Body composition seems to be synonymous with idealistic images.

We see magazine pictures, supermodels, and lotion ads with perfect skin and perfect measurements.

The body composition conversation has also gone to the other side of the spectrum stating all sizes are completely healthy.

But is that true? No.

Yes, this is going to be a bit of a controversial post.

Keep reading.

You might be surprised.

This is about body composition and overall health as it relates to nutrition (mostly).

Which of the images below would you consider healthy?

Ninjas master the basics – and that means understanding what body composition is all about.

When we are infants, being chubby is considered healthy.  

We are in our golden years, a little extra adipose can be considered protective.

Somehow those decades in between it become a little fuzzy.

It becomes a Goldilocks and the Three Bears situation.

A little too thin.  A little too fat.  And just right.

Understanding the best body composition for you is how you become a ninja in this subject matter.

Here are a few guidelines:

Muscles are the driver of metabolism.  How you gain those muscles will make all the difference in your health.

Obesity is not healthy. It is a symptom of illness and dysfunction.

Being too thin is not healthy.  It also is a symptom of illness and dysfunction.

Everybody has different genetic codes to determine what their body composition will be like.

Eating a nutrient-dense whole foods diet is the ONLY way to obtain your ideal body composition.

I’ve heard many excuses over the years for the excess weight some carry.  Some are legitimate medical reasons that may need extra attention in the nutrition arena.  Others have physiological addictions that can be overcome with discipline.  And still, others need psychological assistance to overcome habits. 

Ironically, being too thin often has the same problems.

However, most are just that – excuses.  Not wanting to change their day-to-day habits.

I’ve been on both sides of the scale.  Too thin and need to drop a few pounds (30-ish pounds, if you’re wondering).

I was teased relentlessly when I was very thin.  I was called some of the cruelest names and teased in a very graphic and humiliating way – which I find ironic because it’s unacceptable to fat-shame someone, but it’s perfectly PC to thin-shame someone. 

Yeah.  Think about that for a second or two.

Moving along.

Body composition is different for every individual.  

If it weren’t, this wouldn’t be such a hot topic when searching the internet.

Did you see that number at the top of the image?

Almost 200 million results when I searched for ideal body composition.

And then look at the percentages – those are very wide ranges!

Don’t misunderstand – body composition is an important health assessment tool, but let’s not fool ourselves.

Being ultra-lean is not necessarily the gold standard.

Neither is carrying around excess adipose tissue.

Body composition is a piece of the puzzle.

It is not the only measurement to rely on.

Sure, most of us would love to have visible six-pack abs with little to no effort, but that doesn’t mean that person doesn’t have health issues.

Replace focusing on what your body composition percentage is with what you are eating.

I personally guarantee if you follow the simple rule of eating a nutrient-dense diet, you will be one step closer to your ideal body composition.

References:

Dr. Gabrielle Lyon

Body Composition Search