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Love Your Body, Gain a Positive Self-Image
Developing a healthy, positive image of yourself is the first critical factor in fitness success. A strong sense of self-worth is the basis for making rational and affirming decisions about and for your health.
Because our society idealizes appearance (thin for women and muscular for men) over health, and because we have come to believe that body size and shape are totally under our control, many of us enter diet and exercise programs with unrealistic goals and expectations. If we continually strive to achieve an unrealistic ideal, we will never be free of our insecurities or self-consciousness. We must accept that we are not all meant to be fashion-model sized.
Genetics and Body Type
Our body size and structure reflect not only our eating and exercise habits but also our genetics. The role genes play in determining weight varies greatly between individuals. Although hardly anyone is a pure body type, there are three general categories of how our bodies store and lose fat:
- Characteristically, ectomorphs are light-framed, both low in fat and muscle, like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
- Mesomorphs are the Martina Navratilova types, medium-framed and naturally well muscled. They often have broad shoulders, and their weight is concentrated in the upper body, giving them a compact or stocky appearance.
- Endomorphs are the Babe Ruths of the world, large-framed and relatively high in body fat. They are characterized by shoulders narrower than their hips; a round, soft appearance; and a tendency to be overweight or obese.
 Healthy Living Benefits All Body Types
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