Hi RCFletcher, the conventional wisdom, i.e. current medical opinion, is that the fat cells hang around empty, ready to be filled back up again when us fat people regain our weight/fat stores, just like our body expects us to do. They say that the only way to keep from getting these extra fat cells is to never get fat in the first place. From what Zuleikaa has said here, her opinion is that after some indeterminate length of time, these cells will die because the body will realize that it doesn't need them, but the scientific evidence for that hasn't been shown so far. I think it is safe to say that the emptied out fat cells will DEFINITELY hang around for at least a year or two, after which it is unknown whether they die or continue to wait for new fat; sound about right Zuleikaa?