KM Viray
Scientists have proven that the dad bod is a real thing. It’s not just some term people cooked up about men who suddenly get rounder figures once they become fathers. It’s actually something that happens naturally for most men.
At Northwestern University, researchers analyzed data on the body mass index (a weight-to-height ratio) of more than 10,000 men over the course of 20 years. Results showed that dads who live with their children showed a BMI boost of 2.6%. (For someone who is 5’7″ for example, that’s a gain of almost four pounds.) For those who lived away from their kids, the BMI increase was about 2%.
The scientific reason behind this is linked to lifestyle changes. Researcher and pediatrician Craig Garfield says dads often have less time for exercise and more for snacks. Also, dads tend to eat their kids’ leftovers like half-eaten chicken, pizza crusts, and ignored veggies.
Garfield noted that, “While many men will quit smoking and drink less and otherwise try to become healthier when they become fathers, there may be other factors associated with caring for kids that counteract those good intentions, such as being surrounded by more kid-friendly, high calorie foods and snacks, as well as their leftovers.”
This weight gain, however, isn’t actually as bad as it seems. In fact, more girls are starting to love the dad bod more than they do a buffed bod.
Mackenzie Pearson from Clemson University published an essay “Why Girls Love The Dad Bod” which went viral. Here she wrote, “In case you haven’t noticed lately, girls are all about that dad bod…The dad bod is a nice balance between a beer gut and working out. The dad bod says, ‘I go to the gym occasionally, but I also drink heavily on the weekends and enjoy eating eight slices of pizza at a time.’”
This makes the men seem real and have balance in their lives. Pearson says, “[The dad bod] makes boys seem more human, natural, and attractive.”
The dad bod is a sign that a man is not metrosexual or totally obsessed with his appearance and keeping that six-pack. But at the same time, they’re not throwing their vanity totally out of the window either. This is a good sign for women since no one really wants to date or marry a high-maintenance guy. And think about it, what girl would want to be with a guy who’s more obsessed with looks that she is?
Featured photo from www.8bitdad.com
