FEELGOOD FACTOR

THE BESPOKE BODY ANTICELLULITE PROGRAMME

What is it? Janet Ginnings is cellulitebuster of choice to the A- list, and takes a more holistic look at the problem than most. Janet has a whole arsenal of anti-cellulite machines at her disposal.

Following a consultation to assess the scale of the problem and work out what is feasible, she will decide which therapies to use.

Clients are advised to follow a programme of treatment for at least 10 weeks and are referred to Stephen Terrass, a nutritionist whose regime of sensible healthy eating coupled with nutritional- and-herbal supplements can dramatically enhance the results.

What does it claim to do? The different machines do different things; there's Thermoslim (where infrared waves stimulate the metabolism to break down fatty tissues), Pressor-03 (pressure therapy for water retention) and Corpo (electrostimulation to promote fat breakdown and firming). But the latest and most popular is Eporex. This uses an electrically charged roller to push a mesotherapy mixture (a fat-dissolving concentrate of herbal extracts) directly into the superficial layer of fat. This concentrate is said to break down the stored fat (cellulite), converting it into liquid fatty acids which are recognised by the body as a source of energy that it can burn efficiently. Exercising will increase the impact of the treatment, as will eating correctly and drinking buckets of water to aid detoxification.

Any science to it? None of these machines has anything as concrete as approval from America's Food and Drug Administration, but the makers have documentation to support the above effects. But for many women, more convincing than any science is the fact that Vogue cover girl Elle Macpherson and Celebrity Big Brother babe Caprice both entrust their bodies to Janet for fine-tuning. One client, whom Janet expected to lose up to half a stone on Eporex, diligently followed the nutritional plan, too, and shed 11lb in two weeks.

What's it like? Janet casts her eye over my legs and backside, prods the wobbly bits and pronounces that I need Eporex, possibly backed up with a bit of Corpo and Thermoslim. While I hold onto a handful of conductive gel and an electrical pad to turn myself into part of an electrical circuit, a special cocktail of herbal essences is plastered over my thighs and zapped through the skin by the electrified roller. My hand jumps and jolts with each pulse of current, but it's not painful. Afterwards, my thighs are as sleek as anything but I smell appallingly fishy; this is not something to do before going out for the evening. Stephen Terrass is charming, and his dietary suggestions make absolute sense. If I could follow them for 10 weeks - and get back into the gym - who knows what a difference there could be?