The topic of cellulite is so distressing to most women that it is usually only discussed in hushed tones among best friends, bemoaned in badly lit dressing rooms during swimsuit-shopping season, or carefully examined over the shoulder in one's full length bedroom mirror. So what is cellulite, other than one of the most reviled inevitabilities in a woman's (and some men's) life? Cellulite is a collection of fat deposited in the subcutaneous layer of the skin. The subcutaneous layer contains bands of connective tissue, and when fat and fluids collect under it, the layer thickens and hardens, giving the fat a dimpled appearance. If your skin is dimpled or lumpy when you pinch it, you probably have cellulite.

So how is cellulite different from regular body fat? Body fat generally covers the body in a thin, even layer. It serves the purpose of insulation and protection from the outside elements. Cellulite is lumpy and differs from body fat in that is does not provide insulation and deposits itself in specific areas — usually in the thighs, buttocks, breasts and abdomen. One common misconception is that only overweight people have cellulite, and skinny people are immune to it.

There are several factors that decide whether you will be afflicted with cellulite. If you've inherited the "cellulite gene," you're pretty much destined to have cellulite regardless whether you're a size 2 or a size 12. Gender is another factor, and women get the short end of the stick when it comes to cellulite.

This leads to the next contributing factor — the postnatal body. Of course, body fat plays a role in how much cellulite you do or don't have. Diet and exercise also contribute to cellulite, as well as age, smoking, medication, traumatic injury and water intake.

A huge industry has grown up out of our obsession with conquering the battle against cottage cheese, a common euphemism for cellulite. There are creams, medications, shoes and spa treatments available that claim to reduce cellulite or the appearance of it. There are also medical treatments, such as liposuction and mesotherapy, the injection of drugs, but they are usually expensive and only temporarily reduce cellulite. Although cellulite ridden women continue to hold out hope for an easy cure, experts generally agree that the only way to deal with cellulite is to decrease your body fat through diet and exercise.