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Document Type

Article

Abstract

This study was undertaken to demonstrate the role of subcutaneous fat in altering external body dimensions in adult males. The sample population is composed of U.S. males between the ages of 25 and 84 years. Both cross-sectional and longitudinal data are available for these individuals. Weight of fat in the cross-sectional sample is found to be relatively constant with age but fat-free weight declines markedly. Data from soft-tissue radiographs reveal that in the trunk, subcutaneous fat increases in the region of the greater trochanter but decreases in the abdominal region through middle age. Abdominal diameter increases during this period, however, indicating enlargement or sagging of the abdominal contents. In the extremities, diameter of the calf and arm decline while fat is relatively stable, indicating loss of lean tissue with age. The present study agrees generally with earlier findings that age changes in body dimensions leading to thin extremities and thicker trunk are only partly attributable to fat redistribution.

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