question: I am 57 years old - 5 ft 9 in and have had 3 normal childbirths.  I never gained more than 25 lbs when full term.  My weight after pregnancy returned with little effort.  For at least the last 35 - 40 years my weight was never a vanity issue.  I was a size 6 easy.  However In the last 9 years I have been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease (SLE).  It has dramatically affected my activities with fatigue but my body seemed to adjust.  A year and a half ago I had a series if severe seizures and was basically very still or did no exercise as it worstened my symptoms.  About 8 months ago I just started gaining weight at a pace that I could order jeans and they would be too tight by the time I received them.  What, besides the above info can you tell me as to why I am gaining weight.  I do feel like all parts of my body are inflamed at times and it seems to be getting worse. Janet