After a lifetime of obsessing about my fat thighs--forever disproportionate to the rest of my body at any weight--I've just read an interesting discussion on Diet Doctor of an actual disease condition: Lipedema (lipoedema for you Brits).

Here's the link, which may be behind a paywall. Sorry. Lipedema

Of course, I've read about lipedema before now. But lately it seems to have come under additional medical investigation. Seems that my pear-shaped female body isn't simply an inherited appearance; it may also be an inherited disease. Like my Grandma Rachel. But not my mother or my sisters.

Mine is not an extreme case, and not seriously progressive. But then, I've been on one diet or another since I was seventeen years old. At seventy-five, the fat I've observed since infancy still sits on my thighs and butt. In fact, the SIX pounds I dropped this week--after holiday indulgence in sugar and alcohol--suggests that a great deal of my weight is in the amount of water sucked up (temporarily) by the fat in those thighs, destined to be stubbornly unresponsive to diet and exercise.

When I crossed the finish line of a marathon (yes, all 26+ miles) at the age of 33, I was skinny all over--except in my thighs. That was some exercise regime, I'll tell you.

Other evidence is suggestive: I do not have any symptoms of so-called metabolic syndrome (often effectively addressed by Low-carb diet). I do not have high blood pressure. I do take medication for hypothyroid. Also, the fat on those thighs is "painful" when pressed hard.

Come to think of it, my new leggings might be so comfortable partly because they provide a light but therapeutic compression. Who knew??

In my reading so far, I don't see much in the way of medical intervention. But according to my experience over the past two decades, I absolutely endorse the low-carbohydrate--and even more, ketogenic--way of eating as a way of diminishing the symptoms and progress of lipedema.

If you've got that Pear-shaped problem, you might want to look into the research, and have a conversation with your medical provider. It might not bring much hope for the thin thighs you've always envied, but it may keep you on the helpful path provided by low-carbohydrate eating.

Happy new year!

Yeah, I definitely have it, but not severely. My Mom did too. I didn't find that keto resolved anything, but I can imagine that high carbs would've made it worse.

Siobhan Huggins, who works with Dave Feldman in the citizen science/lipidology realm, has lipedema. She's looking fabulous, though, and has had a lot of success with what I think is a mostly carnivore/high fat approach. Check out her before/after pics.

She did a really nice presentation on lipedema back in the summer, but I don't have a link. It's probably behind a paywall by now; it was one of those online conferences.

It would be great if, like in her case, more patients got diagnosed at a young age rather than once it's too late to avoid the progression.

That whole twitter thread, BTW, is wholesome content. Dr Tro started it soliciting success stories with before/after pics.

I too have fat thighs as did my thin mother. Major issue is with slacks that get all nobbly as my thighs rub against each other as I walk. I have always just assumed it was genetic. Weight loss or gain makes no difference
I too have circulation issues with my thighs and have to massage them periodically to get the blood moving again - a painful process.
Interesting thread

More from Siobhan: Why Keto For Lipedema? Possible Mechanisms and Insights

Hey, sometimes social media isn't a complete hell scape.

This part is heartbreaking and relatable, though not quite related to lipedema:


The rest is a success story.

Bold mine. I really admire this young lady, and I'm happy for her success.

Thanks, Kristine, for sharing some excerpts from this heartbreaking--but ultimately upbeat--story. On this site, we can easily imagine the multitudes who have suffered the scorn of being "fat" when it really, truly is not their fault.

"Thunder thighs" isn't a nice nickname to live with. Besides making it almost impossible to find pants that fit. Now I know the condition goes beyond a "weight problem" or simply a hereditary shape. I've done my best to fix what I could and reconcile myself to what it is. I have never lacked for love, or for other ways to embrace my best self.

Fatness in America is wicked paradox: it seems to be endemic and increasing, but is still subject to extreme social rejection--unless you manage to become a Pop Star. Crazy.

I once had a wonderful book I lent to a friend who never returned it. It was all about finding the right clothing for your body type.
The Pear (me-small breasted, small waist, large hips and thighs), the H (shoulders, hips and waist the same size), the hour glass, the large bosom with small hips, etc. So women with large hips and thighs is just part of who we are.It is not a disease.

I have lipedema. I was always a chubby child and a carb addict but my lipedema blew up with the onset of puberty. At the onset of puberty, I became obese.

Year after year doctor after doctor told me I was just fat and needed to lose weight. I was even put in the hospital for a special weight loss program for two months; I lost 15 pounds. I could always lose 15 pounds on any diet. And over the years I went on many, many diets to lose weight and many, many times I would lose weight only to gain it back and more every time.

Even being young I knew something was wrong with me. My mother, my father, and all my siblings were slim, not only slim but thin. My sisters had no butts and no hips and small breasts. Well, I had one sister who had hips and a butt but she was a size 8-10 where the rest of my sisters were size 6 and below; at 12 I was a size 14. I was not only fat but I had no ankles and what I call jodhpur thighs. My bottom was always 2-3 sizes larger than my top; wearing dresses, unless full skirted was impossible; pants with regular waistbands was impossible. No cute shoes with straps for me.

Being obese at such a young age caused me to be withdrawn and antisocial; my refuge became books. I had an eclectic taste in books; being so isolated and with plenty of alone time to read I would read anything printed, including medical texts. Always looking for the next diet I read plenty of diet books and books on nutrition, herbals, and on medical conditions as well.

