused and are constantly looking for ways to hide a “flaw” that is a part of life. I think most men like curves and are checking different parts of our bodies out on the beach! Not to mention, you should find someone who loves you for you. I strive to be happy/healthy and that is all I care about .
Atractive, thin, popular actress: http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/demi-moore-narrowly-avoids-wardrobe-1475717
I certainly can’t compare to her looks, but if she can have it and still be liked, I should be able to also.
Omigod can we all just get over ourselves and bring our collective female consciousness to a slightly higher level, like, the BRAIN MAYBE? All I have to do is pick up a women’s magazine to be totally shamed about the superfluous way in which we as a gender function in this world. I PRAY that women’s magazines and tabloid rags like this one showing an actress do not accurately represent us as a whole. I have yet to find one that I would allow in my house.
My thoughts exactly! Let’s characterize a woman’s worth by her brains and not her image. Same with a man’s worth. Let’s start looking at everyone through an equalist’s eyes!
Really the most interesting thing about these people that criticise other peoples’ bodies is how they view themselves actually. I’ve studied them for years. They have self image problems you would not believe
I always find the “before” pics in the diet ads more attractive.
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I think she Looks HOT too!
I love you. That is all.
Most men can’t see cellulite and can’t see dirt.
Great post, Amber.
The only thing I’ve ever heard can help the appearance of cellulite, besides losing some body fat (see my note on this below), is doing what we can nutritionally to help the structure of our fats and how our tissue body holds it — namely increasing intake of collagen and glycine from foods like bone broth and gelatin. Again, this isn’t a solution, cure, or whatever, but simply one legit possibility of a way to support the body in holding fat structurally.
Thoughts?
I’ll note that when I say ‘fat loss’ I mean losing body fat that is in excess, not what we SHOULD have to be women and health and all that good stuff, as the appearance can diminish. And, yes, even very thin women have it – I have a VERY thin friend who is living proof of this!
I think the best ‘cure’ for cellulite is to GTFOI (get the f— over it) and move on with life. No one beats men up for stretch marks they may get when growing, but we beat ourselves up for them? Devaluing ourselves based on these things is insane.
And, yes, I have a lot of cellulite that I’ve had since I’m maybe 14 (or at least that’s when I first paid attention to it – boo!). I did notice that when I was a lot leaner, it appeared pretty minimal vs when I hold more fat in my hips/thighs/butt area. Guess what else happened then? I lost my period, lost weight elsewhere too that’s considered feminine (ahem) and ended up with adrenal fatigue and little energy to train. Womp womp.
My super amazing boyfriend doesn’t ever turn me away
None of them ever have – even the less-than-super-amazing ones!
I find that weight loss made my cellulite worse, the loose skin sunk into the dimples more. I do everything “right” for my body (clean eating, heavy lifting, yoga, sleep, avoid toxins, ect). If the cellulite is still there then clearly it belongs there.
you are absolutely right Michelle. I battled with anorexia as a teen and in my 20’s. I am 5’7″ and at one point was down to about 104lbs. Even a that very skinny weight with my bones sticking out I still had the dimples of cellulite. It’s genetic and about the structure of the cell not fat.
Even men get cellulite!
As a personal trainer, and someone who never had cellulite in my 20’s, I freaked out when I hit 30 and saw some bumps in the road. I had primarily been running and strength training with light weights to stay in shape – while this was keeping my weight regulated, it was not developing my muscles to their best potential. I was also eating only 1200 calories per day –BIG NO, NO! (make sure you are eating enough, Ladies!)
Once I started squatting and lunging heavy weight and upped my caloric intake, I saw a rapid improvement over a 12 week period. (of course my weight and body fat are where they are supposed to be)
Does everyone have cellulite? Yes. But you can minimize it through proper nutrition and exercise – I am living proof.
Yes, living a healthy lifestyle has the potential to reduce the appearance of cellulite. There are FAR better reasons for making healthy lifestyle habits, though.
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Your comments about men are right on the money. Unfortunately in my experience, it’s not the MEN who care a whit about cellulite on a woman – it’s OTHER WOMEN. They are the ones I’ve heard making catty remarks about another woman’s thighs on the beach, etc, and the men in the group always go, “Huh?” My wish is that women would be kinder to each other and acknowledge that cellulite, along with other “imperfections”, are simply part of being human, and being women.
You couldn’t be more right. I feel like women are more judgment and critical of other women in general. Quick to slap a label and call each names, rather than just empowering one another
yup! we need to stop torturing each other…
I agree with you. Being a man, we don’t really care if a woman has cellulite. We look at the entire picture and go with that. Having cellulite is a normal thing for woman, and if you don’t like it, get over it and move on to something else. This nation as a whole has become obsessed with how people look. There has to be 100,000 diets out there and everybody falls for them. Be happy with your body, not what someone else thinks.
I agree. I believe it comes from the long-time embedded drive of women needing to compete with each other for a man who would in turn ensure their survival (back in the old days when women were not allowed to make their own living!) As much as times have changed and we need not to rely on men for survival, there is still a competitiveness amongst women instead of a comradery. I do not see this amongst my women friends as they are secure in their worth but I need it still with lots of other women. We as women need to take a stand to build ourselves up so we can start to support each other, not tear each other down.
I really hate the whole thing of thinking that “women are their own worst critics.” It really simplifies the whole issue, and overlooks the fact, that men are part of (and benefit from) our cultures view that a woman’s appearance and ability to fit the current standard of beauty is equal to her value. It would be great if women were less critical and more supportive of each other, I’m all for that. However, I’d also love not to be harassed and insulted about my appearance by men too. Everyone has a part in this, and everyone can contribute to stopping our society’s obsession with body snarking and criticism.
“Looks like hell” …Reeeeally? Are we even looking at the same picture? *facepalm*
Has the person saying that taken a look around the rest of the world population to compare? Because my reaction was more along the lines of “Looks like hell yes”
I think she looks gorgeous. Cellulite doesn’t scare me. Part of life and part of being a woman. I like being a woman. What can I say!
Thanks for this post, from a real woman with cellulite.
I agree with you completely. I just wish you did.
When you begin your bio with “Formerly obese, currently badass” (suggesting, by its placement, that this is the most important thing about you), you yourself contribute to the body-image mania out there. How can you be so proud of yourself for being skinny and then lecture others about being too picky about body fat? I like your site. I wish you’d change that bio…
You think I’m skinny, Ned? I’m clinically overweight (my BMI puts me in the overweight category). I have never referred to myself as skinny, and don’t consider myself such. ‘Badass’ isn’t synonymous with ‘skinny’.
Hey Ned… I think, in this case, “badass” merely refers to her fitness awesomeness and commitment to health and well-being. Yeah, she so didn’t say badass = skinny. Sheesh… calm down dude.
I don’t see her promoting skinniness whatsoever in that statement. Given that obesity is unhealthy and the lack of her saying anything about being “skinny and therefore badass” but instead making a following statement about power lifting, it seems MUCH more like a promotion of good health, hard work, and fitness.
I don’t at all see how you could interpret that as a her saying she is proud of herself for being skinny. She is proud of herself of changing to a healthy, active lifestyle, which is entirely legitimate.
Ned, she went from being out of shape to IN-SHAPE. Skinny is not badass. FIT is badass. You can be fit and still have cellulite, and it’s ridiculous that people are making a massive fuss over celebrities (or anyone) having cellulite, which is perfectly natural. That’s the point she’s making.
I agree with you, Ned. The juxtaposition of obese and badass is a way of saying that you can’t be obese AND a badass. This is a way of shaming fat people, even if that isn’t the intention. You were badass when you were obese, you are badass now.
Also, the BMI scale is completely whacked: http://kateharding.net/bmi-illustrated/
Hear! Hear!
And thank you.
Wow, thanks for this post! I was just on my way out the door, going to a party, when somebody shared this article on Facebook. I’ve never thought about cellulite as something normal, or even that there’s a physical explanation behind them. My only though when I look in the mirror, like today when i pulled up my pantyhose, is that i’m way to fat and that everyone at the party must think that I have a crappy lifestyle. (I don’t.) After reading this, I actually feel better about myself. Thanks! Maybe I’ll try the cake tonight after all
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Since when has being perfectly natural and healthy and ubiquitous among women in nature made something aesthetically acceptable? Hair follicles anywhere but the top of the head, feet that walk by touching the ground with their heels, skin with pores? We hate ‘em, get rid of that, rar!
