Eat to the Beat of Your Own Drum

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to losing, maintaining or gaining weight.

Sure, opting for a healthier diet and exercising more frequently will inevitably help shed a few pounds and loading up on calories, protein and fats will usually help add bulk. But when it comes to optimizing the diet, what works for one person isn’t necessarily the right recipe for another.

Experts stress that body composition changes throughout a person’s life. What a person should be eating depends on a wide range of factors including age, gender, weight, physical stature, genetics, hormones, lifestyle, physical fitness level and overall well-being.

When it comes to where people tend to store fat and muscle, clinicians may describe body types as apple-shaped and pear-shaped, ectomorphs, mesomorphs and endomorphs.

Those with an apple shape may carry fat in the upper body and under abdominal muscles, while pear-shaped people might store fat around the hips and thighs. Both men and women can be either shape, but apple-shaped is more common among men and pear-shaped is more common in women.

Ectomorphs are lean and long, typically have a high metabolism, and have difficulty building muscle and retaining fat. An ectomorph’s ideal diet should typically be higher in carbohydrates and calories than other body types.

Endomorphs are usually larger than average and are more able to store body fat. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; it’s a survival adaptation. An optimal diet may include an even distribution of macronutrients, with carbs coming mostly from vegetables and smaller amounts of unrefined high-fiber starches.

Mesomorphs are muscular and well-built, with a high metabolism and responsive muscle cells. They have a higher ratio of muscle mass, so calorie needs may be higher compared to other body types. And while all body types need carbohydrates, protein and fat, mesomorphs seem to respond better to higher-protein diets, dietitians say.

A physiatrist or personal trainer can, through a series of tests, exercises and visual assessments, determine which body type you are, but it’s important to remember the following are merely guidelines.

Kids

Children can have the same body types as adults and, like adults, where they tend to store fat affects how risky it is for them to have excess fat, health experts say. The key is to identify individual needs and choose a diet and lifestyle plan to fit those needs.

Seniors

Testosterone and estrogen levels decrease with age, as does muscle mass. As a result, total calorie intake should be adjusted downward with age, dietitians agree.

A healthy diet and staying active can help sustain and build fat-free muscle mass and aid digestion and overall health. Regardless of body type, seniors in their 60s and older should focus on eating:

• High-quality protein at every meal. This helps the body, which becomes less efficient as we age, build fat-free muscle mass.
• Fiber. Digestion also digresses, so making sure enough fiber is eaten is even more important. Vegetables, legumes, nuts and whole grains are good sources.
• Water. Hydration is important for digestion as well as blood pressure levels.

Diets as we age should also be tailored to fit any chronic health conditions as well, including diabetes and hypertension.

Women and Men

Regardless of body type, everyone should avoid excess sugar, saturated fat, artificial additives, overly processed food, refined carbs and heavy consumption of alcohol, health professionals advise. A balanced diet should include adequate fiber and unprocessed foods, and be rich in nutrient-dense foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy proteins and fats.

Lifestyle

Diet should also be adjusted based on activity levels, medical conditions and specific body types. When it comes to physical activity, exercise guidelines from the Department of Health and Human Services advise getting at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week (a combination of moderate and vigorous activity works, too).

Exertion level also has a determining role in what should be consumed. Athletes, physical laborers and people who work out to build muscle mass need high-carb, high-calorie, high-protein diets to maintain the energy levels required to meet their objectives, and to repair the body when the work is done.