Dedicated to the individual. On Fridays, continuation of the story.
For those who are tired of controlling their diet, calories consumed, and physical activity. For those who have lost faith in diets and the help of various specialists. However, he...
1. Although we can use categories such as "tall" and "short" or "thin" and "thick" as rough descriptions of continuous variation, these categories are arbitrary and do not reflect the actual pattern of variation (Levontin R. 1993) [1].
2. Differences in body shapes. What is the first thing that catches your eye when you see another person? This is his appearance and the shape of the human body. From here arose the doctrine of body shape or morphology (from ancient Greek μορφή (morphe) - appearance, form) of a person, which studies the structure of the human body and its changes in the process of growth and development. All people are identical in body shape, which is made up of parts of the body common to all: the head, including the face; torso; arms, and legs. However, the size and ratio of these parts of the body, as well as their position in three-dimensional space, is determined by the individual shape of the entire human body [2, 3]. Such differences affect both the entire individual appearance and the individual body weight of a person. According to the conclusion of the American biologist and geneticist Richard Lewontin *, the descriptions of differences in body shape used in anthropology reflect its arbitrary (unfounded) categories and not individual ones. Descriptions of individual body shapes must reflect continuous variations in variability including body weight.
* Richard Charles "Dick" Lewontin (1929 – 2021) – American biologist and geneticist. Arguably the most influential population geneticist of the second half of the 20th century, Lewontin laid the theoretical and experimental foundations of modern evolutionary genetics. He was also a prominent social critic and philosopher of science.
3. Unreasonable body shape. What are the reasons for descriptions of unreasonable body shape? Due to the powerful influence of the fashion industry on the beauty standards of the human body, a stereotype of the so-called "normal" figure has emerged. Also strongly influenced by the numerous attempts widespread in the scientific world to classify individual body shapes according to the type of composition. The most famous scheme of such classifications belongs to the German psychiatrist and anthropologist E. Kretschmer. He identified three main body types: asthenic, athletic, and picnic. What can be roughly defined as body types: thin, normal, and big-boned (prone to overweight). Another well-known classification scheme belongs to the American psychiatrist and anthropologist W. Sheldon. In it, he also defined three body types: ectomorph (extreme ectomorph - asthenic), mesomorph (extreme mesomorph - athlete), and endomorph (extreme endomorph, essentially a pure picnic) [2]. However, such methods of approaching body shapes fundamentally contradict the results of modern scientific observations and research.
4. Reasonable body shape. Modern observations and studies have proven that the genetically established norm is polymorphism (diversity of forms) in the structure of the human body. However, people tend to see only three, four, or more types of body shapes, depending on the preference of the author of the classification. In the quote given in the epigraph, Richard Lewontin talks about crude and arbitrary descriptions of body shapes such as "tall" and "short" or "thin" and "fat." Wanting to show the crudeness of perception, the scientist contrasts the actual state of affairs - "continuous variation," that is, an inexhaustible flow of diversity of body shapes. Then a logical question arises. If the above classifications are "arbitrary and do not reflect the actual picture of variability," what then is the actual picture of individual body shape?
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