Actually, body hair was not considered a “flaw” on women until the middle of the last century, when a certain well-known razor manufacturer wanted to sell more products.
Yes and no. Back in the 14th and 15th century, women had to pluck their hairlines because that was fashionable – a high forehead, I guess. If you had any kind of social status, you were plucking hair from your forehead daily. Well, your maidservant was, anyway. And also ALL of the eyebrows.
So there have been weird hair issues for women for many hundreds of years… I think there is always some kind of pressure to make women be different than what is natural.
That sounds absolutely dreadful.
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Love this so much! Sad that people think that picture of Scarlett Johanssen is less than amazing.
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Great Post! thank you for this.
This was a great post. Thank you for writing it.
Thank you so much for sharing and so boldly too
I am a teen and have always felt very shy about my legs because they are bigger than average and I have cellulite
Cheers
CCU
I love this post and the journey you’ve done yourself. Congrats!
I agree in everything you say in this post. I’ll just add a little note: we have to be also aware that even when is normal process of the body,and that we have to accept and love ourselves how we are, having EXCESSIVE CELLULITE-is not the healthiest thing you’ll have. It is an inflammation,some will say is a kind of infection, and of course as we know, toxins are easily accumulated in fat cells. So it is important to make people aware (and I’m sure you do, but in this post) that normal doesn’t equal ideal or healthy. The key here will be ACCEPTING our body, NOT fighting cellulite, but DOING things to improve our health..BRAVO! Blesings xx
That’s not the point of this blog post. I’m sure excessive cellulite is unhealthy, but then again, everything is unhealthy in excess.
Of course, you are right, “everything in moderation,” but I wanted to reiterate that the point of this post was to obliterate social stigmas that can debilitate self-esteem over perfectly normal phenomena, not health issues and concerns.
Thanks Jane.
Nice info about this topic .
Seems like Nars was supplementing the blog post, so I’m not sure the author’s point was missed at all. I thought it was well taken that, in an effort to eliminate social stigmas, one should also not overlook health concerns. This is coming from a man who has dealt with with body image issues due to both acne and weight problems. For me, the first step towards improving self image was to take pride in my non-physical qualities. But along with that, I began eating better and exercising more, both for health purposes and vanity.
Sometimes it seems that the desire to better oneself physically is viewed with contempt and associated with a lack of character or submission to media pressures. In my mind, there is nothing wrong with wanting to look better, it is no different than wanting to enrich one’s mind by reading more or engaging in new experiences. The key is to make sure that one’s inner confidence is not solely a reflection of external appearance, although its fine to derive some measure of confidence from physical appearance. Note that physical appearance doesn’t need to be perfect to bestow confidence! Scarjo could have all the cellulite in the world and still be confident in the beauty of her face.
Cellulitis and cellulite are not the same thing or even related at all. Cellulitis is a medical term for inflammation or infection of connective tissue. Cellulite is what this post is talking about, NOT cellulitis.
yeah, true that 100%. Thanks for the correction
“It is an inflammation”
No, it is not. Did you read the article?
Bryan, did YOU not read the post' Cellulitis IS an inflammation or infection of that connective tissue you see in the diagram above. Cellulite is the “lumpy effect” that is seen when the fat cells push upwards against those “tethers”, the connective tissues.
i think he meant to reply to the post above this one and was therefore pretty much agreeing with thisone
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I have to say thank you for sharing this. I discovered your article through a person in the North American cosplay (costume play) community. In this community, there are many variant body-types, and often there’s a great deal of people with low self-image. I’m one, too. I’ve shared this article with a number of other people, because it’s well written, clear, and a great message. Since men’s and women’s bodies function near identically (save for a few (obvious) physiological differences that determine sex ~ this is equally as important to men (who also get the bum-cheek and tummy cellulite).
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I’m so happy I came across thist! I’m 23, 5″4,134 lbs, and have what seems like tons of cellulite all over my thighs. I always feel so ashamed of it, and I was actually not going to swim at my boyfriend’s aunt’s barbecue tomorrow because I didn’t want anyone to see it. Now I’m just going to say screw it and swim if I want. You only live once and my cellulite shouldn’t hold so much power over my life!
My situation exactly!! Go girl!
Kaleo,
Wanted to know if I could share this blog post on our web-site blog. Like many others posted, you hit the nail on the head with this one. Thanks.
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I’m sharing this all around in my social networks. It’s one of the better pieces I’ve read about real women and beauty, to accompany the Dove ad campaigns which are a refreshing change from the usual “hope in a jar” pipe-dream marketing.
Smooth thighs happen in the very young, and then things change, and yet aging can be sexy and beautiful, including realistic!
Scarlett in the flesh, and real, without the illusions makes it work for everyone. Kudos to you for the capture of the scathingly ridiculous comments about her as well as your realistic views of what is a real woman.
Ample weight can be beautiful, curvaceous and lovely for photography and figure drawing. Depending on your body structure, it may not be healthy, however. Caring about your body right-sizing and the food you put in it (food to be enjoyed) as well as movement and exercise, can create a beautiful form to be enjoyed at any age.
PS: I’m all for kick-ass sense. You’ve got it!
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Blow-up dolls LOLOL Priceless. Loved the post !
it’s time we just say to ourselves, “I’m beautiful.” As a massage therapist I get to work on all kinds of bodies, all ages, all stages of life. Can I please say here, all bodies are beautiful to me. Think about the basic functions that go on even just to breathe. What an amazing miracle it is to be alive. I can tell you from many years of experience doing healing work, that all women have some cellulite. It’s lovely. It keeps our important parts warm. If our parts weren’t warm, we wouldn’t be the procreating goddesses that we are. We are all asymmetrical beings, and our parts aren’t something to hide or be ashamed of. They’re amazing!
As a massage therapist I get to work with people at all stages of life, women at every age, all sizes, colors, shapes. Can I say here that I find all bodies beautiful? The amount of chemistry and biodiversity that has to take place just to breathe is a true miracle. I have a true reverence and respect for everyone that puts their trust in my hands. As a longtime professional in this profession, I can say that all women have cellulite. It is not ugly, it’s incredible! It’s what keeps our important parts warm. Without that warmth, we wouldn’t be the procreating goddesses that we are. Just keep saying to yourself, “I’m gorgeous, I’m beautiful, I’m a goddess.” That should encompass every day’s being.
Thank you Lisa for saying what you did. I’ve been a massage therapist for just over 9 years and I’ve see ALL KINDS of bodies. They are beautiful and canvases of life. They all have a story unique to their journey. I can’t tell you how many times a client will say please don’t do my belly I’m fat or don’t work on my gluts may butt is big. It takes them a while to come around to the idea that they are just fine, and what’s great is that their motivation and attitude is so much better because they feel better about them selves after a massage, They feel alive and relaxed and want to take care of themselves.
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One thing I haven’t read anyone comment about is that woman’s bodies are made very specifically to hold weight different than a mans. We are made to be in a state of constant change/fluctuation. In high school I was constantly made fun of for being too skinny, treated like crap and had horrible self image. I am now 36, have three children, am 5’4 and weigh 145 lbs. Yes I can probably lose some weight, but do I “need” to? No. There is a difference between need and want. Need is when you health is in danger due to obesity and “want” is your own desire to make a healthier lifestyle change. My body went through dramatic changes once I started having children and that’s what it is supposed to do! I am proud of the extra weight and the stretch marks accumulated as a result. I had, at different times, 3 other human beings living and growing inside my body. It did what it needed to do to nourish and protect those living beings. Why should I, for even a moment, be ashamed of what my body looks like as a result of that? I am damn proud of the fact that I was born a woman and had the ability to have 3 beautiful healthy children borne of my body and the extra weight was well worth it. I recently talked to a woman who has been unable to conceive and in tears she told me she didn’t care if she gained 100lbs as long as she could carry a child. I count myself extremely grateful for my cellulite. As additional note, I was diagnosed a few years ago with a terminal heart condition. This summer was the first summer that I walked around in my bathing suit (dragging a 02 tank behind me) at the beach and was not shamed or embarrassed. I didn’t feel the need to cover up or hide my body. I was just happy to be out having a wonderful precious day with my family. Made me incredibly sad to think of all the times I wasted being embarrassed or shamed and not swimming or laying out without feeling like I should cover up. How many memories are tainted because of comments or feelings of inadequacy because I wasn’t as skinny or had the waistline of another. I now feel no self shame, no self hatred or other skewed thoughts about my image, cellulite or weight. It is what is and I’m just happy to be alive another day and will spend my last year focusing on my family, not my weight. Please, please fellow woman, if you want to work out, do so because YOU want to, because you have a desire to be healthy not because your feel shamed. Its not just a phrase, life really is too short. Will you spend that time denying yourself fun at the beach, pool, a night on the town? Will you hate or embrace your inner AND outer self which are each Lovely, Beautiful, Sexy and Amazing, built exactly the way God and nature intended. Blessings to you all~
Thank you!!!
