33-year-old Soraya Nodrab says a Lipedema diagnosis two years ago finally explained why her legs stayed disproportionately large and painful despite years of running, spin classes and weightlifting.
TikTok led her to the condition after she saw someone with similar symptoms; doctors later confirmed lipedema, a chronic fat-accumulation disorder that can cause pain, bruising, heaviness and reduced mobility.
Researchers' estimates vary sharply—from 1 in 72,000 people to about 11% of females—because the condition is often undiagnosed or mistaken for obesity, cellulite or lymphedema.
Treatment can ease symptoms through compression, lymphatic drainage and low-impact exercise, but there is no cure, and surgery that removes diseased fat remains out of reach for many patients.
Nodrab now documents her experience for nearly 24,000 Instagram followers, part of a broader awareness push amplified by Doja Cat's TikTok on suspected lipedema, which drew 15.8 million views.