A popular beauty website that boasts over 12 million readers recently published an article with an intriguing headline: “10 Cities with the Most Cellulite.” The subtitle was even more interesting: “You can pinch more than an inch of dimpled flesh in these regions.” ANALYST’s scientific sensibilities were piqued. How did these researchers carry out such a study? What data could one possibly conglomerate to determine such a list? And more importantly, is my city on it?
According to the report, the authors “mined reams of official data and population research” to determine their ultimate list of the 10 worst cities for cellulite. Since you’re sure to be on the edge of your seat for this one, let’s cut right to the chase. According to the article, the ten worst cities for cellulite are:
1. Birmingham, Alabama
Before we get those long-legged Texans in Wichita Falls involved in an all-out cellulite smackdown with the state of Alabama, let’s take a closer look at this study. Despite the headline, the authors later reveal that their list isn’t about the cities with the worst cellulite, but the cities with the worst risk factors for cellulite. The reams of data on which they based their findings didn’t have anything to do with cellulite at all. Instead, they used statistics regarding smoking, excess weight, lack of exercise, alcohol, a diet high in “bad fats,” and overall poor health.
Memphis made the list because thirty percent of its residents don’t exercise on a daily basis and seventy percent are considered overweight. But what about their cellulite? The study doesn’t say. Charleston has high obesity rates and one of the highest populations of smokers in the country. Do these risk factors equate to higher cellulite rates? We are left to assume so. Jacksonville has more than its fair share of fast food restaurants, plus a high number of smokers and heavy drinkers. But still no statistics on cellulite.
Poor Birmingham, Alabama landed the number one spot because it has the second highest female to male ratio in the country. That hardly seems fair, even if the city does have a high percentage of people who smoke or are overweight. Based on that reasoning, you might as well say that New York is the worst city for cellulite because it has more women than any other city in the U.S.
You can probably tell by now what ANALYST thinks about the usefulness of cellulite articles like this one. They pull you in with an intriguing headline, but fail to provide any substantial information. In the end, all they do is propagate the idea that cellulite is related to being overweight (even though they point out that skinny women have cellulite, too). It’s not surprising that so much confusion still surrounds this prevalent condition. Is ANALYST being foolish for expecting more from our beauty “experts?” How accurate do you think their list really is?
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