Thank you so, so much for sharing this.
I am very sorry to hear about your heart condition. I really appreciated this response. I’m glad you are out enjoying life and that you are sharing these inspiring and uplifting thoughts with others.
Cellulite just means you need to go work out if you don’t want to look like an overweight hag. Now if you claim it’s okay, that’s a matter of opinion, but I see cellulite much more on voluptuous women than I see on women who take care of their bodies and eat well. Don’t try to bullshit us and say it’s a natural phenomenon, because in reality, it’s there because you decided it was no big deal and you’re just gonna leave it there. Go lose some weight. Tell me if that helps. Otherwise, stfu about how cellulite is “no big deal.” It is because it makes you look like you do not take care of your body, hence the reason it showed up in the first place. Quit being lazy and get rid of it by doing what your doctor suggests or what Googling suggests. Goodluck, you’re going to need it if your at the stage where you have full blown cellulite. You’ll need a lot of luck. Don’t reply to me, because I will not give you the privilege of answering any further questions. Get on a treadmill and stfu about it being no big deal. It’s a total turnoff for men of all ages. Get with it and get fit. Or keep it and date sub par men.
Awww, anonymous is having a hard time getting laid. Maybe he got dumped by his blow-up doll.
This comment made my entire night. Your my new favorite person! Go kaleo, you rock!!
And the nerve of him to call men who date women with cellulite sub par. I guess 90% of men who date are sub par then. What a douche.
Go Kaleo, I love your comment, you rock LMAO!!! But that’s what happens with small pecker syndrome….nothing nice to say. And yeah the blow up doll had to dump him, he was screwing the valve
Oh darn. You mean i cant date a man as great as you? Well shucks sub par intelligent men that dont objectify me and can stimulate my mind it is.
“It's a total turnoff for men of all ages.”
No, it’s not.
Signed, a man.
I kinda love you.
I am 120 pounds and 5 ft 6 inches. My BMI is 19.4. Even I have a little cellulite. Really? Everyone just needs to “go lose some weight”?
Exactly! I’m 5’7″ and weight 116 … if I lost anymore weight I’d blow over and look anorexic, the bones in my chest already stick out, yet, I still have a bit of cellulite where I actually do have tiny curves/fat (thighs and butt). I massage it, I do squats and other toning exercises – but it’s been there since I was 14 and even thinner. I just have thin skin and that’s all there is too it.
I feel like this is a rapist’s response. So vulgar and desperate to instil fear in women.
shallow = rapist? He is a asshat for sure but come on.
As a size 2 woman (who has never been overweight, by the way) I can assure you that you are wrong. I have cellulite. It is on my butt and my boyfriend still thinks my butt is very sexy. And don’t call him subpar, he is wonderful and handsome and way more accepting of women that you are, obviously.
I have gained 25 lbs since struggling with thyroid cancer, and my husband is all over me more than ever with my new curves, dimples on my ass included. He’s training for his first marathon and is completing his doctorate. Must be some subpar jerk huh?
thats utter shite!
For a start skinny and fit women have cellulite …they have less fat than overweight women but they DO have cellulite!
Also excersise only minorly improves cellulite and aging causes it as the tissues connectivity gets worse….bearing children makes it worse too, probably cos of hormones….
And I somehow doubt you can speak for all men…I know many men who couldnt give a toss about a bit of cellulite on a healthy happy person…they say they dont notice it unless it is a huge amount and even then it is the overall body shape curves and personality…i.e the whole package that they go for
Only little immature boys that look at porn and airbrushed crap like that expect women to look perfect with no blemishes…and they are not men worth having anyway
And by the way those airbrushed models that men like so much ARE AIRBRUSHED TO THE EXTREME and have cellulite in real life (and often crappy hair nails and skin from bad diets to keep low weight)
And as for dating subpar men… what sane woman would want a man so shallow as to care about a bit of cellulite….better to find a sensible man in the first place than to date a shallow pratt!
Having ‘full-blown cellulite’ (whatever the hell that is) is much better than having full-blown asshole. Yes, good luck getting laid with that outlook on life.
Clearly, the last paragraph of the article did not ring any bells.
I am 5’9″, 145 lbs and a swimsuit model…and I have cellulite. I workout and weight train, drink tons of water, and eat clean. Yes I have reduced it but no you cannot just ‘get rid’ of it. You’re so ignorant. Oh and btw anonymous….majority of ‘men’..which you are clearly not, don’t give a shit about my few dimples.
I dunno, I’m a guy and I prefer cellulite on a woman
I am sure my partner doesn’t even know what cellulite is, and he seems very fond of my butt, which has its dimplies. Ladies, if your man is giving you crap about your cellulite, I think they are the ones who need to “stfu” or gtfo…
The only reason you “see” it more on voluptuous women is because it stretches out more!
I don’t think we need to project our own insecurities or values on other people. If someone doesn’t care about cellulite…..don’t worry about it.
NOT YOUR BODY, NOT YOUR PROBLEM…shut the hell up.
ANONYMOUS person…you’re a coward. Treadmills don’t cure cellulite. You clearly have no education regarding health sciences thus have no place giving people life advice on wellness. Health doesn’t equal how many guys want to bone you based off of how you look. THAT IS CALLED SUPERFICIAL SELF WORTH! hahahaha…have fun with that ignorant shit. SUCKA!
ok, i have four things for you.
#1 you obviously know nothing about the female body
#2 you sound very hateful to women
#3 did some chick refuse to sleep with you once she found out you were an asshole.
#4 or are you jealous that these “sub par” men are getting more tail than you because they don’t worry about a bit of cellulite?
I’ve had a kid and gained over 100 lbs during pregnancy ( yes girls i know that’s WAAAY over the amount you should gain)
went from 135 lbs to about 220-240 *don’t remember exact amount* and very little cellulite. I laid around in bed and stayed at home. the ONLY exercise i got was walking up and down stairs twice a day. So no it’s not just lazynss, it’s also about a persons genetics as well.
I’m a German, Scotts/Irish, French/ Native american oman who is now back at around 145 lbs. and still very little cellulite, or at least it’s not as noticable as others. I’m 5′ 2 1/2″ a 32DDD and a size 7 pant. i don’t work out, i sit here on the computer all day. You wanna say it’s a “turn off for men of all ages”..maybe for the ones who are as immature as you, otherwise MEN DON’T NOTICE! [or at least in my experience they don't] I’ve seen older rave girls who do awesome workout routines to keep inshape and they werar the shortest shorts out there and guess what THEY STILL HAVE CELLULITE! and they are FUCKING YOUNGER THAN I AM! So go find a sex store and get you a blow up doll, or a fleshlight…maybe even both, because that’s the only thing you’ll be getting for a long ass time with that attitude.
oh and did I mention that I’m married, and i still get complements on how my legs and ass look because of that little bit of fat. if looks are everything the you are completely fucking shallow as hell
hahaha! Go and get yourself a girlfriend and stop using child pornography to base your opinions!
Thank you for this. I’ve had dimples on my back side, and even the front side, above my knees since I hit puberty! I’m not overweight, although could be more fit these days. This was refreshing. We really need to embrace our own beauty. We were wonderfully made by a creator that loves us! Embrace!
And for those who posted that they find cellulite unattractive. I hope you don’t see the same judgement back towards you for your own imperfections. Sad.
