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November 17, 2024
Table of Contents
In the last couple of decades, the media has moved away from labelling certain body shapes as ideal. Different body types are now widely accepted as we move towards celebrating diversity.
Some of us are curvier, some of us have narrower hips or broader shoulders – we are all a little different, but that is what makes us unique.
While we embrace different types of bodies, it is important to note that from a scientific viewpoint, different body shapes are actually indicators of different body composition and fat distribution.
This, in turn, affects how people react to a certain diet or treatment, which is why you’ll find that your friend who eats more junk food than you do could actually look a lot skinnier, whereas another friend who works out a lot is still unable to build muscle easily.
What are the different body types and body shapes?
In order to understand how your body type and body shape affect you, you need to first understand which one you belong to.
According to American psychologist and numismatist William Herbert Sheldon, most humans can be categorised into three different ‘somatypes’, or simply human body shape and physique types:
- Ectomorphs: People who fall into this somatype tend to be long and lean, with little body fat muscle. Gaining weight is tough for them, but many also struggle to get more feminine curves.
- Endomorphs: These people have lots of body fat and muscle, and gain weight easily. However, this does not mean that they are necessarily obese, although they are indeed at higher risk.
- Mesomorphs: Some lucky ones belong to this somatype – they tend to be athletic, solid, and strong. They build muscle easily and easily lose & gain weight.
In recent years, the somatypes have been further broken down into body shapes for simpler illustration:
- Pear: Shoulder & bust are narrower than the hips, most likely have slim arms.
- Spoon: Hips are larger than the bust and carry some weight in the upper arms and thighs.
- Apple (Inverted Triangle): The shoulder & bust are larger than the hips.
- Hourglass: Wide bust, narrow waist, and wide hips.
- Ruler: Measurements of the bust, waist, and hips are all similar.
How does body type affect the body sculpting treatment I need?
After understanding the kind of treatments to look out for based on your body type and body shape, it is important to remember that these are just general guidelines, and it is best to entrust a doctor who knows exactly how much fat and which parts to remove from to fit your body conditions and lifestyle.
Just like how a sculptor uses his artistic training and chisel to mould material into the desired shape, Dr. Ivan Puah uses his artistic sense and the aid of modern technology to shape the body.
It takes a good artistic perception, attention to detail, and years of experience to know exactly how much fat needs to be removed and where it should be removed from, in order to achieve a natural-looking result that is also safe for you.
Due to the utmost importance of getting a good doctor for body sculpting treatments, the Ministry of Health (MOH) in Singapore has drawn up strict criteria on practising liposuction in Singapore, and only a select few certified doctors are accredited to perform these procedures in Singapore.
A good example of a suitable medical professional to turn to for body sculpting treatments is Dr. Ivan Puah. For starters, he is accredited by MOH to perform liposuction, and in fact, has accumulated more than 15 years of experience in performing body sculpting procedures.
