lipoedema

Introduction

often confused with obesity or lymphedema / lymphoedema, lipoedema is a separate condition independent of diet, lifestyle but is a hereditary, connective tissue disorder which results in disproportionate excessive lipoedema fat on legs and sometimes upper arms
mainly affects women from puberty onwards
affects 1-15% of women
skin is often dimply (“cellulite”) and body shape is usually bottom heavy “pear-shaped” with legs may appear heavy and cylindrical in more severe cases and fat may bulge at the knees (in contrast, normal obese patients tend to have regular sized ankles)
hands and feet are generally not affected
attempts at weight loss usually results in loss of fat around abdomen but no change in legs
it is also often associated with fragile blood vessels, easy bruising, swelling and extreme nerve sensitivity, causing chronic pain and mobility issues
can result in mental health problems, for example depression, anxiety and disordered eating
the disproportionate weight distribution may cause back pain, abnormal gaits and hip issues which may result in need for use of wheelchairs eventually

correct diagnosis is important and not to treat it as just obesity
partial or full-body compression garments help with swelling, mobility and pain
specialised liposuction surgery to remove the excess abnormal fat may help with pain and mobility