This was a good article to read. I’m only like 5’3″, 116lbs, and I have cellulite on my thighs! I always HATED it, I refuse to wear shorts, my legs jiggle when I walk, it makes me so self conscious, I still won’t after reading this though. But it had some cool facts in here, I guess I’m just so used to the media telling us what is and what is not beautiful. I don’t follow it, all women are beautiful, but I do however follow it for myself, there are a lot of aspects I do like about myself. Everyone is their own toughest critic.
Love it! Thank you!
First, I’d like to say that i have no issues with cellulite, and in reality… I agree that it’s no big deal… to some extent. And the majority of airbrushing that goes on is ridiculous, all to hide the simple fact that these people aren’t “perfect.”
However, cellulite itself is not sexy… and does not have to be accepted. The majority or remedies fall short of the mark.
You hit the nail on the head with the fact that women are structurally more susceptible to cellulite than men. But I think you miss that, while more susceptible, it is still an excess of body fat that causes it. Plain and simple, it’s an excess of body fat that cannot be targeted by any “spot remedy.” And that includes butt/thigh toners. However, healthy eating and proper, appropriate types of exercise will reduce body fat percentages, and with that will reduce cellulite.
Weight is not the issue… skinny, big boned, thick… again, it doesn’t matter. cellulite is an overall body fat percentage issue and can be addressed with a bit of hard work and lifestyle change. That is… if the person who has it wants to address it. Like I said, I agree, it’s really not a big deal. I just don’t like hearing that it should be accepted because it can’t be changed. It can be changed if the will and knowledge is there.
Sure it’s appearance can be reduced through exercise and healthy eating, but it’s not an ‘excess’ of body fat that causes it, it’s just body fat. I got down to 12% BF, far too low to sustain my health long term (and no, I wasn’t skinny-fat, I was built), and still had cellulite. And if you read the comments here, you’ll realize that many, many women who are lean and fit still have cellulite.
I think you are probably young. That’s ok. With time you will realize how ubiquitous cellulite is, even among lean, healthy, fit women.
Excellent response, Go Kaleo! I, too, have it on the back of my thighs. I noticed it when watching a video my husband took of me while doing 90# power clean for the CF “Hotshots 10″ WOD this Labor Day weekend. I’m 5’4″, 137-140lbs, depending on the day and will be 40 next month. I’ve also had 2 pregnancies. I’m stronger, more ripped (complete with 6 pack abs) and healthier than I was any of my prior years, including my college soccer playing, Boston marathon running and half-ironman competing selves. There is a big difference between accepting it and finding it sexy…I think most women would collectively sigh in relief if we (men and women both) could all get over it and accept it. “Sexy” is definitely in the eye of the beholder, but understanding why it occurs and accepting it as a common biological thing existing for MOST women is simply a sign of an intelligent and evolved person.
For what its worth, I am a fit, soccer playing, bike riding young man who finds cellulite, as natural part of a healthy, curvy woman quite attractive. And I appear to like commas, and run on sentences.
Dear A Man,
If I weren’t (wasn’t?) already married to someone who loves my body, cellulite and all, and is a total grammar Nazi, I would do you for that post. #justsaying
The correct word is “weren’t.” The difference is this:
-“If I was…” implies a state of being in the past that may or may not have been the case in the past (“…but it’s possible that I wasn’t.”).
-“If I were…” implies a state of being that is definitely not the case in the present (“…but I’m not.”)
Since I assume you are in fact at this present moment married to your husband (who will absolutely jump your bones if you show him you understand this distinction), the idea that you are NOT married to him is a present state of being that is not the case, hence “weren’t.”
I have a friend is what I would consider extremely thin and has very little body fat. She has cellulite on her thighs and ashamed by this & continues to try and get rid of it. This is something that she cannot just work off considering that she already works out and eats very healthy. Does she splurge at times, yes, but overall eats very healthy and grows her own food in the Spring and Summer. Just eating right and working out doesn’t make it go away.
Cellulite is “normal” same as wrinkles…how much you have depends on a lot of things..genetics, body type, amount of body fat and how toned you are. If you have cellulite you can help it by loosing weight or toning up. Thats a fact. You might not get rid of all of it, but you can lessen it. I hate to hear that there is nothing you can do about it. Most ppl CAN do something about it. Wether you want to or not is up to you. I agree we should worry less about small imperfections, but if it bothers you (and it bothers most woman) work out, eat healthy and find out how much you can change.
Yes, eating well and exercising regularly can potentially reduce the appearance of cellulite. There are FAR better reasons to eat well and exercise regularly, and I’d hate to have someone begin a diet and exercise program specifically for cellulite reduction only to find that it doesn’t work, and quit.
Eat well and exercise for health, for well being, for self-esteem, to stay active as you age. If it reduces the appearance of cellulite, great!
I agree with the FAR better reasons to eat right and work out
but to be honest, most ppl start working out to look better. I don’t think there is anything wrong with that either 
This is absolutely the most perfect reply to a comment ever. I wish I had your social savvy
I think maybe when you’re young, you start an exercise program to look better. But when you get a little older, you start to exercise to FEEL better (and so that maybe you won’t die as soon).
Probably, most people go through a vain phase as some point in their life, but it is something that hopefully grow out of as they become more emotionally mature. Obviously, some celebrity journalists never reach maturity, but that doesn’t mean the rest of us have to be stunted forever too!
FYI, by “the most perfect reply” I meant the one by the author, Go Kaleo, not any other comments: they order things a little awkwardly.
I could tell what you meant, Meghan! Thank you!
I think your comment is ignorant and you have no idea what you are talking about. At age 19-22 I played college tennis. I had a personal trainer and a diet coach. My weight, body fat, and muscle tone were ideal, if not more lean than I should be. I lifted weights 4-5 days a week, ate basically a paleo diet, and was one of the strongest female players in my league. So powerful I could often outhit most men with a similar rating. Thanks to guys like you despite all the above I would refuse to wear a bikini or even short tennis skirts because I had cellulite and stretch marks I developed when I was like 10 or 12. It wasn’t a large amount, it wasn’t overly disgusting (in retrospect), but I still can’t break feeling that men find me disgusting because of it regardless of weight and tone. Don’t get me wrong I feel beautiful fully clothed and my husband doesn’t care- but thanks to guys like you any woman with a stretch mark or any cellulite will always feel like it is her fault she is disgusting and she isn’t doing enough to prevent the world from finding her disgusting.
I do not agree with this reply. When I was a (natural) competitive bodybuilder I stepped on stage with women ripped to shreds; bodyfat possibly in the single digits, skeletal faces, and I still remember looking at several with cellulite on their butts and thighs. So, with someone at extremely low body fat and no way in hell you could ever remain there, how would you explain that?
Aaron – fuck off. I had cellulite when I was 13 at a height of 5’6″ and 105 pounds. I had zero excess body fat and was often called Olive Oyl. And guess what I had? Cellulite. Most large and even overweight girls my age didn’t have cellulite. But I did.
That reminds me, i remember having cellulite on my butt as a little kid….probably 6years old. I didnt know what it was i just thought i had an old lady butt cause it was all wrinkly! Wasnt until entering my teens i was taught to be so ashamed of it. At 31 i could care less about it…not like it hurts or impedes my life in any way!
Great article Go Kaleo! What’s your name? You kick ass. I did a ton of research on cellulite last year and came to the exact same conclusions as you did (and read that same article). Keep up the great work.
Thanks Bret! So do you.
My name is Amber, but I think you figured that out on facebook.
I’m not attaching my email to this because I don’t really care for internet fights. but for the judgemental jerks out there I can vouch for different body types that cellulite comes in all shapes and sizes. Most of my friends marvel at the fact that as a 5,11 280lbs women I have nearly no cellulite. where my 5’4 92lbs best friends ( just incase you were wondering smaller than size 0 friend) has it on her entire backside. she is a vegan a runner and rarely indulges in processed items. It has nothing to do with weight its dehydration, genes and the female bodys want to hold onto fat to bear children. Sorry I’m not sorry if some are too shallow to understand home this isnt a problem amongst women. Its a commonality and its men and magazines that have made us feel something is wrong .
Anonymous, I assume you and your friend both know that she is dangerously underweight. Cellulite on emaciated bodies is, I think, actually common in anorexics because their bodies store everything it can get as fat to protect the vital organs, and maybe even because their skin has thinned with starvation (that’s just speculation on my part). I’m not saying she’s anorexic but she is, it sounds like, accidentally or quasi-accidentally starving herself (as I once did); she may even be weakening her heart–even if she feels fine now, she’s headed for a reckoning as her body catabolizes her muscles and vital organs to feed itself. Either of you can feel free to email me about the process of getting to a sustainable weight.
