How About an Ectomorph, Mesomorph, Endomorph or Something in Between?

Some people, like supermodel Kate Moss, are born to be thin. These delicately built individuals are ectomorphs.

Others are destined to be muscular and athletic, like actors Arnold Schwarzenegger or Tom Cruise. They are mesomorphs.

Then there are the endomorphs, people like talk-show hosts Oprah Winfrey and Rosie O'Donnell, who sport softer, rounder bodies and have difficulty losing weight.

What this is based on
Those three broad categories of body types, or "somatypes," were created in the early 1940s--not by a physician or exercise specialist, but by American psychologist William H. Sheldon.

Sheldon, who died in 1977, developed his somatype theory after studying 4,000 photographs of college-age men. His primary research interest was drawing connections between body type and temperament. He theorized that ectomorphic people tend to be quiet and reflective; mesomorphs brim with energy and vigor; and endomorphic people are magnanimous and love to eat.

While those connections play a relatively minor role in modern psychology, Sheldon's body types have endured to influence, in part at least, how many people exercise, body-build, and manage their weight.

How these body types are used
"They're pretty well accepted" in the nutritional community, says Diane Rigassio, M.S., R.D., a clinical assistant professor at the School of Health-Related Professions at the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey.

Exercise physiologist Richard Cotton, a spokesman for the American Council on Exercise, says that knowing your somatype is useful, but not crucial, in developing an effective fitness prescription.

"An ectomorph can strength train very aggressively and not necessarily gain a lot of muscle mass," Cotton says. "This is often desirable for women but not for men.

"A 'meso' female may gain muscle mass easily but not want big shoulders, so we would focus on staying away from lifting heavy weights for 8 to 12 repetitions and work more with lighter weights in the 15- to 20-rep range."

The endomorph has a thicker body type and tends to carry more fat weight, Cotton continues, so a program that is heavy on aerobic exercise to burn more calories would be warranted. "But she'd still have to have some strength training component," he says.

Few women have a "pure" body type
Relatively few people can be pigeonholed as pure "ecto," "meso," or "endo." Most of us fall somewhere in between. In her book, "Bodyscopes," author Carol Saltus defines nine female somatypes based on Sheldon's concepts:

• Balanced Ecto A light, sharp, alert body with a narrow, shallow, rather short torso; square shoulders; very long, slim limbs; and narrow hips and pelvis.
  
• Endo Ecto A long, soft, willowy body that is rounder and looser than the balanced ecto and has a less tapered waistline and more prominent and curvaceous hips and belly.
  
• Meso Ecto A lean, muscular body with a broader, deeper chest tapering more sharply to the waist than in the balanced ecto.
  
• Balanced Meso A clean-cut, sturdy, athletic body with chest and shoulders strongly dominant over the belly; a low waistline with little indentation; narrow pelvis and hips; strong arms and legs that don't taper; and well-defined muscle contours.
  
• Endo Meso A compact, rounded, solid body with more curves and a higher, more indented waistline than the balanced meso.
  
• Ecto Meso A lean, lithe, agile body that is longer and slimmer than the balanced meso.
  
• Balanced Endo A small-boned, billowy body with soft, gently swelling curves; full, smooth shoulders; high, hourglass waistline; and deeply curved and prominent belly, hips, and thighs.
  
• Meso Endo More strongly muscled than the balanced endo with more firmly molded and pronounced curves.
  
• Ecto Endo A slightly leaner version of the balanced ecto with a high but less sharply indented waistline and narrower chest, shoulders, and hips.

Changing your body type
According to Cotton, designing a weight-management plan is an individualized venture, even if you can correctly identify your somatype. And no matter what you do, he adds, it is difficult, if not impossible, to change the body type you inherited from your parents.

You can, however, move toward a more desirable body type--if you are willing to put in the time. For example, Cotton says, a pure, overweight endo can move toward an endo-meso by significantly reducing her fat and calorie intake and exercising for an hour at moderately high intensity every day. But it is difficult to sustain such a lifestyle over the long haul.

"When I put people on programs, I explore how much time they are really willing to put into this," says Cotton. "They may have goal to get down to what they weighed at age 21, but they also aren't willing to put in the time. It can take an inordinate amount of time for some people to stay thin."

Be realistic
A more realistic tack is making sure your diet is primarily plant based and you are getting at least 20 or 30 minutes of physical activity four or five days a week, according to Cotton and dietitian Rigassio. Additionally, all body types should weight train at least two times a week and stretch their muscles regularly to increase flexibility and lower their injury risk.

"Let changing your body type be secondary to improving your health measures (such as blood pressure and cholesterol levels) and your quality of life," Cotton advises. "You can design your program based on making some changes in your appearance, but it shouldn't be your index for success."