If you have lipedema, weight gain is a disorder and not your fault

If you’ve ever felt like no amount of dieting and exercise works on your bottom half, read on. There’s a relatively common fat disorder called lipedema, often mistaken for simple obesity. It is estimated to affect 10 million to 17 million Americans, with signature characteristics of a slim upper body with large hips and legs.

Fluid retention: Swollen ankles a sign of something more?

Humans – we're made of water, right? So why is fluid retention a problem? Generally speaking, the normal water content in a female body is between 45-60 percent and 50-65 percent in a male body, and these percentages tend to decrease with age. So for example, a 160-pound person may contain just under 100 pounds of water. But sometimes water pools where it shouldn’t, such as in the lower legs and ankles, the abdomen, the fingers or the face.

Diabetes and Water Retention: How Are They Related?

If you have diabetes, or if someone close to you does, perhaps you've noticed some swelling in the ankles where fluid has built up, causing a puffy appearance. This is typically water retention, also called edema, and is relatively common among diabetics. Let’s take a look at how diabetes and water retention are related.