I have a very close friend who suffers with a disorder referred to as
Lipedema. She had tried everything to shred pounds,diets,extensive work-out plans. Her upper body shrank some what,however her lower body maintained in size. After countless years of soul searching and a misguided advice and misdiagnosed with hyper tension. One brilliant
Doctor saw it her rare condition from a mile a way,now receiving proper treatment for pain and general support.What is lipedema?
Lipedema is a disorder of adipose tissue distinguished by five characteristics:
1) it can be inherited;
2) it occurs almost exclusively in women;
3) it can occur in women of all sizes, from the seriously underweight to the morbidly obese;
4) it involves the excess deposit and expansion of fat cells in an unusual and particular pattern – bilateral, symmetrical and usually from the waist to a distinct line just above the ankles; and
5) unlike the “normal” fat of obesity, lipedemic fat cannot be lost through diet and exercise.
From Wikipedia: Lipedema is a disorder of adipose tissue distinguished by five characteristics: 1) it can be inherited; 2) it occurs almost exclusively in women; 3) it can occur in women of all sizes, from the seriously underweight to the morbidly obese; 4) it involves the excess deposit and expansion of fat cells in an unusual and particular pattern – bilateral, symmetrical and usually from the waist to a distinct line just above the ankles; and 5) unlike the “normal” fat of obesity, lipedemic fat cannot be lost through diet and exercise. Surgery is highly controversial, and in many cases, can make the condition worse.
Lipedema usually is triggered at puberty, but can trigger or worsen during or after pregnancy, at peri-menopause, and following gynecological surgery. If lipedema is diagnosed early, which currently is very rare, it is possible to prevent a significant expansion of lipedemic fat cells, and to alert patients to their heightened risk for obesity so they can take appropriate action.
Estimates of the incidence of lipedema vary widely, and range as high as 11% of the post-puberty female population. Even if the number were only 5%, that would mean more than 6 million women in the United States alone.
