metabolic body typing - Personal Trainer Community - Forum

[Kathi]

What are some thoughts on metabolic body typing? I have never used this type of dieting /nutrition method-atleast not for all body types yet. One gal came to me with the book from an info-mercial ( forgot the name) You flip various pictures to ID your type and then follow the plan from there......I have always gone buy calories in vs. calories out. Is this a better way for all?

thanks

[Joe Cannon MS CSCS]

Hi Kathi
By metabolic typing I guess your referring to endomorph, ectomorph and mesomorph. If I remember right (don’t quote me), I think Michael Thurman (sp?) who does the extreem makeover show talks about this on his infomercial. Everything Ive read on the issue basically says the same thing that its not a reliable way to get a handle on a person. For example, some people are mixtures of endomorph and mesomorph, making labeling people difficult if not impossible to always do. I believe these terms were created in the 1940s and are rarely used today in clinical settings.

I hope that helps
Joe

[megfit]

Hi guys, and HI JOE!! Long time, no see!

Anyway, actually, the metabolic typing diet is based on a book written by William Wolcott and Trish Fahey, called... "The Metabolic Typing Diet". The premise is that each of us tends to do best on a particular type of eating style. Of course the book is geared towards people who want to lose weight. What else is new?

Now, I do believe there is some validity to this theory, but not to the extent that the authors promote. It's a fun perspective, though, and just touches on where the future of nutrition is going, which is towards functional nutrition therapy.

In functional nutrition, we look at the client's entire system. Often there is an issue that has brought them to me, so clients answer questions related to their symptoms, which can help point out areas that can be improved through various nutritional means. The questionnaire in the Metabolic Typing Diet book tends to veer off in directions that really don't seem to have a point, and some of the answer options won't even apply. They didn't for me, anyway.

As a response to anyone who asks about metabolic typing diets, I'll ask THEM what foods do they tend to avoid? Their answers tell us as much as the book will, without all the extra words.. Our bodies do know what they're talking about. If you avoid a certain food because you either don't like it or it doesn't like you, then that's a food for you to avoid! It really is as simple as that! Why make someone who prefers a lot of protein in their diet to switch to more starches or fruits if those foods don't agree with them?
Now, as an RD, I do help clients who want to improve their nutrient intake to at least switch to foods that are healthier if they are this type of eater, but we have to consider how they eat and adjust it to continue to fit their lifestyle and likes. I'll never hand a person a 'diet'. They learn nothing and they gain nothing.

Margie