In June 2021 I posted Eight Things That Affect Obesity. I’ve adjusted that list to include these factors that I believe are more likely to cause people to grow in size than what they eat or how much they move. In fact, I believe diet and exercise have been distractions from the true causes of size increase, and most of this doesn’t even occur to most American doctors.
- Hormonal Imbalance
- Infections, Parasites and Toxins When the body can’t get rid of things, it sometimes manages them by storing them in fat. It then has to hold on to the fat or else the bad stuff gets released into the body.
- Inflammation
- Medication
- Metabolism
- Gut Bacteria
- Digestive Enzymes
- Lipedema
- Lymphedema
Our American medical system doesn’t teach doctors to consider all these possible causes of someone being bigger. A regular doctor would talk to me about diet, exercise and maybe hormonal balance. For the most part, the American medical system doesn’t even have ways to evaluate and adjust the things on this list, so they pretend such causes have nothing to do with obesity.
What Is Lymphedma?
Last week I was diagnosed with lipedema and lymphedema. Edema means swollen, lipo is fat and lymph refers to the lymphatic system. Lymph fluid removes bacteria, malfunctioning cells and unwanted cell products from tissues and moves them out of the body by emptying back into the bloodstream via the lymph nodes.
When the lymphatic system does not drain lymph fluid from the tissues, the tissues swell up. If the swelling lasts longer than about three months, it’s called lymphedema.
What Is Lipedma?
Lipodema is a problem of fat storage. A quick internet search suggests it is defined solely by its symptoms (abnormal fat deposits, easy bruising, pain, loose skin). This doesn’t really tell us anything. Websites such as Web MD, Healthline and Lipedema.org offer no causes or cure rates for lipodema, but at least Lipedema.org distinguishes it from obesity: Obese fat occurs throughout the body. In Lipedema, the fat occurs in the limbs, sparing the hands and feet.
So Those Conditions Don’t Count as Obesity?
No, they don’t. The World Health Organization defines obesity as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health. Lymphedema is a completely different condition. But American medicine, along with Americans in general, think a fat person is a fat person is a fat person. Doctors don’t look at us and start testing for either of those conditions. Instead, they tell people with lymphedema and lipedema to eat less and move more. Eat less and move more, fat people!
Don’t Bother Eating Less If You Might Have Lipedema
Eating less is actually a cruel thing to tell someone with lipedema. Lipedema is caused by the failure of the fat cells to activate their stored fat for use by the body. They’re great at taking in the fat and tucking it away, but when the body says, “It looks like we’re not getting lunch today. Fat cells, send some of that energy you’ve got,” the fat cell walls aren’t able to push fat out so it can be used. That means the body can’t use its stored energy, so instead it sends hunger pangs until the (maybe already huge) person eats.
It’s like a bank that can accept all your paychecks and deposits, but can never let you withdraw anything. Or a big rig truck carrying a huge tank of fuel that’s not connected to its gas tank, so the truck runs out of gas repeatedly even though it’s carrying all the fuel it should need.
I fasted for three days a few years ago. I understood the hunger would diminish when my body switched to fat-burning. It never did. My body yelled at me for food the entire time, the hunger pangs strong and clanging for three days straight, except when I was asleep. I didn’t understand it. Now I do.
Don’t tell big people to eat less. If they have lipedema, eating less will not solve anything and can cause low energy, mood problems, brain fog, sleepiness and the inability to get anything done. When a person with lipedema eats less, their body can’t draw on anything, even if they look like they’re carrying an extra 100 pounds of stored energy. Don’t do that to them. Take it from me.
When You See a Big Person, Maybe Their Systems Aren’t Working
Thus does the list grow of things that can make you a size 20 or 30 or more. There are many physical problems that can cause a body to swell in size, and it’s criminal that American medicine will only consider diet and exercise. And while you might agree it’s unfair to discriminate against overweight Americans, think about how many times you’ve looked at people and wondered how they could let themselves get that way or why they don’t get their size under control.
Many of us have lymphatic systems that aren’t working so we’re carrying large amounts of fluid that keep accumulating with no way to drain. Others of us have fat cells that can take in extra energy, but can’t release any of it. Many of us have both these problems that are beyond our ability to fix. Our systems are broken, but all anyone tells us to do is eat less and move more.
The Good News about Treatment
The good news is that there are ways to treat these problems. Never believe that if the American medical system doesn’t have an answer, there isn’t one. It so happens that my lipedema and lymphedema can’t be fixed with physical treatments. My conditions require spiritual healing, so I’m working with someone I call a spiritual coach who is moving me through the changes I need to make.
It’s infuriating that doctors give us diet culture when they’re supposed to diagnose. Even they’ve been brainwashed into believing there are only two ways to get big and they’re both in everyone’s control. It’s also infuriating that so many Americans believe all obese people are that size because we can’t control our appetites or we’re too lazy to get off the couch.
If you find yourself face-to-face with a professional who has nothing for you but diet and exercise, see someone else. Let’s not put up with ignorant medical professionals anymore.
30 Sept 2022
Thank you!