Do Women's Hips Widen as They Age?

Most people don't grow any taller after the age of 20, but a recent study published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research found evidence that the pelvis -- the hip bones -- continues to widen in both men and women up to about age 80, long after skeletal growth is supposed to have stopped.

At what age do women's hips get wider?

You Get Wider Hips as You Age

In fact, you'll add about an inch to your pelvis from age 20 to about age 80. This not only causes your hips to wide but your waistline as well.

Why do women's hips get wider with age?

The authors point to estrogen levels, which rise during puberty and decline later in life, as the likely cause of the widening and subsequent narrowing in the female pelvis, in particular because estrogen is known to impact bone growth and development.