Nice article, Amber! I love you straightening out the MYTHS and telling it how it is, and we are all the better for it! Thanks!! Rock on!
Love it, and I agree!
It doesn’t help that every magazine cover and billboard features an airbrushed model that is barely recognizable as the person that showed up to the photo shoot. Dove has a great video piece called “Evolution of a Model.” Check it out here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2gD80jv5ZQ.
Thanks for taking a stand. Its about time people started feeling better about how they look. Rock on.
Amen sista!
I have aquired elder changes and am not interested in sharing. The young girls of today let it all hang out. I dont mean hide yourself but clothes that dont show off every bulge and muffin roll is to me a respect of how you present yourself. Same with hair and make- up. But i was raised to try to look my best when out! Some females feel once a man is permanent in their lives they dont have to “try” so hard. You dont have to do much to look good the effort is appreciated by people watchers. And shows self respect.
Bullshit. I choose to look nice for my man because I want to, not because he demands it of me. If you saw me walking down the street, you would think I was very well put-together, but the truth is that if I were more comfortable with my body and “let it all hang out” a bit more, that would be a sign of INCREASED self-respect for me, not the lack thereof! The fact that you find a few bulges distasteful simply reflects the fact that you’ve internalized the flawed mindset that a woman’s body should serve the purpose of being visually pleasing to others based on their standards (not hers). I don’t buy it.
Beautifully worded.
^ this
I’ve acquired some elder changes, too. At 28, I was ashamed of my body because I was more Marilyn Monroe than Kate Moss and no size 0. Nearing 40, I no longer give a sh!t what the media (or even my peers) have to say. I am naked every chance I get and lamenting the wasted days that I spent covered up at the beach because I wasn’t ‘perfect’. Without ridiculous commentary like these editorial articles pervading my daily routine, I’m confident, liberated, and strong. And much more prone to discuss politics, religion or art with someone than their effing cellulite. Can we please evolve before our daughters suffer the same self-imposed prisons?
“Men who expect women to be perfect are men who have more experience with porn and magazines and blow-up dolls than real-life women. . . . he isn't worth your time.”
Amen! I wish more women understood this. Thankfully I have a hubby who likes me all natural.
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The last line in the abstract of this article is telling
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17977473
“the pattern of central obesity, more commonly seen in men, is not adaptive, but rather reflects the genetic drift hypothesis of human susceptibility to obesity. Female obesity, with excess adiposity in the lower extremities, reflects an exaggeration of an adaptation for female reproductive success.”
As a guy, I wish I could form cellulite. Instead I carry my fat as abdominal obesity that has important health impacts. Unfortunately, normal cellulite gets more media than my muffin top.
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I want to go to that Hell where Johannson lives. Where do I have to sign in ?
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA this is exactly what i needed to read now!!!! THANKS
To the jerk who posted the original article and pic. How dare you say she looks like hell. She looks sexy as she always does. There is absolutely nothing hellish about this woman. She’s every man’s dream and every woman dream to be her. Asshole!
Insulting comments are always much more convincing, plus they add to the depth of the discussion. Please, keep going. You make the World a better place.
I love you for this comment.If I had you here and heard you say that I would actually hug you!
Also:I need permission to use it!!!!
Those comments that person made about Scarlett say more about the kind of person THEY are rather than the kind of person she is.
She is absolutely not every man’s dream, fuck that. She might “look sexy as she always does” but as a guy, I’m super tired of the stereotype that we all would love to date gross rich movie stars who probably have the shittiest personalities on the planet.
“Eat well and exercise for health, for well being, for self-esteem, to stay active as you age.” – BRILLIANT!
Hello,
first and foremost I’d like to thank you for this article (and Bret Contreras for promoting it on FB). I’m 24 y.o male and within a few years of being together I learnt to love so called imperfections of my gf’s body. Actually, they’re now my turn ons or even fetishes
HOWEVER, despite my efforts my gf is still very insecure about her cellulite. The thing is she really has a lot of dimples. Both buttocks are densely covered with them, so are thighs (some deep ones). Even though she understands and accepts that it’s so common problem she compares herself with other ‘regular’ women and sees that their ‘issues’ are much smaller that hers. She says she doesn’t want to be perfect, just alleviate it a bit.
It really saddens me how things are… Given she’s extremely good looking and has hot body (and booty!) she won’t wear shorter dresses or shorts because of a few dimples here and there…
I really wish there was a way to alleviate c.
You’re a good guy, Pawel! Just keep telling her how much you appreciate her! My husband’s enthusiastic appreciation for my body, all parts of it, really helped me overcome a lot of my insecurities. It didn’t happen overnight, but it really was so helpful.
Tell her to join us in the ETF facebook group too, we’re a bunch of supportive, body loving people who will tell her she’s gorgeous!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/108315962672267/
It was “a few years of being together” that you “learnt to love the so called imperfections of your gf's body” A few YEARS'. You “LEARNT to love them”'
And you wonder WHY your “gf is still very insecure about her cellulite”' Really You don’t see your own attitude as part of the wider problem? No corelation staring you in the face there? No Nothing
Wow. If it “took you a few years” a) the woman must have been hideous to the point where it wasn’t something you were just going to be able to get your head around in, say, 5 minutes. I mean the sight of her ‘imperfections’ took YEARS to learn to live with. You poor thing
Or b) You’re such a stunning/perfect/physically unflawed example of manhood that you simply couldn’t get your head around your gf being anything less herself….i.e; a real-life version of a photoshopped ‘perfect’ model 24/7…just like you.
Lucky for her you decided to ‘learn to live with it’ huh? I mean, you sound like a real keeper. Does she know how lucky she is?
And I thought losing a limb or a major facial disfigurement or something along those lines was something that would take a few years to get your head around and learn to live with. No wonder the average woman hates her body. Look what she’s up against……being with an average guy and all his imperfections (less face it, we ALL have them) who takes years to learn to live with hers. It’s cellulite for christs sake!! Thank god not all people are as shallow as you. What a complete and utter loser.
Cut him some slack, Claudia. He’s young, and overcoming cultural conditioning takes time. I didn’t until I was in my mid-30’s! I think he’s doing great.
He’s 24. Not 14. The guy needs to grow up and aquire himself a reality check. A good start would be a look in a mirror.
Guy says he accepts his girlfriend for what she is, finds her beautiful and is pained that her self image is faltering and yet you say he needs to grow up? Growing up takes time. It can take years.
Even four years, imagine that. You’re talking to him four years ago, when he flat out just said in his post he had changed his views. People change, they become what they are in life. Some people reach similar conclusions early.
My grandparents just recently learned to accept one of their nephews who came out as gay. They’re in their 70s. Should I hate on them because it took seven decades what took me less than one to realize? That’s not how decent people operate. You have some growing up of your own to do.
He didn’t say ‘learned to live with it’ at all. He said love. Then he said fetish
Claudia, you have some issues that you need to work out. Who are you so angry at? How did you read what I did and feel like what he said was hateful or hurtful? That isn’t a normal reaction. He says he grew to LOVE her imperfections. He always loved and accepted HER, but over time, he loved her so much that something that she perceived so ugly, he saw beauty in. I think he’s wonderful and just reading what he had to say and his genuine concern and love for her….. awe, it was precious. I think he’s great. I’m sorry if someone hurt you, but it wasn’t him.
Woahhhh Claudia – you need to chill the eff out!!
I think it was pretty clear from this guy’s post that he loves his girlfriend very much and, as is wont to happen in serious relationships, it is the things she perceives as “flaws” that he has grown to love most about her. I don’t think he in any way meant that it took him years to get over her cellulite – but that over time being with her, her cellulite became less of something he looked past and more of something he actually finds beautiful. That tends to happen in intimate relationships. Often, our initial attraction to someone that we do not know well is physical and we look past the traits that are often presented as “flaws” in the world.. but as we fall in love we begin to see beauty in everything about that person. It’s an amazing thing.
I think you’re just angry and you’re looking for things to be angry about. This is a nice guy who just wanted to share his opinion about an issue that impacts his girlfriend’s life (and his). By lashing out at him and looking for any little thing to twist around and bash him over the head with you’re not doing women any favours.
