"Body Type" affects weight loss...

Interesting article from Health Magazine. A good source in developing realistic expectations...... suggests aiming for being healthy and fit!! "Body Type" From Health Magazine Even if they were roommates in some wacky sitcom, there wouldn't be much wardrobe swapping among actress Calista Flockhart, tennis champ Serena Williams, and comedian Rosie O'Donnell. Each exemplifies a distinct body type, a difference in frame that transcends weight or shape. Like eye color or height, body type is dictated by heredity, and it's fixed at birth. In the 1930s, Harvard psychologist William H. Sheldon described three basic body types with terms still used today: Ectomorphic. A quick metabolism and a slender body with little fat are hallmarks of an ectomorph. This body type has a lean frame, often with narrow hips, long legs, and a long neck. Some rail-thin ectomorphs have trouble gaining weight. Mesomorphic. Muscular mesomorphs look like natural-born athletes, with wide shoulders, a narrow waist, and broad hips. The weight they gain tends to distribute itself evenly, and they lose fat and build muscle at a fast rate. Endomorphic. Endomorphs suffer from a slow metabolism. They put on pounds quickly, and they have to fight to keep weight off their heavy bones and sturdy frame. Without exercise, their body fat sticks around, even when they follow a healthy eating regimen. Understanding your body type before starting a weight-training or diet program will help you have realistic expectations and set attainable goals. If you're an endomorph, for example, an exercise and diet plan may change the amount of fat and muscle you have, but it can't make a big-boned woman look like a waif. And both endomorphs and ectomorphs tend to develop smaller muscles than mesomorphs. No body type is inherently better than any other; cultural and social forces, not biology, often determine what kind of body is in favor. Rather than striving for a look that contradicts your body type -- and that may be out of fashion in a few years -- aim to make the body you have as healthy and fit as possible. --Julianne Hill Published October, 2004 © 2004 Health Publishing, Inc.

Thanks for that Denise ~ from one Endomorph to another! Hugs, Nancy