What Is the Endomorph Diet? Health Experts Explain Everything You Need to Know
When everything seems to have a mysterious double-meaning, it probably comes as no surprise that we think our body shape might provide clues to what foods it wants you to it. For instance, if you've been told your body type is endomorph, you've probably wondered if there's a magical diet plan that will bust fat like none other. So is there? We asked nutrition and exercise experts to explain what the endomorph body type is and what the best diet is for an endomorphic person to follow.
First, what is an endomorph body type?
Back in the 1940s, a psychologist and physician named William H. Sheldon created a new method of somatotyping, a.k.a. classifying human bodies into three different groups according to the way they look:
Endomorphs: typically described as round, soft, or curvy and have a high amount of body fat
Mesomorphs: typically described as square, muscular, or athletic
Ectomorphs: typically described as thin and have a low amount of both muscle and fat
“The theory is that everyone can be placed, neatly, into one of these generalized categories, but this is not always the case as many people display characteristic traits of multiple body types,” says Chris Gagliardi, the Scientific Education Content Manager for the American Council on Exercise (ACE) and an ACE certified health coach and personal trainer. For example, he points out that someone with a "pear-shaped" body has a thin upper body and more fat around the thighs and hips, while someone with an "apple-shaped" body has more fat around the waist, but thin arms and legs. “The idea of body types originated to compare body shape to personality and delinquent behaviors,” says Gagliardi. “More current methods of assessment involve looking at objective measurements such as the amount of fat mass and fat-free mass an individual has.”
Okay, what is the endomorph diet?
Since people with this body type are said to have higher levels of body fat, most diets for endomorphs revolve around eating protein and fats while limiting carbohydrates. “I typically recommend to my clients a low-carb diet, but not a ketogenic one, as I’ve found that most of the women I work with find it challenging to maintain a ketogenic diet for a long period of time,” says Rachael Attard, a certified personal trainer and nutritionist and the creator of the 3 Steps to Lean Legs Program. She advises people with an endomorph body to focus on healthy whole-food sources of protein and fat such as fish, lean meat, eggs, beans, avocado, nuts, coconuts, and olive oil.
Endomorphs don’t have to — and probably shouldn’t — cut out carbs completely: Attard says vegetables, sweet potatoes, oats, berries, and legumes are all smart carbohydrate options. “When it comes to carbs, I recommend eating your carbs after your workout as this is when your body uses them to replenish and build muscles, not store fat,” she says. She even created a calculator to help clients figure out how many daily calories they should consume and what portion of them should come from proteins, fats, and carbohydrates according to the person’s height, weight, age, body type, and activity level. “However, the most important part is finding a regimen that works for you and your goals, that does not feel too restrictive or overwhelming,” Attard explains. “This is the only way to maintain a healthy body and lifestyle in the long run.”
Is there any science behind all this?
While a low-carb diet may work for some people with an endomorphic body, it’s not a surefire strategy that will work for everyone with that body type. “Generally, the thought process for this kind of dietary pattern has revolved around altering macronutrient intake based on someone's body fat to muscle mass ratio,” says Ryan D. Andrews, M.S., M.A., R.D., R.Y.T., C.S.C.S., principal nutritionist and adviser for Precision Nutrition. “To say that there's robust scientific evidence supporting this dietary pattern as a way to improve public health would be misleading and inaccurate.” Andrews says it’s possible that following an endomorph dietary pattern may help you reach your weight goals, but it could also distract you from addressing your foundational food-related behaviors. “This body-type dieting creates rules and regulations that make day-to-day nutrition choices unnecessarily complicated and restrictive, which may lead to rebound overeating, a preoccupation with certain foods, and can even move someone further away from their goals,” Andrews says. “The most important nutritional behaviors include emphasizing a variety of minimally processed foods, eating plenty of plants, ensuring enough protein, eliminating nutrient deficiencies, noticing and responding to hunger and fullness cues, eating slowly, and staying hydrated with beverages that don't contain high amounts of added sugars.”
What about exercise for endomorph body types?
It depends on what your goals are! “My personal belief is that it is best to exercise, eat, lead a lifestyle, and adopt habits that will support goal attainment rather than trying to do what is best for your body type,” says Gagliardi. “A primary goal for many endomorphs is centered around weight loss or increasing fitness levels, but when it comes to exercising to reach these goals, it is important to start at a level that allows you to comfortably accomplish what you set out to do.” Essentially, if you aren’t very active right now, it’s vital to start slowly and then build from there in order to avoid injury or burnout. If you’re already active, you’ll have to intensify or change the exercises you’re currently doing if you want to see changes on the scale.
The bottom line:
First, keep in mind “that the body type someone has is a by-product of many different factors including genetics, food choices and amounts, physical activity, stress, trauma, inequalities, sleep, job, social support, and the list goes on,” says Andrews. The good part of that is that you shouldn’t feel like the shape of your body is entirely your doing. The bad part of that is that you’ll likely have to make changes in several aspects of your life if you want to alter your body. But you can change it. “You are not stuck with your body type,” says Gagliardi. “Because body type is based on physical characteristics this means it can be changed.” He notes that those changes take time, consistency, hard work, and adjustments in your behavior, habits, and lifestyle—but it’s possible.
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