IT is the age old problem for women the world over – getting rid of those flabby bits that no amount of dieting has managed to shift.

Even celebrities struggle with unwanted wobbly tummies and thighs from time to time and until now only a surgical solution in the form of liposuction has been available.

Costing thousands of pounds, it is not always an affordable answer to the problem either.

Now a new procedure which does not involve going under the knife has been launched and a north Essex women-only gym is one of the first in the county to offer it.

Gymophobics franchisee Joanna Rigby says Bodylean, immortalised by former Towie star Amy Childs in her show It’s all about Amy, has already proved a hit with the ladies who use her Hythe Quay Gym in Colchester.

The treatment uses ultrasound to break down fat cells, which are then cleared from the body via the lymphatic system It works in the same way as an ultrasound a hospital would give to an expectant mum, but is carried out on a much higher frequency. Joanna says: “The chemical reaction causes the fat cells to heat up and bubble and they then melt and are secreted out through your liver.

“It sounds a bit gruesome, but you don’t feel a thing and most of the ladies who have had it done said it feels like having a really nice massage. Sometimes people even drift off to sleep. We treat one area each time and it usually takes about four sessions to start to see the results.

“After the treatment, people have to follow a low fat and low carbohydrate diet for a few days because it is a bit like they have just had a really big, rich meal.

“The liver is having to work to deal with the fat that the treatment has dispersed so you don’t want to overload it.”

Jo is keen to stress this is not a quick-fix solution and has to be part of a lifestyle approach, which includes healthy eating and regular exercise.

She says: “It is strictly for people who have stubborn pockets of fat they just cannot get rid of through exercise or dieting.

“It is not for people who are really overweight.”

Bodylean costs £125 at Gymophobics for a minimum four sessions.