Do bones ever stop getting bigger?!

[Jessie2345679]

I’m 42 and I’m pretty sure that I’m not plumper than I was 10 years ago, in the sense that my tum and thighs are the same shape as they were. However, some of the clothes that fitted me then are now too small! Likewise, clothes that fitted me at 22 were too small at 32. This leads me to conclude that my bones must have got bigger, and I’m wondering - does this ever stop?!

If you’re in your 50s, 60s, or 70s, are you bigger than in the past without being plumper?!

No, your bones are not getting bigger.

Bones don't get "plumper". Sorry.

I'm afraid I'm here to tell you that, as a radiographer, I have never seen peoples bones age by growing bigger and I've seen a lot of peoples bones and their years of imaging. Possibly an imp is coming in the night and taking the seams in?

Seems like you have gradually put on weight but are in denial, or the shape of your figure has changed over the years eg thicker waist.

I can still wear clothes purchased years ago as my figure hasn’t changed.

Your figure has changed even if your weight hasn't.

Nope, I'm in my 50s and the only change is my waist never went back to quite as small as it was pre children. The rest of my clothes fit the same. I do exercise regularly though - if you don't exercise I suspect your muscle tone may have softened which may be the issue.

I need to add to my post obviously "I have never seen peoples bones age by growing bigger once they have achieved maturity " obviously I have seen many children's bones grow over the years .

Thank you for the replies - interesting and puzzling! I’m still size 8 but I thought that was down to sizes having got bigger. Maybe I have indeed put in some weight without realising it, and/or the clothes that no longer fit me have shrunk in the wash.

I’m not sure though, because this study shows that hip bones do get bigger: www.livescience.com/35719-hip-bones-widen-with-age.html

And a friend in her fifties said she’s much bigger than she used to be.

I’d be interested to hear more people’s thoughts on this!

If you have kids your figure might have altered a bit, wider hips, broader feet?

This is my favourite thread this week, it's really ticked me!

I don’t know what my weight was then or what it is now, as I don’t have scales, but my figure looks the same shape to me now as it did before.

I don’t have kids.

Lol!

@Jessie2345679

I don’t know what my weight was then or what it is now, as I don’t have scales, but my figure looks the same shape to me now as it did before.

Mine did too, until I got on the scales and discovered I had put on 20lbs.

Clothes sizes have ballooned in the past 20 years. I’m a size 10 now, but in my 20s I weighed the same and was easily a 12-14.

I agree they’ve got loads bigger. At 18 I wore size 8 Next jeans, which I’m sure I couldn’t possibly fit into now. (I’ve long since given the away.)

I was sorting MIL clothes recently and she was an 8 to 10 most of her life - she had clothes right back to the 60s and the 8s were def alot smaller back then with direct comparison - I debated not sending to charity shop as so small - but mostly it was about waist hip ratio so I think we thicken as we grow older and our bodies change shape due to eating, experiences and also hormones esp women.

Your rib cage can expand in pregnancy but that's not more bone - just rearranged. My rib cage is still a tiny bit wider than it was.

For some reason I had not thought to measure myself. Reading these replies, I thought of doing that, and it turns out my hips and waist are both an inch bigger than they used to be. Don’t know whether that’s bones or fat, but as everyone else is saying their bones have not got bigger, I guess it must be fat!

As we age, our metabolism slows down, which means we burn less calories, ie you need to eat less at 50 years of age than you did at 40 to stay the same weight. You produce less hormones too so it’s harder to build and maintain muscle. Bodies change shape if they are not worked. As in, if you don’t do some formula of regular moderately challenging exercise like swimming, running, cycling, yoga, pilates, gym (a 60 minute stroll doesn’t cut it).

For the love of god, bones don’t get bigger after we become adults

Fat isn't always subcutaneous so that is why you may feel you don't look more 'plump' than before. Visceral fat stored in the body cavities around organs can still push out your size, though, hence you would be bigger.

Your shape and muscle mass can change with hormonal changes like pregnancy and menopause. Your hips and ribs can spread wider but your bones aren't getting bigger. If they were, you'd be taller.

I worked with one of the countries leading bone experts (PhD about osteoporosis), Bone density is set from the early 20s and you cannot gain any bone mass after this according to her research, only maintain it, or more commonly lose it. All the calcium and weight bearing exercise in the world won't make your bone density increase. It is scary and I'm going for hrt due to this. Sorry OP .

That’s very interesting - thank you. I am actually really glad to hear that bones do not get bigger - it’s not the end of the world that I’ve got a bit fatter (which apparently I have!), but the idea of getting continually bigger for the rest of my life, with no control over that, was scaring me. It sounds like that’s not going to happen - not in terms of bones getting bigger, anyway!