Over the years, Emma Griffiths has remained conscious of the fact that her legs are proportional to her other bodies.

But it was not until she visited Love Island one night that the nurse noticed Contestant Shaughna Phillips Have the same legs - Start doing some research.

Online experts suggest Shaughna has Lipoedema and amateur triathlete Emma and then know "this is what I have, I'm more than just obese".

The 35-year-old mother now joins the NHS call for more support to provide for people with fat-congested conditions.

Lipid congestion It causes abnormal fat accumulation, mainly on the buttocks, buttocks and legs, resulting in disproportionate shape.

The exact cause of the chronic disease is not clear, but it is not overweight.

Lipid edema may be caused by hormone changes and is thought to affect About one in ten people around the world - Although many people don't know they have.

When Emma was about 11, her legs began to feel heavy and pounding and said they were starting to get bigger.

"I looked in the mirror in the mirror and thought, 'There's a problem here, why are my legs different from girls my age?'."

Despite living a healthy lifestyle and losing five stones at some point, Emma's lower half is still bigger and she suspects something is wrong.

“I don’t think it’s responding to diet and exercise – something is happening here,” said Ammanford, a mom in Carmason County.

“If I haven’t seen it Shaughna Phillips on Love IslandI don't think I would know I had a lipid tumor...or that was diagnosed at that time.

"I went to see the GP, and he didn't know what I was talking about."

Despite some NHS support, Emma asked for a referral to a lymphedema clinic, and a private surgeon diagnosed her Secondary lipid congestion in stage In 2022.

Liposuction removed four liters of fat from her thighs, and Emma said it helped, but she said it would not cure her condition.

Now she manages it through a healthy lifestyle, wearing compression socks and dry skin. This helps to relieve swelling and relieve pain, she said.

Gemma Robinson also struggled with a lipid tumor, and before the surgery, her legs were estimated to weigh about 11 stones (70 kg).

The 45-year-old spent nearly £70,000 eight surgeries in two years to remove 86 liters of fat and excess skin.

"Every time I go back to the clinic, my legs are growing," Cardiff's two children said.

Gemma said that at one time she was almost home and could only walk around with the help of a baby stroller or shopping cart.

Despite the loss of nine and a half stones, she said it mainly started in her first half.

“My mobility is decreasing and I will be in a wheelchair with the kids,” she said.

Gemma spent many years back and forth to her GP, where she claimed her symptoms were “eliminated” and succumbed to obesity until she saw something on TV and asked for a referral.

"A doctor said to me, 'If I gave you a meal of lettuce leaves all my life, you still won't lose more weight."

Gemma was diagnosed with Stage 4 lipid tumor and secondary Lymphoedema.

The surgery was "life-changing" but the psychological effects were "terrible" and now suffer from physical deformities and scars, she said.

"Living with lipid edema is very difficult," Gemma said. "If I had been diagnosed earlier, I wouldn't have lived my whole life and thought I was just obese, that's my fault."

Gemma claims she received compression therapy on the NHS and believes there is a lack of support for women with lipid tumors.

National Institute of Health and Nursing (NICE) - Recommended what medications and treatments should be provided on the NHS. Liposuction is not recommended for chronic lipid edemaexcept for research.

They say there is not enough evidence to show its safety and effectiveness. Current treatments include lifestyle changes and compression.

The BBC spoke with 15 women in England and Wales, many of whom were influential and their own research led to their diagnosis.

Some claim that GPs view symptoms as “severe cellulite,” “pain of growth,” obesity and arthritis.

One teenager said she was going to use her inheritance to fund liposuction, while another woman said she was using her pension funds to be willing to sell her home to fund her daughter's surgery.

Two women said they suffered from eating disorders - two others said they felt suicide.

The BBC revealed that in the eight months of 2024, Wales established an NHS agency to raise awareness of the situation, with 8,485 women - more than 5% of diagnoses (459) were diagnosed Suffering from lipid edema.

According to the professional lipid edema charity, the figure is the "tip of the iceberg" which calls on more experts who can diagnose the condition.

"It's absolutely outrageous that such a treatable condition is ignored and women are placed on a waste pile," said Dr. Lesley Steinitz, director of Lipoedema UK research.

Lymphedophageal expert Cheryl Pike also hopes to raise awareness among general practitioners.

"If anyone can trust their patients and know any healthcare professional can mention it, it will be a big difference," said Wales Clinical Network Lymphoedema.

The network operated by the seven health councils in Wales has begun Psychological support services Similar in the UK.

They hope the Welsh government helps fund research to discover the effectiveness of liposuction in people with lipid edema.

The Welsh government said it worked closely with the NHS's lymphedema network to raise awareness of lipid edema.

A government spokesman added: “Unless in some cases, surgery is provided to people with highest demand, patients with lipid edema are often unable to undergo liposuction.”

NHS England has been asked to comment.