How does subcutaneous fat change with aging?

How does subcutaneous fat change with aging?

• A. Increases
• B. Remains the same
• C. Diminishes
• D. Doubles

Answer: (C)

Subcutaneous fat diminishes with aging. The layer of fat just beneath the skin provides padding and insulation, but as people grow older the stores of this fat shrink—adipocytes decrease in size and number, especially in the limbs. That loss of subcutaneous padding makes bones more prominent and reduces insulation against cold, contributing to temperature intolerance. At the same time, fat can accumulate in the abdominal area (visceral fat), but the under-the-skin fat layer itself tends to get thinner.

Subcutaneous fat diminishes with aging. The layer of fat just beneath the skin provides padding and insulation, but as people grow older the stores of this fat shrink—adipocytes decrease in size and number, especially in the limbs. That loss of subcutaneous padding makes bones more prominent and reduces insulation against cold, contributing to temperature intolerance. At the same time, fat can accumulate in the abdominal area (visceral fat), but the under-the-skin fat layer itself tends to get thinner.