If someone were to show you a drawing using stick figures, would you find it incredibly beautiful? I seriously doubt it.
Why, then, as a culture do we find bodies that resemble stick figures attractive? What happened to healthy bodies with enough fat to keep us alive, fertile, and productive? In prehistoric times women were admired for their girth, strength, and fertility. Humans would not have procreated and survived without these well-rounded, substantially curvaceous women.
Furthermore, take a look at the bodies preserved forever in the paintings of the great realists. Who would want to hang a portrait of a gaunt, anorexic woman staring at an empty bowl on her table?
We can partially thank high fashion for the dwindling waistlines. After all, clothes look better on hangers, so why not show them on bodies that look like nothing more than skin and bones?
This epidemic to become ultra thin is also affecting athletes. Many young athletes today are starving themselves to please coaches, peers, and parents. They believe that being thinner will help them perform better in their sport. This is absolutely not true. Though there seems to be a body type that can get maximum results in every sport, not every sport requires a thin, lanky body with little to no body fat.
Trying to reach this false ideal body type is impossible for most. We are all born with one of three body types, and our body types cannot be changed no matter how much dieting and exercise we perform. Recognizing which is your own body type and learning to love your shape will help build self-confidence and help women focus on more important things in life – like family, friends, and happiness.
3 types: ectomorph, mesomorph and endomorph.
Ectomorphs are tall and thin and have long arms and legs. They may find it difficult to gain weight and muscle. You might find more of this body type in dancers, models, high-jumpers and long-distance runners.
Mesomorphs are muscular, shorter, and have stocky arms and legs. They are strong and tend to gain muscle mass. They may have difficulty trying to lose weight but excel in power sports like soccer, softball, sprint.
Endomorphs are shaped like apples or pears and carry more body fat. They excel in sports like distance swimming, field events, and weight lifting.
Many of us are blends of types.
Body time definitely does not mean that a person cannot excel in any sport – it simply means that you may be better at certain sports.
You can look at both sides of your family and get a good idea of what body type you have.
So how can we become more comfortable with ourselves and our athletic performance?
1. Realize that you cannot change your body type.
2. Respect your body and its strengths
3. Stop comparing yourself to others.
4. Celebrate your body and the things you can achieve when fit and well nourished.
5. Do the things that you enjoy.
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