is cellulite fat

but your question is a tad like comparing orange juice to the texture of an orange peel. While cellulite, also known as gynoid lipodystrophy, is often thought of as fat, that isn’t quite accurate. Fat is just a component of what causes cellulite, so perhaps more aptly cellulite is a possible manifestation of fat. The presence of fat doesn’t mean you have cellulite. Cellulite itself is the result of the overlying skin structure combined with underlying fat cells protruding outwardly, while simultaneously the connective tissue, called septae, hold the skin in place causing a rippled, or orange peel appearance- similar to a leather chair that has large amounts of stuffing pillowing out while buttons hold the leather skin tightly to the internal rigid structure of the chair.

You need a complex set of circumstances to happen simultaneously for cellulite to rear its bumpy head. The common misconception that if you have excessive fat you will inevitably have cellulite is also untrue. You can be a rather obese person and still have no cellulite, particularly if you’re male. So let’s break down these parts and pieces to understand cellulite and how fat affects it.

Fat, or adipose tissue, is a type of loose connective tissue known as a lipid (molecules that contain hydrocarbons helping to make up the structure of cells and aid in their function. Other lipids include oils, waxes, vitamins, and hormones). It is present in a few different forms throughout the body- white fat, brown fat, subcutaneous fat, and visceral fat. “Subcutaneous” vs. “visceral” refer to where in the body it’s located, and white and brown refer to the function (classified by color) of the fat cell itself.

Visceral fat refers to the fat that surrounds your organs in your abdominal cavity. This type of fat is considered by some to be the most dangerous, as in excess it has been linked to an increase in the risk of heart disease, strokes, insulin resistance, increased inflammatory responses and diabetes. On the small positive side, this isn’t the type that causes cellulite.

Subcutaneous fat is the type of fat that lies just beneath the skin. This is the type that you can easily see and causes your bone blanket to jiggle ever-so-nicely on the dance floor. It’s also the type responsible for that orange peel, dimply cellulite that women everywhere fear. As I mentioned before, just the presence of this type of fat doesn’t mean you will get that cellulite appearance.

Visceral fat refers to the fat that surrounds your organs in your abdominal cavity. This type of fat is considered by some to be the most dangerous, as in excess it has been linked to an increase in the risk of heart disease, strokes, insulin resistance, increased inflammatory responses and diabetes. On the small positive side, this isn’t the type that causes cellulite.

Subcutaneous fat is the type of fat that lies just beneath the skin. This is the type that you can easily see and causes your bone blanket to jiggle ever-so-nicely on the dance floor. It’s also the type responsible for that orange peel, dimply cellulite that women everywhere fear. As I mentioned before, just the presence of this type of fat doesn’t mean you will get that cellulite appearance.