"Many people in their 20s might thus notice subtle changes to how their body is shaped or rests compared to when they were in their teens," adds Dr Kennedy. "It's natural and normal to notice slight incremental weight gain as we move through the mid to late 20s."
Aging is a natural part of life. Your body continues to change in your 20s, and well into your 30s (though maybe not as dramatically as before).
Study shows that younger people and women are more likely to put on extra pounds. A study that examined the long-term weight gain of more than 13,800 U.S. adults found that on average, people gained about 17 pounds between their twenties and thirties.
Height for most people caps at about age 20, but the hips continue to expand.
Due to metabolic and hormonal changes, some women experience increased body fat, making them naturally curvier.
Your 20s are the time you have the highest chance of developing immune system disorders, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. You may also have a higher chance of developing diabetes and other chronic conditions if you don't exercise and have a poor diet.
While there are positive changes, such as reaching maximum bone mass and muscle strength, many women also gain weight during their 20s. Weight gain can happen due to a number of reasons. Hormonal changes can lead to fat being stored in different areas of your body, and you might notice this in your hips or other areas.
Despite it all, not every change you'll face in your mid-twenties is negative. Whether you've been rocking curves since puberty or have noticed more curves as of late, the body will likely go through some visible changes around this age–and yes, that's a good thing.
"Many people in their 20s might thus notice subtle changes to how their body is shaped or rests compared to when they were in their teens," adds Dr Kennedy. "It's natural and normal to notice slight incremental weight gain as we move through the mid to late 20s."
After age 30, people tend to lose lean tissue. Your muscles, liver, kidney, and other organs may lose some of their cells. This process of muscle loss is called atrophy. Bones may lose some of their minerals and become less dense (a condition called osteopenia in the early stages and osteoporosis in the later stages).
At what age does your body shape begin to change? Your body shape begins to change around age 30. 5 These changes occur because of a decline in muscle mass and an increase in body fat. But, getting regular exercise and eating a nutritious diet may help delay some of these age-related body changes.
EARLY 20S. One of the best things about your complexion right now (and throughout the entire decade)? Your collagen production. “In your early 20s, your skin looks bright, bouncy, and plump due to the favorable levels of the naturally occurring protein in the body,” says Jaliman.
That's one theory proposed by researchers who recently discovered that the size of the female pelvis changes across your lifespan–getting wider from puberty up until the age of 25 to 30, then shrinking gradually from the age of 40 on.
Study details
On average, adults gained 17.6 pounds during their 20s and 30s and 14.3 pounds during their 30s and 40s. They also found that, on average, women gained more weight than men, putting on an average of 12 pounds compared with six pounds for men.
You're burning more calories than ever. Why? During your 20s, you have more lean muscle mass than at any other time in your life, and a pound of muscle uses up roughly 147 more calories than a pound of fat does.
People in their 20's often experience rapid and frequent changes. Increased responsibilities; moving to and from college or out of your parents home; significant personal relationships grow or dissipate; financial stress becomes more tangible; and planning for the future tends to take place of spontaneity.
Our metabolism slows down as we age.
“And until you are in your late 60s, early 70s, it is a little bit harder to lose weight. But you really can't always blame it on the body clock. Metabolic decline may cause you to gain 10 to 15 pounds, but not 40 or 50 pounds. That's lifestyle.”
There's some truth to this, of course. Our 20-something selves have a naturally higher metabolism, more muscle and are generally more active than our 40-plus versions. We lose muscle with every decade of life, starting at the end of our 20s.
The short answer is NO, you're never too old to get in shape.
While every person ages differently, many patients begin to notice signs of facial volume loss starting in their 20s. In your youth, fat in the face is evenly distributed, with pockets that plump up the forehead, temples, cheeks, and areas around the eyes and mouth.
Many 20-year-olds are healthy but it is still recommended to establish care with a family physician, as prevention is the key to staying healthy.
The Roaring 1920s
Young childlike film stars influenced the emerging ideal of an androgynous body type including characteristics such as being flat-chested with short hair, and a straight figure (11).