Cellulite is the non-medical name for the lumpy fat that gives skin an ‘orange peel’ or ‘cottage cheese’ appearance and slightly swollen texture. It usually affects the thighs and bottom and is mainly a problem for women rather than men. It can worsen with age and can affect slim as well as overweight people.

What causes cellulite? Various theories exist about what causes cellulite and why it might be different from other types of fat; most common explanations put the blame on a build-up of toxins, a nutritional deficiency or a poorly functioning lymphatic system. For this reason, anti-cellulite diets are often quite similar to detox or diuretic diets, with the emphasis on cleansing the system.

Exercise helps. As cellulite is body fat, most people who are affected find that it improves when they lose weight. Exercise can also be helpful in toning the muscles and defining the shape of the affected areas, so that the texture of the skin looks smoother. However, it may be difficult to eliminate cellulite entirely since it is caused by structural change in the collagen fibres that separate fat cells into clusters, which occurs as the body ages. When weight loss shrinks the fat cells, the dimpled effect will be less visible but the collagen structure remains.

For this reason, it is unlikely that a special anti-cellulite diet will be any more effective than a conventional healthy weight-loss diet in reducing dimpled fat. Cutting down on salt may help as too much salt promotes water retention, which could contribute to the mild swelling seen beneath the skin where cellulite is present.

An anti-cellulite diet is likely to be low in calories, which will reduce overall energy intake and will produce weight loss. There is little evidence that a special diet will be more effective than any other in reducing cellulite. Extreme diets of any kind are generally harder to stick to and les: likely to succeed in the long term.

So as of recently, I’ve been seeing a lot more advertisements with products claiming to help you lose weight. Not only do I see products being thrown around all over the market, but I also see tons diet programs being sold. Being a health and fitness professional, it annoys me to see some of these advertisements. Even as I’m typing this, there’s a commercial on the television advertising a product that’s claiming to help you lose weight without any work on your part. I won’t specify or name these products or diet programs, but next time you see an infomercial trying to sell a product that promises results…Really think about it this time around. Who’s really benefiting with this trade? You as the consumer, or the supplement company itself. You guessed right! The supplement company of course. The one who gets the dollar always benefits more! Some of these supplements might help you in some way, but in reality….The only thing that these products are really taking into most effect, is burning a hole in your wallet. And thats a fact.

Now, I know some of you may not be as knowledgeable within the health and fitness realm. If you are truly truly wanting to lose weight and burn fat, wouldn’t you want to do the research yourself and learn how to lose weight the right and natural way without the use of supplements? I know I would. Now I can’t say I’m completely innocent and say that I never used supplements before. In my first year of training, I was always hyped up about supplements that were available at my local pharmacy shop or vitamin store like GNC and such. I had a high psychological dependability with some of these supplements I’ve used. In the end though, I realized that I was just spending unnecessary dollar amounts that could’ve been rather spent on professional advice or good ole nutritious foods that would benefit my training. I still use supplements to this day, but only products that have shown to work through the natural use of trial and error.

When we’re down in the dumps and barely have any self motivation to achieve our goals…We usually resort to supplements that promise results. I’ve been there and done that. I know how that feeling goes. Even as a health and fitness professional, I lose motivation from time to time. But I don’t stay down for long, I always search for a source to better help me in my training. Even the best of health and fitness professionals tend to slip up every now and then. Nobody’s perfect. But one thing we can attempt to perfect is our determination and willingness to succeed and achieve our goals.

To conclude this, if you’re really wanting to put money down for something….Don’t resort to those fake commercials promising you results to burn fat and lose weight without any work done being on your part. Some of us may lack the necessary time to do the research to train, diet, and exercise properly. So if you’re really wanting to put money down, get in touch with a health and fitness professional such as a personal trainer, exercise specialist, or even a dietician/nutritionist. Spend your money on something that would be a better investment than supplements, hands on professional advice. Although, my preference for you is to do the research on your own so at the same time you’re learning by yourself instead of having someone else tell you directly. But as I’ve mentioned earlier, if you don’t have the time to do so…That would be your best bet as learning how to achieve your goals most efficiently. Just know that to succeed in anything, it’ll depend on your willingness and determination to do so. You can have all the guideance in the world, but it’s you who will truly be able to make a difference in your lifestyle. And that said as always, make sure you get in touch with your local physician first before you attempt any exercise or diet program.

One of the biggest controversies of this generation is child obesity. It’s one of the fastest growing epidemics in the United States, and it needs to be dealt with soon. It may sound harsh, but we are becoming an increasingly fat nation. Right now, there are tens of millions of children that are either obese or overweight. We as teachers, parents, and responsible adults, we need to step up to the plate and take control of this game. The first step towards fixing this problem is targeting the future of this nation, our children of course.

The statistics of child obesity has deeply risen since the 80’s. It was at a mere 4% of all children who were obese in 1980, and now it has increased to over 50%. That’s just for the United States alone. For hospital costs associated with child obesity, it has risen from $35 million in 1979 to a whopping $150 million to this current date. These numbers don’t stop there either. Until we start to really do something, they will continue to rise more rapidly than ever before.

Another reason as to why we should make an effort to slow down the increasing numbers is diseases that are associated with child obesity. Currently, new studies have shown that one in four obese children is already showing signs of type II diabetes. Of all children that are diagnosed with type II diabetes, nearly 85% of them are either considered to be obese or overweight. Other than diabetes, 60% of obese children are also already prone to risk of heart disease and may expect to have heart problems later in life. These are only one of the few risk factors associated with obesity in children.

We as responsible adults need to make a stronger effort towards creating a healthy lifestyle for our children. If we continue to let our children live the way they are currently living, there will be no end to this. Already our government and legislature have created regulations on nutritional guidelines throughout the schools in the United States. In my opinion, this is not enough. We need to take effort in the places where it is most effective, in our own homes as parents. I’m not a father of my own children, but I am an uncle of five billion children! Hehe. I’m highly conscious of their diet and their overall well-being and I continuously guide them towards having a healthy and fun childhood. The point I’m trying to make is that we as parents and teachers need to put more effort and guide our children to make better and healthier decisions.

If our children are the future of this world, then we need to show and guide them of what is best for this nation. If we do not teach them now, who’s to say they won’t teach their own children towards having a healthy lifestyle. The time is now to start making drastic improvements within our children. Let’s not let obesity and the diseases associated with this epidemic be the downfall of this nation. If you want to start making an effort, the best place to start is within your own home.

In a recent University of Missouri Columbia study on rats, regular exercuse ket weight down, but after 2 days without exercise, the rats fat cells were 19 percent larger and the fat around their stomach increased by 25 percent. Yuck. We don’t need more studies on humans to get the point! Results fade fast if you don’t exercise regularly. As if that weren’t enough, the study also showed that inactivity led the body to use insulin poorly, increasing risk of diabetes and other related diseases.

Older women already know menopause may slow metabolism and cause weight gain. Now new research from the university of Colorado suggests that low sex hormones may affect weight gain in younger women too. When researchers reduced estrogen and progesterone using pharmacologic therapy, women burned 42 calories less per day. Can low sex hormones result in lasting metabolic damage? Thats what researchers plan to find out. The findings could help shape future hormonal and weightloss treatments.