Cellulite Hype

By Christine Gorman

Want to sell lots of your new product? Here's a classic formula. First, imply that it cures some baby-boomer malady, like the dimming of memory or sex drive. Then hint that there might be a shortage of the miracle elixir. Sundown Vitamins seems to be taking both approaches with Cellasene, an herbal remedy imported from Italy that it claims "helps eliminate" cellulite, the dimply, cottage-cheese-textured deposits of fat that gather on the hips, thighs and buttocks of most women past their 30s.

Cellasene contains, among other things, extracts of Ginkgo biloba, sweet clover and bladder wrack (a seaweed). It arrived in U.S. drugstores last week and got lots of attention on TV news shows. Yet experts say there's no solid evidence that Cellasene has any beneficial effect on cellulite. The pill's 15 minutes of fame provides a lesson in the power and perils of hype.

During Cellasene's U.S. debut, its promoters emphasized that drugstores in Australia sold out a limited supply of the herbal remedy last November. Sundown has distributed thousands of DON'T PANIC buttons, and a recording on the company's answering machine says, "There is no need to hoard this product or panic if supplies should run short in certain areas. There will be enough Cellasene to go around."

Well, that sounds reassuring. But let's back up a minute. Is there any reason to believe the pills work? According to Cellasene's inventor, Gianfranco Merizzi, an Italian cosmetics executive with a degree in pharmacy, three studies have been carried out on a total of 100 women, with 85% showing significant reductions in cellulite. Right away, such a phenomenal claim merits skepticism. So does the fact that none of the studies have been published, let alone vetted in a peer-reviewed journal. I'd expect better proof of effectiveness before plunking down $40 for an initial 10-day supply of pills--which the cellulite battler is apparently expected to consume indefinitely.

I'd also want to know more about the potential risks cited on the label. Sweet clover contains powerful anticlotting factors that could be dangerous if taken with aspirin or other blood-thinning medications. Bladder-wrack extract contains extra iodine, which could be a problem if you have a thyroid disorder. But only the amount of iodine, and not the other herbs, is listed on the box.

Merizzi claims that estrogen causes cellulite by trapping fat underneath the skin. Cellasene supposedly boosts metabolism and circulation, thereby unlocking the trapped fat. Wrong, says Dr. Michael Rosenbaum, an obesity expert at Columbia University who co-authored an authoritative study of the anatomy of cellulite that was published last June in a peer-reviewed journal. There is no difference in blood flow in tissue with cellulite and tissue without it. And if estrogen caused cellulite, Rosenbaum notes, it would disappear at menopause.

The connective tissue that separates a woman's muscles from her skin is shaped like a honeycomb and allows even small amounts of fat to dimple out, whether she's fat or thin. (A man's connective tissue stretches over the fatty layer more tautly, keeping it smooth.) Losing weight, working out and plastic surgery can help reduce cellulite. But they can't change the underlying structure of a woman's body. And neither can Cellasene. So here's a modest proposal: perhaps it's our attitudes about skin texture that ought to change.

To read an abstract of Rosenbaum's work, visit time.com/personal You can e-mail Christine at gorman@time.com