Notes

Body Type Diet 101: The Ultimate Guide
Without judgment, look into the mirror. What do you see? Do you see long, lanky limbs? Wide hips and a bit of belly? A sporty, muscular body? Knowing where you fit in (or if a single body “type” doesn’t describe you) could help you determine the best diet and exercise plan for you, some healthcare professionals argue. This is what’s called the body type diet.

What Is Eating for Your Body Type?

Proponents of this plan say your body type can give you clues about your metabolism and hormones, and thus how well you process carbohydrates and how much protein you need. Not to mention, it may tell you whether you’d be your healthiest, most energized version of yourself by, say, signing up for that 5K you’ve been eyeing or opting instead for strength training at your local CrossFit gym.

Some research suggests that each body type has certain characteristics in terms of weight, fat, and muscle — but there’s less data to support the dietary and exercise recommendations, so don’t expect this to be a magic bullet.

How Does the Body Type Diet Work?

If you’ve been eating a nutritious diet and exercising, you still may not be getting the results you’re looking for. “Many people are exercising for the first time ever and eating cleaner than ever, but they’re still doing the wrong thing for their body,” says Phil Catudal, a celebrity trainer and the coauthor of Just Your Type: The Ultimate Guide to Eating and Training Right for Your Body Type with the health journalist Stacey Colino.
The idea that everyone has a body type comes from William Herbert Sheldon, MD, PhD, the late psychologist who developed what are called “somatotypes” in the 1940s.

“He was trying to explain personality types based on one’s physiological structure,” says Catudal. The problem is, though research shows that people make judgments about personality based on people's body features, linking personality traits with body type gets problematic (and bogged down in bias and stigma) quickly.

“He stumbled upon something great with body types, but the personality stuff is a disconnect,” Catudal says.

When it comes to your body, Catudal says there are common elements among body types that suggests how much muscle or fat you tend to have, as well as how fast or slow your metabolism may be, and thus how easy or difficult it may be for you to lose weight.



There isn’t a ton of research on how a person’s somatotype might better inform their diet and exercise habits. But there is some data on body composition differences. One small study looked at 63 men ages 18 to 40. The researchers found that those whose bodies were long and lean indeed had less body fat, weighed less, and had less lean body mass compared with those who had curvy or hourglass figures.

A more recent paper analyzed three-day food diaries of nearly 150 women over age 57.

They concluded that somatotype was related to factors like dieting, physical activity, weight cycling, body mass index (BMI), and even disease status. Those with curvy figures had greater diastolic blood pressure compared with lean and lanky participants, as well as those who had an hourglass figure. Women who were lean and lanky were also more likely to be underweight. When researchers looked at their dietary intake, they found that curvy individuals consumed more protein and those who were lean consumed the least on average.

Catudal says that finding your dominant body type (because you can be a mix of two) can help guide you toward healthy habits that will work best for your body and help you form more realistic goals. “If you’re doing the same thing as someone else who doesn’t have your same body structure, you won’t get the same results. It helps to realign your expectations with what is possible for you,” he says.




eating for your body type

My Website: https://richardhwebb.com/eat-for-your-body-type/