I believe I did say they filled with water. So your only dispute is whether they die or remain collapsed? I think that's a petty point but....

http://www.bodytrends.com/articles/...compomronnw.htm

Technically, a normal-sized person has between 30 and 35 billion fat cells. When a person starts losing weight, the fat cells decrease in size but the number of fat cells generally stays the same. Once weight is gained, it is difficult to lose because the fat cells essentially shrink in size. However, some studies published seem to imply that fat cells can be destroyed as a result of certain medications and that a decrease in fat cell number may occur if a lower body weight is maintained for a prolonged period of time. The habit of maintaining a healthy body composition level may lead to a permanent body composition level.

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/ar...cgi?artid=24345

http://www.hhp.ufl.edu/keepingfit/ARTICLE/fatcells.HTM

http://www.sciencedaily.com/release...40510012211.htm

http://www.news-medical.net/print_article.asp?id=1721

I think these articles show that though fat cells hang around for a long time, they can, do and will die if you break the cycle of yoyo dieting and maintain a steady every lower weight.

Many of us on the board have steadily seen medical "truisms and assumptions about health and the body exposed for fallicies.

Though fat cells grow in both size and number I just don't believe that even at the extreme of someone losing 300 pounds and keeping it off for three years has the same number of fat cells they started with. JMO.

I await more studies to make news.