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I have an apple shaped like a man. I look fantastic for 64 except for my middle, which most women don’t have. I can’t get my waist down nor my belly, and can’t exercise due to a fuse spine and COPD. I have accepted that my breasts are ponderous and my upper arms jiggle a little as do my upper thighs. I can hide those in clothes. But my middle I cannot. I would like to accept this, but even reading comments here, I get depressed at all the men saying they have problems with their muffin tops. Me too!!!!
Me too!
Do weight lifting at least 3 times a week and check your diet with a professional. You will not bulk up on the contrary it is proven to be very helpful for our belly and all of our metabolic functions.
Women actually look more healthy to me if they are a little in the chubby side. Why do people find extremely ripped women attractive? I have a hard time figuring that out?
Different strokes for different folks.
i love this comment ^^^
I work as a professional model. I am now a healthy weight, but I have been very, very skinny. And no matter what weight I am, I have always had and will always have cellulite. Not a little bit, but to the amount that it is quite noticeable across the room. I even got it on my calves now. But that isn’t going to make me stop modelling, or wearing hot pants or short skirts.
It hasn’t got anything to do with women with “a little meat on their thighs” vs “walking skeletons”. I had a BMI of under 16 and I still had cellulite.
So we better just deal with it… at least we don’t get it in our face…
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A dear friend of mine on FB (male, 60ish) posted this. Your story is inspirational and I think it’s great you’ve found a way to be in your body.
A few points:
1. I am a dancer (not for money and NOT a stripper, haha, classical jazz, Luigi technique in NYC and LA) and have swum, done yoga, worked out hard from 13 to 41 minus a couple years I was more chill about it all. I had ZERO cellulite–like magazine, non-airbrushed flawless body skin till 36 when I took up smoking. My skin is not perfect but it’s still very good. A LOT of this is just genes. And yes of course skinny women can have cellulite as you point out.
2. I think it’s a bit of a straw man to say that anyone blames cellulite on poor stress management, however. I don’t read self-help–an unabashed therapy snob who who disdains New Age, Woo Woo, and Positive Thinking (especially the memes on FB)–but I have never in the rational, educated world ever heard anyone blame a woman’s cellulite on poor stress management.
3. I also don’t believe there is any secret evil plan to keep women focused on appearance so as to distract them from foreign policy or the other weighty , substantive matters you mentioned in your comment. People are far too disorganized–even those in power–to get together in so concerted a manner.
4. I haven’t done Velashape–people say that’s really not too effective–but Venus Freeze and others have worked on people I know (older women, not dancers, mothers who lost their pre-kid body and are still healthy but will never look as they did pre-kids and particularly breastfeeding which utterly destroys your breasts, at least by conventional standards. Obviously that Harvard woman is reputable but I don’t believe there is no change from the right treatments or that they are unsustainable over time.
5. Most of all, I think it’s important for women to adopt whichever standards of appearance WORK for them. I understand the whole feminist Dove branding big is beautiful /beauty comes in all sizes idea and insofar as eating disorders are exacerbated by Madison Ave and the fashion/beauty industry in general (NOT a primary factor in my view or the view of any reputable therapist or analyst I’ve ever heard on the matter as eating disorders are addictions and rooted in problematic family/parental relationships), it’s good for designers to have models who aren’t a size 0-4.
But to go the other way (and overboard I think) and say that MOST women have cellulite strikes me as sheer rationalization. Exercise will tone you but cellulite is on the surface and after you’ve done all you can do with diet and exercise, the only thing that will really make you “flawless” (and WHY should that not be a goal? why should there not be ideals or aesthetic standards) is one of these treatments.
No one is saying you have to be a model or red carpet girl, but if a woman wishes to look as much like the ideal as possible, why should this trouble anyone? Do we decide a tween or child playing Bach will never be a concert pianist and thus just say, never mind, she doesn’t have real talent so might as well not even TRY to play Bach’s Inventions? No.
Thanks for sharing.
Take a look at this little film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sQxlApY6gs
@victorianchick: Wow, your anecdotal evidence sure has convinced me!! Poo poo to Harvard studies.
p.s. Having no cellulite and being able to be a concert pianist are not comparable goals. If you’d stated a realistic physical fitness goal, such as being a good dancer or running a six-minute mile, I’d agree with you, but “being a genetic anomaly” is not a great goal for a child to have.
p.p.s. What do you think motivates you to leave long comments about how people *should* worry about their cellulite?
Why do you think it’s so important to you that other women worry about and feel bad about their cellulite?
Why do you need to police other women’s feelings about their cellulite?
Why do you need to celebrate other women trying to remove their cellulite?
Why do you feel that the breasts of women who have had children are “destroyed,” and why did you feel the need to bring that “fact” into this conversation?
What do you like about yourself? Do you like yourself? Where does your sense of self-respect come from?
Thank you. <3
I was curious about what makes you or any one else the arbiter of an “ideal” body? I created, birthed and nursed three human beings. I earned every stretch mark, bit of cellulite and all the other changes that happened with my body over time. My husband loves my body. My body is healthy and strong. And that is all the matters – not what some artificial “ideal” photo shop created body type.
Take a look at this (:
All right I’m tired of hearing how breastfeeding destroys your breasts. There is NO peer-reviewed scientific research to suggest this is even close to true. There is however researching showing that pregnancy, smoking, and losing weight are the highest indicators for saggy breasts while breastfeeding doesn’t increase indicators. Hormones that supposedly “destroy” breasts are created and are already in effect well before any baby is born. Once the baby is born your body will act as if you intend to breastfeed since that’s the naturally way we feed our babies. It doesn’t matter if you breastfeed or not.
research showing*
Also, there is no way for any woman to be flawless. This is obtainable and not healthy way of viewing ones self. You are who you are. Trying to reach for perfection will only make you miserable. We should be teaching our girls to be happy with who they are, not what they will become after years of work to make them as pretty as possible. Men aren’t expected to do that, women shouldn’t be either. We should be focusing more on healthy living, accepting ones-self, and encouraging women to do whatever it is they want to do in life. Be happy.
unobtainable*, spelling errors abound.
if that is hell plz take me there plz
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Ladies, please do not underestimate the ultimate power we have — the power of consumers. Companies and good marketing have no power over us if we choose not to buy. So please, do not buy any cellulite creams or “cures.” Do not google photos of celebrities with cellulite, or otherwise looking “bad”. Do not purchase magazines that reinforce all of the “negative” things about your body and make you feel bad about yourself. I have cancelled all my subscriptions to Allure, Women’s Health, Glamour, etc., after realizing that they were only product-pushing marketing gimmicks riddled with photos of airbrushed models and rehashed “beauty” advice, and I feel much better for it. Stop buying, and these products and companies will be forced to change or go out of business. Do not let them fool you into using your hard-earned money to buy things that make you feel bad about yourself!
Also, please do not fall prey to the manipulation of words. How many women were concerned with cellulite before it was officially coined a term? Cellulite is nothing unique or new — by another, much older name, it is simply fat. All humans have fat. Women are biologically adapted to have more fat than men. If you want to lose all your cellulite, you can — just lose all your fat. Of course, that would kill you — does that seem like a fair trade? Criticizing a woman for having cellulite is the same as criticizing her for having fat, which is the same as criticizing her for having any number of life-sustaining body mechanisms. On the same note, please stop using terms like “imperfections” and “flaws” when referring to a human body, including your own. Claiming to “embrace your flaws” does nothing to help you — it only reinforces the idea that there is somehow a perfect body. There are no absolutes like that in biology. Stretchmarks, veins, cellulite, freckles, body hair, etc. etc…these are not imperfections. These are merely components of a human body, nothing more. If you practice changing the diction in your everyday life, you will gradually change your mindset. You do not have cellulite; you have life-giving, energy-producing fat cells. You do not have flaws; you have a complex, storied, functioning human body. This body gives you all the pleasures of moving, communicating, having sex, eating, sleeping, cuddling, frolicking. Enjoy it!
