The “dad bod” is receiving plenty of love for a while now that it has become somewhat a trend. A number of women on social media proudly declare their preference for pudgy bellies, calling six-pack abs “overrated” and “unrealistic.” Indeed, you’d barely see ordinary men flaunting a perfectly chiseled abdomen unless your social circle consists of supermodels or Hollywood actors.
But how did the dad bod become so popular? According to Mackenzie Pearson, who wrote a blog called “Why Girls Love the Dad Bod”, women are increasingly having the hots for men’s bodies that scream occasional gym workouts and heavy drinking on weekends. Apparently, it is more “natural, human, attractive.”
Health experts, however, share mutual disapproval for the dad bod phenomenon. While they aren’t judging men and women who like this body type, they still promote its health risks and possible effects on a person’s sexual relationships.
Of course, it doesn’t mean that you need a six-pack to be healthier and happier in your love life. Rather, experts are only urging men to manage their weight better, because excessive belly fat can lead to costly and heartbreaking issues.
Health Risks of Dad Bod
Men’s Heath went as far as calling the dad bod “bad.” While all their points are valid, their statement might draw criticism from internet users promoting body positivity. They may regard the statement as outright body-shaming and slam it instead of heed it.
But people can’t deny the underlying health risks of a dad bod forever. Yes, eating several slices of pizza daily is hard to resist, but it doesn’t only pack fat into your abdomen. It also causes a toxic wrap, called visceral fat, to form around your internal organs. The resulting flab can cause a series of health problems, such as inflammation, heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.
What’s even more alarming is that visceral fat can increase insulin resistance even if you’ve never had diabetes or prediabetes. Furthermore, it also increases your risk of breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease.
These are all sounding grim, but there’s more: the dad bod also usually results from heavy drinking, which does nothing good for your love life at all, specifically in your sexuality. Frequent excessive drinking can cause erectile dysfunction, or permanently damage your sexual drive. Fortunately, men’s physiotherapy can treat this, but perhaps not before it has begun to thwart your intimacy with your partner.
The Effects of a Dad Bod on Your Love Life
On the bright side, the dad bod appears to have a positive impact on men. Because of the praise it receives, men no longer feel pressured to hit the gym. They’ve set attainable fitness goals, foregoing the perfect muscular built and ripped abs. In turn, it made them feel more confident around the opposite sex.
But scientifically speaking, a fit physique will almost always win against the dad bod. By nature, women select mates with the most desirable fitness, because good DNA always prevails.
This isn’t a reason to start crushing your diet, though. Neither six- nor eight-pack abs are necessary to become healthier and more attractive. In fact, maintaining a certain level of dad bod (meaning fighting it if off with exercise and a healthy diet) can be healthy, too. Just keep things in moderation, and know where to draw the line.
How to be Healthy Without Chiseled Abs
As you get older, your testosterone levels naturally decrease and your metabolism slows down. Hence, it’ll be more difficult to achieve rock-hard, chiseled abs. And there’s nothing bad about that because in some cases, a six-pack can become unhealthy.
That’s because you get abs from diet more than exercise. If you want to have a visible six-pack, you have to trim down your body fat by eating less, and sometimes, this causes psychological issues. In females, losing fat more than the recommended percentage can halt their periods and cause anxiety.
Therefore, even if the dad bod increases your risk for serious diseases, it doesn’t mean that a six-pack is the miracle solution. Below are some attainable health tips to combat the effects of your muffin top:
- Limit or avoid junk foods and processed food
- Control portions when eating
- Consume more fruits and vegetables
- Exercise to have fun and relieve stress
- Exercise at least 3 days a week
- Keep things in moderation
- Reduce alcohol consumption
- Make small, manageable healthy changes
- Drink more water
- Get plenty of sleep
Remember, your dad bod doesn’t make you less lovable, but it does make you a bit unhealthier. You still look fine just the way you are, as long as you live a healthy lifestyle, and don’t use the dad bod trend as an excuse to neglect your health.