Once I'd got over learning that the extremely irritating and very stubborn rolls of fat half way down my back, actually have a name, i got quite excited about the idea of getting shot of them. Banana Folds?! Eeugh! Who wants those? not me.

But as anyone in possession of the blighters — you know, the rolls that sit just under the sides of your bra, that spoil the look of a low-backed top or dress and are visible under fitted T-shirts — are famously difficult to shift. Only a severe madonna-like diet of macrobiotic seaweed and rice cakes will do it. So it's not just me — but that's little consolation.

So, the blurb about AccentXL, a treatment based on Radio Frequency thermotherapy (what?!) that aims to tighten up the bits that pilates and circuit training alone wont, definitely caught my eye. No needles, no knives, no nasty after effects — just a commitment of 6-8 visits (about an hour for each) and a rather hefty bill (around £1,200 depending on the body bit being treated — it also works wonders on sagging jowls apparently).

It's also supposed to be completely pain free. Not entirely true. The first unpleasant part is having to be photographed from all angles at close quarters and then look at the results. Then there's being measured for both before and after purposes — not great. And then there's the procedure itself. As Yasmina, my aesthetician, explains while I wince — "it's not a fluffy treatment, none of my patients come along because they enjoy it." Although some, apparently, do fall asleep, a fact that I find amazing.

As I lie on my stomach, a hand-held rubber-end 'wand', attached to a machine, is passed rythmically and very firmly over the flesh. Fairly quickly it gets warmer and warmer, then very hot indeed which means that it's reaching an optimum temperature for effectiveness (and which can be tolerated!) What's happening is that RF energy is penetrating the skin's dermal and semi-dermal layers to break down the fat and expelling it into the lymph system. 

Yasmina tells me to let her know if it's hotter than I can stand, but the hotter the better in terms of making the treatment work. I apply good old female pain tolerance, grit my teeth and let her carry on. As it is, one side of my body is less sensitive than the other — normal says Yasmina. Each side is treated for 20 minutes and as I get up I feel a little dizzy. Ideally I should have drunk a litre of water during the day before the treatment. I was told to drink another litre — no problem, I felt very thirsty.

It's just one of a potential course of six, but already Yasmina can see a difference. I'm not sure that I can detect a smoother appearance, but the measurements are a revelation - five inches less! Obviously one treatment out of a potential eight is not going to give immediate, lasting effects, but it's a good start. But Accent wont work unless I give it a fighting chance by watching my diet. Yasmina tells me to keep an honest food diary, ready for my next visit in two week's time.

I hate the concept of dieting, but decide that Accent has the possibility of making some difference and I owe it to myself to make an effort, no matter how boring and painful.
And so by the end of my third session, while I would hardly describe my new eating regime as stringent, even I can see that my back looks better. The shadows produced by rolls of fat have softened and the area looks slightly tauter. It's encouraging and certainly makes me feel that sticking to a sensible diet, plus exercise, is worth it when that effort is backed up by Accent. But the key message is that there is no such thing as a miracle cure — the hard work for a better body has to be put in by everyone. Sad but true.

For more information visit: Court House Clinics (www.courthouseclinics.com 0845 555 5050). Accent is available from salons and stockists nationwide visit www.accentyourbody.com to find your nearest. Accent body treatments start from around £150.