On a final note, I have noticed several comments (including one by the author of this blog) that try to get back at men for being judgmental by deriding those men for (possibly) having small penises. How is skewering a man for a body part over which he has no control of the size any different from skewering a woman for things like cellulite, or the basic shape of her body, or the presence or lack thereof of her “womanly” curves? Please do not post such short-sighted comments — they devalue the whole argument of accepting all body types. No one, male or female, deserves neither credit not derision for any biological components over which they have no control — skin color, nose shape, penis size, breast size, bone structure, cellulite, hair texture, height, eye color, basic body structure… none of these things have anything to do whatsoever with who we are as people. Variety is the spice of life!
Thank you for posting this thought-provoking article.
I love your comment. This ad is ridiculous, seriously.
I agree completely! My husband and I recently had a related discussion; we were talking about acceptance of LGTB people. I don’t think “acceptance” is an appropriate term. No one “accepts” that their friend is blond or brunette, has curly hair or straight, has brown eyes or blue. Why? These are natural variations. If there is nothing that is not acceptable, there’s nothing to accept; it just IS. Semantics are extremely important and say much about the speaker.
Excellently articulated comment! Seriously, well written and to the point. You hit the nail on the head. Although, I must say, that people have their physical preferences and are entitled to them, without deriding others. Cellulite, although being natural, is definitely something people can control, to a large extent, with the right diet and exercise! It’s not rocket science or something you cannot (mostly) get rid of. It is definitely something we (men and women) can control. I like women who are toned and look after their bodies. Maybe because I know the effort and dedication it takes. SJ is extremely beautiful, and young. If she’s happy in her “dimpliness,” power to her. Just saying
Yes, losing body fat and building muscle can minimize the appearance of cellulite. I would certainly hope that cellulite reduction would not be someone’s primary motivation to exercise though.
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wow, not seeing the controversy you hope to stir up here….it just goes to show those who throw crap like this out there in an attempt to bring another person down must themselves really feel like crap on the inside….This women looks great, Nate Naylor is a lucky man. Who in their right mind would think he would have to be a sociopath to love a woman that looks this great…Now having said that,,,,If your into a person solely based on their looks and are the type person who will dump them and move on at the first sign of a blemish, there is a special place reserved in hell for you, and heaven forbid your looks ever fade……..the person who is bashing this woman and her lover is a real ass-hole.
You should read the whole article and then come back and comment again. The article is not about how “bad” S.J. looks, but about how normal she looks and how cellulite is normal, but not a flaw.
This person was referring to the article with the picture at the top that was used as an example of how society shames women with cellulite, not the main article that defends women.
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Great post! And Scarlett looks gorgeous, voluptuous and natural. Rock those curves, girlfriend! She is my H’s dream chick (after ME of course hahaa.)
I have to second the “you rock” comment. Because you do. I’ve been thinking this for years and have never seen it articulated in print until now. You really rock.
Hahah man, right now I weigh about 45kg (100 pounds) and still have cellulite. I’ve only met two women who don’t have it, one is my mother and the other is a friend who is medically overweight. It’s not a flaw, it’s just a thing. Get over it.
I don’t usually leave replies on blog posts but I wanted to thank you for this!!! I’ve never been overweight in my life, I’m a certified yoga instructor and a regular runner. I don’t “diet” by restricting calories but I do try to stick with whole organic foods. I am not underweight, but I’ve had plenty of people use the “Go eat a burger” line on me because I’m naturally quite lean.. to many people, I don’t appear to have any fat whatsoever. YET… since the age of 15, I’ve had cellulite on the one part of me where my body decides to store the fat… my big ole bum-bum. I’ve done EVERYTHING to reduce it (besides surgery of course).. from caffeine gel and firming lotion to butt exercises, low carb and low sugar diets, massaging the area regularly, etc. Through most of my teens and 20’s, I’d gravitate to the underwear and swimsuits with “booty shorts” bottoms to hide the bumps. But a few years ago I decided to just let it be. And you know what? Nobody seems to notice or care, because everyone else has it too, and you can only really see it in that harsh sunlight Scarlett is standing in. If you think all those oiled up celebs and models donning thongs in magazine spreads don’t have it too, you’re being fooled. Soft lighting and photoshop remove the appearance of cellulite as a “rule” because someone at some point decided it’s distracting or unattractive. But that’s not reality. I think Scarlett looks just as hot in this candid as she does in all of her professional pics. Anyone who looks at this picture and sees only cellulite has been conditioned by the fashion/entertainment industries and I pity his inability to enjoy the sight of a beautiful ass
What’s so interesting is, at age 30, even though I’m starting to get creases around my eyes and gray hairs, I feel more confident and comfortable in my own skin than I have since I was 12. It took me THAT long to realize my “flaws” are normal parts of being a human, they make me unique, and the rest of the world isn’t seeing them in the blaring, magnified way I’ve been seeing them for so long. Maybe once you leave your 20’s the pressure to be perfect is released a little, or maybe it just took me a long time to develop the confidence to appreciate and carry the things that make me beautiful–I can’t 100% blame culture, but my heart just sinks when I meet girls in their teens and early 20’s who so obviously are holding on to anxiety about their appearance. Articles like this fight that mentality so again, I thank you. <3
Love this ^
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Thank you for this. I’m glad to see this is still getting so much attention even after it’s been so long since originally posted. It’s obviously struck a cord with a lot of people!
I have struggled my whole life with body image. I can remember complaining of the size of my thighs by age 6. After turning 20, I had periods of ups and downs with regard to how I felt about my body. In my late 20’s I had a thyroid problem that went undiagnosed for a few years and resulted in weight gain, which I ultimately lost once I was on the correct meds.
Fast forward to my late 30’s, I was in the best shape of my life at an “ideal” weight and vmi (I’m 5’5″ and 125), an avid runner and very committed to my fitness, but still felt embarrassed both of my body and appearance. When I turned 40 I was just beginning to accept my flaws and be happy with myself for the first time. Then one month later I discovered my husband had been having an affair with a co-worker in her 20’s. A beautiful, gorgeous, tiny, petite girl who is pretty much my exact physical opposite in every way. The affair ended the day I found out, my husband never communicated with her or saw again (she was in another town that he traveled to for work) and was remorseful and wanted to do anything he could to save our marriage of almost 17 years. It’s been almost 2 years and we have completely reconciled and are happier now than we have ever been. However my self image is at an all time low. I just can’t accept that my husband could possibly find me attractive any more after being with someone like her, despite his pleading reassurance that it’s not the case. And when I read things like the article above – even though I rationally know that is wrong – it seems to reinforce that feeling that it’s how society feels. Then I get upset with myself for even giving a @#$% what anyone thinks!
I’m not even sure what my point here is, this just hit a nerve. Maybe I just needed to get this off my chest.
Congratulations on getting your husband and marriage back. You did better than I did. My husband told me that his gf “isn’t as pretty as you in the face, but she has a better body.” I guess that was partly because she hadn’t carried his twins.
I’m happily re-married now, and I feel better about my body, but I’ll never forget the betrayal and sense that I don’t measure up physically.
People don’t cheat based on looks, I have experience from every angle on Earth, Believe in yourself! I know you are beautiful
Hot as hell, I would say
Fantastic read, i saw this someone’s facebook post and i have shared it with my fitness pages on FB and twitter. nice for people to know their human
Thank you so much for this
so inspiring
You are awesome!
This is amazing “gokaleo”. Thank you so much!!
High five. Right on sister.
I love a naked, vulnerable woman. I love my wife’s cellulite. It is just one more thing to see and touch and love and get aroused by.
An actual woman showing me her actual body in all its natural splendour in spite of her fears and insecurities gives me an enormous boner.
Way to be the creepiest fucker on here. Jesus.
Hahahahaha, I was thinking the same thing.
Amen I like real my self I think that all the guys who talk s… masterbate too much .have you ever tryd touching a human woman Mabey that might help you be human.mabey
Actually that was f*cking romantic. I hope my boyfriend feels the same way.
Yeah, that was hot. I feel so lucky to have a man who appreciates real women, not airbrushed models.
He may not use the right words, to let us know that he doesn’t care about a woman’s flaws, but I applaud him for loving his wife and appreciating a woman’s body and her vulnerability. My husband feels the same way about me. There aren’t many man out there like that. And yes, every woman has “imperfections”, but they are only that, to those that care.
On the other note : “laziness” . Do something about your unhappiness. I work at a drug store. I see lot’s of people hoping the diet pill will fix their weight problem, when they don’t realize that they would already lose weight if they just follow the label : “…IN CONJUNCTION WITH DIET AND EXERCISE .”
