Do cells shrink or disappear when losing weight?

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According to Chat GPT

Fat Cells (Adipocytes)
• When you gain fat, your existing fat cells enlarge as they store more triglycerides (fat).
• If weight gain is significant or prolonged, you can also create new fat cells.
• When you lose fat, the fat inside the cells is used for energy, so the cells shrink, but they don’t disappear.
• This is why it’s easier to regain weight — the fat cells are still there and ready to refill.

Muscle Cells (Muscle Fibers)
• When you build muscle through strength training, muscle cells grow larger (called hypertrophy).
• You don’t typically gain new muscle cells, though there is some debate about a process called hyperplasia (splitting into more cells), which may happen in certain conditions but is not well established in humans.
• If you stop using muscles or reduce protein intake, the muscle fibers shrink — this is atrophy.
• Muscle cells, like fat cells, generally stick around even if they shrink.

Do You Ever Actually Lose Cells?
• In most cases, no — weight change involves the size of cells, not their number.
• Exceptions include:
• Extreme calorie deprivation or illness, which can cause some muscle cell death.
• Medical interventions (like liposuction) can physically remove fat cells.