To make a long story short I diagnosed myself with lipedema at 15; I was diagnosed by the medical profession at 52. Every time I presented my medically researched evidence of lipedema to doctors, I was poo-pooed and told I just needed to lose weight. At 52 I had to go to urgent care because my legs so swollen, taut, and were leaking fluid after a prolonged plane ride. The doctor walked in took a look at my legs and said, “Oh, you have lymphedema.” That was it.

I discovered low-carb at 17 and went on a carbohydrate restricted diet. I lost the weight and maintained the loss for 5 years. My bottom became only 1 size larger than my top but I still could not wear ankle strap shoes. And then I got married and became pregnant. I argued and argued with my obstetrician and dietician that I had to restrict my carbs and maintain my weight during pregnancy. They argued that I was damaging my baby and that I needed more carbs to have a healthy baby. I conceded; agreed to add additional carbs. I immediately started blowing up my weight and once again my carb addiction was off and running; I gained 45 pounds during the last 5 months of pregnancy; my lipedema worsened; my hips and thighs expanded. My obstetrician was horrified but, at that point, the damage was done.

Years later I discovered the Carbohydrate Addict Diet; lost the weight again and maintained again for years. Then as the years passed my SAD increase. I have SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder); it too came with the onslaught of puberty and becomes worse every year. Through my research over the years, I’ve learned that puberty, pregnancy, SAD/depression and indeed many traumas all cause hormonal shifts; all affect the brain and body composition; all can impact whether and when your lipedema switch is flipped.

What causes lipedema? JMO. After years of research, I’ve concluded that lymphedema is caused by a confluence of many factors: heredity, hormones, excess carbohydrates, and trauma. The trauma may be mental or physical, an accident/operation, or just the natural progressions in life such as puberty, pregnancy, or menopause. My older sister with the fuller figure got the lipedema shape during menopause; her daughter got full lipedema after her second pregnancy. My daughter got obese after her second pregnancy but she doesn’t have lipedema; my youngest granddaughter got heavier in her hips and thighs and maybe has lipedema after getting Depo Provera.

What is lipedema? People with lipedema usually have damaged lymph and circulatory systems . The lymph system helps the body eliminate wastes such as dead cells and toxins from the body. Lipedema is comprised of protein strands binding water and trapping these eliminated elements. Lipedema is not fat and therefore cannot really be dieted away.

Can lipedema be cured? Generally, the medical profession says no. I say lipedema can be greatly ameliorated by the use of low carb, herbal supplements, exercise, and the use of compression garments. Protein strands forming the lymphedema shape can be dissolved by use of The Fat Flush Plan or by taking serrapeptase supplements. Fat Flush was how I first lost my jodhpur thighs and second butt; I peed 15 pounds and 2 hips sizes off overnight. Serrapeptase was how I lost them again and keep them from reforming. Serrapeptase dissolves excess protein in the body, thus it dissolves those lipedemic protein strands and keeps them from reforming. Herbal supplements support the lymph, elimination systems, and circulation. Compression garments and regular exercise such as walking and swimming help the circulation and lymph systems eliminate excess fluid/toxins so they don’t further exacerbate your condition.

But it can be.

Take a look:
https://www.lipedema.org/staging

Thank you, Zuleikaa, for sharing your story and providing these resources. It's amazing that research and treatment for lipedema/lymphedema are so inadequate this late in the day.

Perhaps this is further evidence of ignorance and discrimination in the matter of nutrition and weight management. Because "eat less, move more" has been the "answer" to everything forever.

Siobhan's story sounds a lot like my daughter's. When she was 15, in her helpess rage about her thighs, she CARVED -- yes, with a knife -- the word "FAT" into her thigh. (She has a scar -- the word fat, forever on her thigh. OMG.) The psychological consequence of feeling like you are cursed is bad at any age but at that age, in that way, it's pretty horrible indeed.

PJ

This was the exact excuse for the US health insurance refusing to pay for the diagnosis of my own rare, but IWASRIGHT genetic condition. "Nothing can be done about it." Yes, there can, but you refuse to pay for it.

I wonder if that's a factor. You can't just give me or Siobhan or Zuleikaa a pill and we go away with our symptoms suppressed, like so many other chronic illnesses. We get no help at all.

It infuriates me when I run across a supplement or therapeutic strategy buried in the depths of the internet which works for people like me. And no one even KNOWS about it!

Infuriating.

That was it.





SO many of us suffered in those formative years. It's really amazing. Means our own era would look like "all leeches all the time" to our descendants

By following all the podcasts with Dr Ted Naiman, I have found a new (to me) health podcaster in New Zealand. As I listen to some of her previous episodes, there is a great one with Leslyn Keith, who started in the Lymphedema treatment community years ago. She has so much knowledge …. also of Lipedema and lower leg edema..and many resources for diet and exercise to help. The podcaster is an older woman with years of experience, a refreshing change from the young male bodybuilders I follow

https://www.susanbirch.co.nz/2021/1...h-leslyn-keith/

I have found myself not wanting to listen to another young body builder, displaying his or her body. I just don't find myself interested in anything they might happen to say. My interest is in keeping my 73 year old body as healthy as possible. I neither want or expect to get my body into any shape where I would want to display it unclothed.

Me too, Jean! Any time I've tried to follow advice from a bodybuilder it never worked. I'll stick to following advice from my fellow crones (crone in the best sense of the word, wise, older and female).