How to know what type of body I have

Gymnasts

How to know what type of body I have? You have probably asked yourself this question more than once. The first thing we should point out to you in this regard is that each person is a world and has a single organism that even can be put together. Not in vain, a body is formed by more than thirty million cells that make up your muscles, bones, and organs. And all this results in an almost perfect machine.

However, to answer the question how to know what type of body i have, several have been developed theories over time. Perhaps the most important is that of the American psychologist William Herbert Sheldon. However, before him, the German psychiatrist Ernst Kretschmer. We are going to explain to you the theses of both.

Ernst Kretschmer's theory

Belly

Picnic Body Show

This German doctor tried, in the twenties of the last century, to link the biotype and psychotype of people. That is, he tried to find connections between the body shape and the temperament of individuals. His thesis has been somewhat outdated today. But his theory spoke of three classes of bodily constitutions to which he added another of a mixed type.

The first was made up of asthenic or leptosomatic bodies. They are tall and slender, with short shoulder width and a narrow chest. Likewise, his face and nose are elongated and his skull is domed. Regarding their correlation with character, these people tend to be sensitive, with artistic concerns and, instead, sometimes cold.

The second type of Kretschmer is the athletic or epileptoid. It is a strong and robust body both in terms of bones and muscles. His character is energetic and determined, with a taste for adventure. But it also has a sensitive and passionate component.

For its part, the third archetype of the German psychiatrist is the picnic or cyclothymic. They are small bodies in height, but very robust. Its viscera are large and fat, which contributes to rounding its shapes. They also have little muscle development. As for their personality, these people are intelligent and jovial, although they can go through phases of depression. They are also inconsistent and optimistic or pessimistic depending on the time.

Finally, Kretschmer spoke of the dysplastic body, which does not fit any of the above types. In this case, they are disproportionate organisms and the people who present them usually have weak and withdrawn character.

William Sheldon's theories on how to know what type of body I have

Somatotypes

William Herbert Sheldon's somatotypes

As we told you, the psychologist's investigations William Sheldon They were later than those of Kretschmer. His ideas are grouped in the call somatotype theory, which, like the previous one, links the body shape with a modality of temperament. But, in this case, he talks about three basic types of bodies.

The first is the ectomorph, which corresponds to sensitive people and with frequent mood swings. Morphologically, these organisms are tall and slender, with long limbs. In addition, they have little muscle development, which gives them a weak appearance. In fact, they rarely get fat.

Sheldon's second archetype is the endomorph. It is representing round bodies with a tendency to accumulate fat. In the case of men, they appear on the abdomen, while in women, they are concentrated on the hips. His bones are also large and his metabolism slow. As for their temperament, they are sociable and good-natured people, foodies and fun lovers.

Finally, the third type of this theory is the mesomorphic body. We could tell you that it would be between the two previous ones. Because it looks athletic, with muscles and bones developed in a balanced way. He is normally short, but strong and robust. His shoulders are broad and his waist slim. Likewise, it is predisposed to develop its muscles, but not to accumulate fat. Regarding the character of these people, they are balanced, energetic and adventurous, with great fondness for sports.

These are the two basic theories that answer the question how to know what body I have. However, both one and the other have given rise to open criticism. Especially, Kretschmer's has been almost invalidated by current psycho-medicine. We are going to show you the main objections that have been raised to these theses.

Objections to the theories of Kretschmer and Sheldon

Mesomorphic body

Graphic representation of a mesomorphic body

As for the former's theses, he has been criticized for the fact that his body types are extremes when they should respond to averages. He has also been accused of not taking individual differences into account. And, above all, not to relate their models to the physical changes that can be derived from feeding. Finally, it is criticized that, for his study, he used people with mental illnesses.

On the other hand, the theories of William Sheldon They have been more successful than before. However, they have currently been ruled out by the scientific community. He is also accused of create extreme and rigid archetypes. In fact, it is enough to go out into the street to see that there are others or that they are combined. For example, it is easy to find a mesomorph with fat as an endomorph.

In conclusion, now you have tools to answer the question how to know what type of body i have. However, as we told you, current science does not attach too much rigor to these theories. But, although limited, they are still a way of classifying bodies.


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