Why is Cellulite More Prevalent in the Thighs and Buttocks?
It is well established that women generally have a higher percentage of body fat than men. For instance, a healthy range of body fat for women is 20-25%, and a healthy range of body fat for men is 10-15% (Robergs and Roberts, 1997). The thighs and buttocks of women tend to store more of this body fat. This type of fat deposition is characteristically termed gynoid, or pear shape. Body fat is stored largely due to the actions of an enzyme know as lipoprotein lipase (LPL). LPL is located on the blood vessel walls throughout the body. It functions like a regulatory enzyme, which controls the distribution of fat in various depots in the body (Pollock & Wilmore, 1990). It has been shown that women have a higher LPL concentration and activity in the hip and thigh region (Pollock & Wilmore, 1990). Why Dont You See Cellulite in Young Females (Healthy and Over-Fat)? Young females will clearly have the pinch or compression cellulite, as this is due to a structural mechanism. However, the celluli
