Tom was overweight when he was 13. During puberty he continued to gain weight steadily until at age 23, when he decided to lose weight. Tom successfully lost 22.7 kg. Which of the following most likely happened to Tom's fat cells?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When an individual loses weight, their fat cells do not decrease in number, but they do shrink in size. This is because fat cells can expand or shrink depending on the amount of fat stored in them. Therefore, Tom's fat cells most likely shrank in size but did not decrease in number when he lost 22.7 kg. Option B is incorrect as fat cells do not melt away when an individual burns excess fat. Option C is incorrect as fat cells do not decrease in number when an individual loses weight. Option D is incorrect as fat cells can shrink with a weight loss less than 45.5 kg.

Tom Was Overweight When He Was 13