MY cellulite amount on MY body, goes along with the amount of MY laziness and lack of MY discipline.
So, yes, everybody has it, it is up to you to control it.
I agree that the amount of cellulite a person has a direct relationship to how much exercise you do, and how healthy a person eats. When I am fit and I am exercising regularly, my cellulite decreases. Sometimes life gets hectic, and exercise takes a backseat, and a few pounds come back on and with those pounds, some cellulite too. The important thing to remember is that how much cellulite you have should not be the be all and end all of your exercise program. The main focus should be your fitness and how great you feel when you work out regularly. Regular exercise does so much for us on the inside and has a major impact on our longevity and quality of life! Most people spend the last 10 years of their lives in poor health – guess what, people who take care of themselves can live full and healthy lives well into their elderly years. What could be better! The fact that your cellulite decreases when you exercise and eat healthy is just an added bonus.
As for the gentleman who said he loves his wife’s cellulite, I think that this is most often the case… our men love us, love our bodies, and get turned on by our breasts and butts despite the fact we don’t think they are perfect. It is really all in our heads and if our men tell us otherwise, we should really just start believing it!
The only ones we should listen to; the only ones whose opinion we should care about are the ones who loves us unconditionally. In the 31 years of our marriage my husband has gained about 14lbs… I, after 4 children and 20 years living with a chronic illness, have gained about 50. Most of it has settled on my tummy… which I hate. My husband couldn’t care less. My family couldn’t care less. My friends couldn’t care less. If society didn’t have such a hang up on flat washboard stomachs for women, maybe I wouldn’t care less too.
still nasty! i’m sick of fat americans making excuses for their laziness and poor eating habits. just because your fat, and everyone else is fat doesn’t make it healthy or attractive. bottom line, i wouldn’t find it attractive.
I’m not fat. And I know this will come as a shock to you, but I actually don’t give a shit what you find attractive. Thanks for stopping by!
Exhibit compassion, this poor man is entitled to not find 90% of women attractive. I think he may find he will be punishing himself with this viewpoint as he interacts with 90% of women. I for one thank you for the information.
I’d guess that he won’t be allowed to interact with 90% of the women around him beyond a few sentences, when he reveals just what a fool he is.
Yes, and I find men with bad grammar unattractive.
*you’re
Hey Georgie,
Firstly, I have to applaud you on your bravery. You really went out on a limb there giving your adverse opinion, knowing everyone would just think you’re an illiterate asshole. I hate laziness too, especially grammatical laziness. Do you even know what an uppercase letter is? It’s what a little letter looks like when it’s all grow’d up, often seen at the beginning of a sentence. l think you mean you’re fat not “your” fat. Don’t worry bud, you can’t get cellulite from the dictionary.
(y)
Charlie,
That was perfect. I was going respond to George very similarly. I’m so tired of second grade mistakes on social networks, especially when written by such judgemental and opinionated pricks.
Wonderful. Thank you for posting this.
Don’t feed the trolls, people.
I’m the same age as Scarlet, currently trying to GAIN weight, and I still have cellulite. It’s part of being a woman.
You’re nasty! I’d rather have Scar’s “nasty” cellulite than your nasty personality and third-grade writing skills.
Way to challenge the body image myths. You go girl.
Way to go!
“Like hell”, really? I’m not sure what someone is trying to accomplish by telling the world that even its most beautiful women are too ugly for them. Obviously sex is not high on their list of priorities.
omg! looks like hell'! no way! she looks like a normal chick on the beach…..and she looks great! I’m almost twice her age, and although I’m quite fit, i have quite a bit more cellulite in that area as well…..whatever, i say! I’m a swimming instructor, I LIVE IN MY COSSIE EVERYDAY FOR MY JOB *shrugs*
Thank you for sharing. I’m sorry so many people chose to be negative about this. I enjoyed it. BTW I was one of the skinny girls in elementary school and one of the strongest kids in my school (I even out did the boys) and I had some cellulite by 6-7th grade. I continued to be one of the thin girls all through high school and still had some cellulite. I was raised on organic health food and what we raised and grew. We weren’t allowed tv, video games, or sugar and we were active all day every day. Just sayin’
I would still hit that no problem.
Agreed
Has anyone noticed though is that Scarlets boyfriend really doesnt care and that he is playing grabby grabby kissy kissy?! Image problem is a female problem. Just like baldness, undersized, height is a male problem. Females talk all the time that men are the problem when it comes to image. When really, when a man loves a women, her inner and outer beauty shines to him. Some of my guy friends end up with a girl and I ask what does he see in her. And really, its all in the eye of the beholder. Now I compare myself to the men around me. Like hes tall and has a full head of hair. He must get all the ladies. The female image is dominated by the female culture to compare their beauties with each other. Remember prom!? Yea…that was a female sport. Whos got the hottest hair and best dress. Guys all wearing black.
Alls I have to say is stop blaming men for tge female image problem. Just remember, when a man loves a women, Sir mixalot and big bootys, and jennifer lopez. To each man is his hotness in a lady
Dude, you’ve apparently never heard of the male gaze. Google it.
That is a very heteronormative view of the “female image problem.” Are all women in relationships with men now? Women shouldn’t have to love their body because a man loves their body. We live in a patriarchal society that wants women to feel inferior, so they will remain inferior. We can’t continue to see our body through the lens of men, but it’s difficult to change that because our society has been created by men and is controlled by men.
My wife was suffering with severe cellulite and it is 90% gone.
She has chose a raw vegan / Fruitarian path and have over the months lost all her excess fat and cellulite..
Whoever wrote this article has no clue and have obviously not tried going raw vegan or Fruitarian for a long period.
It’s so easy to say random things without any proof.
Give it a go, eat raw vegan / mainly fruits for 3 months and see what happens.
“It’s so easy to say random things without any proof.”
Isn’t it though?
This. Thisthisthis. It’s ridiculous that this commenter says these things with no proof while taking a jab at your argument by saying you have no proof. All the while, your article clearly includes scientific evidence and explanations.
I am a raw vegan and I still have cellulite. Just depends on the body type. Maybe your wife shouldn’t be your sole case study on the matter.
So what you’re saying is… your wife STILL has cellulite. That’s the entire point of this article.
My best friend has been vegan with tons of veggies and legumes etc for many many years..and still has cellulite. Now I suppose if you’d been eating crap and junk for a while, then went vegan and raw, you’d probably lose weight..and with the weight would go some of the cellulite. But no, just eating vegan doesn’t magically make all the cellulite go poof.
Charlotte looks great. It’s not like she can help she has a little cellulite and is an actress, that’s what butt doubles are for or computers. In public when she isn’t on the movies she should look just normal because she is just normal. It takes a lot of makeup and other stuff to make a celebrity camera ready. I applaud her for not caring what other people think and going out there in a bikini anyways. Hopefully, with perfecting we can do with doubles and computers we have not forgotten that real people are flawed, every single one of us.
uggghh. this isn’t about scarlett or cellulite or beauty or health or women. this is about MONEY. the media INVENTS unattainable ideals as a reason for you to feel “imperfect” in order to SELL YOU PRODUCTS. it’s called “generating demand.” end of story.
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I thought this was a great article! When I was 128 at 5’10” working out 5 days a week, I STILL had cellulite. Makes a lot of sense to me.
If cellulite is the biggest concern in my life – I consider myself lucky.
SHE LOOKS REAL!!!!
I’m naturally lean, 5’8″ and weigh 115 lbs at my heaviest, and have always had some cellulite in the few areas where my body holds on to fat. I don’t smoke, eat healthfully, etc. It is not worth it to me to fret about. What am I supposed to do, lose weight? I came of age in the Kate Moss era, and lost enough time over that. Since antiquity, we’ve been exposed to representations of flesh on the human body being perfectly smooth. (Blame it on the ancient Greek and Roman sculptors, who forgot to include cellulite in their marble sculptures.) But that’s art, not real life. Scarlett has a fabulous figure. She looks healthy and strong. Anyone who says otherwise is a damn fool.
What floors me here is that I AM FAT and I DON’T have cellulite! It isn’t an indicator of health or leanness or activity level at all. Using it as such is evidence of miseducation (or willful ignorance, in some cases),
Excuse me?
Define scary.