I have lipedema, a common chronic condition that makes my legs puffy. These 3 habits help me reduce inflammation.
Elery Johnson shares her personal experience managing lipedema, a chronic condition causing fat buildup in the lower body, through anti-inflammatory diets and low-impact exercise. Her story highlights the importance of early diagnosis and lifestyle management for this often-misunderstood condition.
Why it matters
Raising awareness about lipedema helps women identify symptoms earlier and seek appropriate medical guidance rather than relying on ineffective weight-loss methods.
Elery Johnson, 36, manages her lipedema with lifestyle habits like an anti-inflammatory diet and low-impact workouts. Elery Johnson Elery Johnson, 36, noticed her legs became puffier after she hit puberty. At 30, she was diagnosed with lipedema, a chronic condition affecting about 11% of US women. She manages symptoms by eating anti-inflammatory foods and doing low-impact workouts. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Elery Johnson, 36, who lives on the Treasure Coast of Florida with her husband and their three kids. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. I started noticing that my legs were different when I was 12. I look at pictures of myself in 5th grade, and I was very slim and slender. And then I look at pictures of me at the end of 6th grade, when I had just started puberty , and my legs were significantly larger.
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