Weight loss: Choosing a diet that's right for you

Body Types

It is a well-proven fact that no diet or exercise is applicable for all people. Different individuals have different body types making it difficult for weight loss experts to develop a common generalized diet or therapy that would for everyone. 

There may be certain diets and exercises that can benefit everyone, but they are far and far between. Therefore it is best to know and correctly identify your body type in order to determine the diet or the fitness routine that would ultimately work for you.

Body Types and Weight Loss

According to science, the entire human population can be diversified and classified into three body types, namely Ectomorphs, Mesomorphs, and Endomorphs. However, it is only in rare instances that you find a person that belongs completely to one body type. Generally, every human being is a combination of two body types.

It is necessary that you know about the right body combination to strike the right balance of your diet and fitness regime for weight loss.

Body Types, Diet & Exercise

A comprehensive description of the three different body types and their corresponding needs for diet and exercise are given below. However, you are advised to consult your physician, if you feel that you can't identify yourself with any of them.

Mesomorphs - are assumed to be the best body types as they have more ability to control and manage their weight. They are generally born with lean figures and are blessed with a fast metabolism.

Mesomorphs can afford to eat more a lot as their bodies are designed in a way that facilitates quick burning of fats, preventing fat accumulation. They have a muscular and athletic body with shapely shoulders and tapered waists.

For weight loss, mesomorphs should strictly adhere to a diet and exercise routine to help them retain their shape. They can aim for a more muscular body but should be discouraged from getting thinner, as that can be taken as a sign of being unhealthy.

Ectomorphs - may not be as ideal a body type as mesomorphs, but they are the most popular figure type with the media going into a frenzy over their body shape and physique. Ectomorphs have slim shoulders, waists, and hips and a low percentage of fats. 

But the low-fat content sometimes comes in the way of gaining a shapely figure. They are tall, thin, lanky, and skinny with many of them thronging the fashion and modeling circuits.

Ectomorphs should aim for diets and exercises that would allow an even distribution of fat to attain a shapelier figure. They also work a lot on gaining muscle weight too. Most of them are generally obsessed with becoming rake-thin and keep trying to lose more and more weight.

Endomorphs - are body types that no one would like to possess voluntarily. They are generally very broad, whether they are tall or short. Endomorphs are never narrow and possess pear-like figures with hips wider than their shoulders. This body group is prone to become obese with a slow metabolism that leads to fat accumulation.

Achieving a healthy weight loss and maintaining an ideal weight is a tough task for the endomorphs as their body is not cut out for it. With the presence of huge amounts of fat combined with heavier and bigger bones, weight loss is a goal that is next to impossible for them. 

They have to keep exercising on a constant and persistent basis, complemented by a healthy diet for successful weight loss.

Always keep in mind that body types and weight loss are closely interrelated, and they go together constantly. Taking up a fitness regime or a dieting plan not meant for your body type may prove disastrous to your weight loss venture. Know your body type and follow the plan that will help you become fit and healthy.

Body Mass Index(BMI)

BMI, as stated earlier, is the ratio of weight to height of a person. It is calculated by dividing the body weight (in kilograms) by the square of the height (meters). It is more correlated with body fat as compared to any other indicator of height and weight.

According to NIH clinical guidelines, if adults have a BMI over 25 then they are at a greater risk of contracting various diseases. 

These diseases increase with the increase in individuals.s obesity. It increases the chances of hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, respiratory problems, and endometrial, breast, prostate, and colon cancers. Overweight also causes individuals to have social stigmatization and discrimination.

Waist circumference

Another parameter to measure the degree of overweight is the waist circumference of a person. Waist circumference can be measured with a tape by measuring the distance around the smallest area below the rib cage and above the umbilicus (belly button). Hip circumference can be measured by the distance around the largest extension of the buttocks.

Men with a waist measurement greater than 40 inches (102cm) and women with a waist measurement greater than 35 inches (88 cm) are considered at risk for various illnesses.

Another ratio indicative of this problem is the Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). Calculated by dividing the waist circumference by the hip circumference. 

It is more risky, health-wise, to carry extra weight around the abdomen than carrying extra weight around the hips or thighs.

For men and women a waist-to-hip ratio of 1.0 or higher is risky. For men, a ratio of .90 or less is considered safe, whereas a ratio of .80 or less is considered safe for women.