Mumbai, July 2 : TV actress Debina Bonnerjee has shared a deeply personal account of her experience with lipedema.

In her recent post, the â??Ramayanâ?? actress spoke about the emotional and physical challenges she faced over the years and how understanding her condition brought her relief and clarity. Reflecting on her journey, Debina highlighted the importance of treating the body with compassion rather than criticism.

Taking to Instagram, she posted a video where she said, â??So it wasn't just cellulite. The day I learned cellulite and lipedema are not always the same thing. When I started reading about lipedema, it felt like someone had quietly written down my experience. It's a condition where fat accumulates differently, especially around the legs, the thighs, and sometimes around the arms. And the strange thing is, diet and exercise don't always affect those areas the way they affect the rest of the body. That's why so many women spend years feeling frustrated.â??

â??You lose weight, your upper body changes, but your legs seem to be following a completely different algorithm. Another thing I learned, many women with lipedema notice easy bruising, tenderness, heaviness in the legs, a dimpled texture that doesn't really improve even when they are extremely disciplined with fitness. And here's the saddest part.â??

Debina added, â??Many of us spend years blaming ourselves, thinking that not dieting hard enough, not working out enough, when in reality, there may be something deeper happening. The biggest relief for me wasn't finding a solution overnight. The biggest relief was finding an explanation.

"Because once you understand what's happening to you, you stop fighting your body and start working with it. So, part 3 is where I'll share what changed for me once I stopped chasing weight loss and started focusing on hormones, inflammation, and overall health.â??

For the caption, she wrote, "Part 2: Sometimes, the biggest relief isnâ??t finding a cure. Itâ??s finally finding an explanation. Learning about lipedema helped me understand my body with more compassion instead of more criticism. Part 3 is about what Iâ??m doing differently today. P.S.â??Please donâ??t self-diagnose from social media. If this resonates with you, speak to a qualified healthcare professional. If this helps even one woman feel less alone, this conversation is worth having. #WomenHealth #LipedemaAwareness #HormonalHealth.â??

For the unversed, lipedema is a medical condition in which fat accumulates abnormally, most commonly in the legs and thighs and, in some cases, the arms. It often leads to a lumpy, uneven skin texture, along with symptoms such as swelling, easy bruising, and a sensation of heaviness in the affected areas.

Debina revealed that for several years, she held herself responsible for her body shape. She followed rigorous fitness routines including weight training and cardio, but noticed that while her upper body changed, her lower body showed little difference. She had earlier revealed that she initially assumed her legs were naturally heavier or affected by regular cellulite. Later, after researching her symptoms, she discovered that she was actually dealing with lipedema.

/IANS