Question

Jennifer had always been pretty, even as a child. Now, even though she is 40, she still retained her beauty until last year. Suddenly, she found that her lower jaw seemed to be growing larger. Another thing that she noticed was that her wedding band did not fit anymore. Her hands seemed to be getting bigger! She could not wear the gloves she had worn last year. Also, her nose seemed to be taking over her face! None of her shoes fit her anymore. She used to wear a size 7, now she was up to an 8! Finally she went to her family doctor. If you were her doctor, what would you tell her

Answer 1

Immediately I thought she was adding weight which seems to be the obvious answer. But, losing weight or gaining does not make the nose smaller or bigger. However, cartilage is made of collagen and other fibers that begin to break down as we age. The result is drooping. So what appears to be growth is just gravity doing its job. Our noses and our earlobes sag and become larger. Over time and because of gravity, our feet tend to get longer and wider.