As the weather gets warmer and our thoughts turn to shorts and bikinis, they also turn to cellulite.

Women's Editor Christen Pears finds out what can be done to get rid of the dreaded dimples.

IT doesn't matter how thin you are or how much exercise you do, cellulite can affect anyone. Even celebrities succumb to its orange peel effect - Jennifer Lopez, Jerry Hall and Naomi Campbell to name but a few. In fact, cellulite affects up to 90 per cent of women over 30.

The term was first used in the 1920s by French doctors but it certainly isn't a new problem. Renaissance pictures often depict fleshy beauties with lumpy, dimpled thighs, hips and buttocks. It is, however, possible that modern foods, lifestyle and toxins exacerbate the problem.

So what do you do if you're desperate to wear your new bikini but find your thighs have more craters than the surface of the moon?

Shonagh Walker's new no-nonsense book, Cellulite My Arse! sets the record straight, dispels the myths and explains what can be done about it.

"Cellulite is not your everyday, ordinary fat that can be controlled with sensible eating habits and exercise alone," she says. "It also can't be treated simply by rubbing in a cream each day, or having a regular lymphatic drainage massage - it must be treated holistically and that means changing your thought processes, re-analysing your lifestyle and making sensible, healthy choices."

What is it?

Cellulite is the lumpy, irregular fat found on women's thighs, hips and buttocks.

What causes it?

Cellulite consists of fat cells which push against the connective tissue of the skin, bulging out and creating a lumpy appearance. Over time, the bulging can become severe enough to restrict the blood supply to these areas, trapping the fat and making the cellulite more visible.

In its most advanced stages, it can be painful as circulation is slowed down, leading to a cold, clammy and spongy feeling. Nerve endings may also become compressed and tender.

Who gets it?

Unfortunately, just about everyone! If you're female, you will probably experience it at some stage in your life, although the chances do increase with age or if you're a smoker, as this reduces the skin's elasticity. Some women also seem to have a genetic predisposition.

Being slim is no defence and even supermodels and actresses get it, as recent pictures of Jennifer Lopez and Naomi Campbell demonstrate.

Why don't men get it?

The compartments that hold men's and women's fat cells differ in shape. In men, these are square and they sit in a uniform way, regardless of how thin or overweight a man is.

Most importantly, what can be done about it?

* Diet

It's important to eat a well-balanced diet that includes at least three medium-sized meals each day. Opt for foods that can assist in stimulating bodily functions, such as high fibre foods like fruit, vegetables and high fibre cereals.

Where possible, try to eat raw rather than cooked fruits and vegetables.

Avoid refined carbohydrates such as white rice, white bread and white pasta and reduce your salt intake. You should also limit the amount of alcohol you consume and cut back on tea, coffee and caffeine-containing soft drinks.

* Exercise

While exercise alone will not get rid of cellulite, you will burn more calories and reduce your body fat, and therefore the amount of cellulite. For best results, you should exercise for 30 minutes, three to five times a week.

* Dry body brushing, exfoliating gels and creams

Regular dry body brushing and exfoliating helps to maintain healthy skin by sloughing away dead skin cells and it also stimulates the circulatory system.

* Massage

Massage techniques that stimulate the circulatory and lymphatic systems can help to relieve the problem. However, massage will not break down the fat cells. These can be tackeld with a reduced fat intake and increased cardiovascular exercise once the problem of poor circulation has been tackled.

* Cellulite creams

There are many creams and lotions on the market labelled cellulite cures. Some claim to enter the bloodstream via the skin and assist in the fat elimination process while others claim to tone and firm the skin and reduce its lumpy appearance. Most contain nourishing moisturisers so, at the very least, can relieve dry skin when used in conjunction with body brushing and exfoliation.

* Salon treatments

An hour in the salon will not turn you into a supermodel but hydrotherapy and thallasotherapy (the use of seaweed and marine extracts) can have an effect on the appearance of cellulite.

* Cellulite My Arse! by Shonagh Walker is published by Vermilion next month, priced at £3.99