The ‘Dad Bod’ — Why Is This Flabby-Belly Male Body Suddenly A New And Attractive Thing?

If you haven’t heard the term “dad bod,” tighten up your waist trainer, because you surely will. As reported by the Inquisitr, female celebrities and everyday women are busy squeezing their middles into waist trainers. Men, meanwhile, are being celebrated for having what’s called a dad-bod, which is a body that says a man may workout a few times per week, but isn’t a slave to the gym.

To have a dad bod, a man needn’t be a dad. But he likely has a “bod” that is no stranger to pizza and beer, as witnessed by his middle-of-the-bod paunch. According to the Guardian, the term dad-bod was coined by Mackenzie Pearson, who wrote that the dad-bod type of body was what women like her loved.

“In case you haven’t noticed lately, girls are all about that dad bod.”

Dad bods can be sported by young men who aren’t considered overweight, but are welcoming and cuddly with their non-existent six-pack abs. Indeed, studies have reported that some women find bodybuilders or gym rats intimidating, with their well-sculptured figures. On the other hand, CBS reports that not all women are fans of the so-called dad-bod, with certain females calling foul on the notion that a dad-bod can be sexy while women are pressured to have flat abs.

The debate between dad-bod lovers and those who oppose the notion continues as the term becomes more popular. There has been a backlash with women showing ‘Mom-bod’ photos, reports the Independent.

Those women are making use of the hashtag #mombod to show that it isn’t simply men or dads that should be considered sexy or “normal” for having a bit of body fat — but mothers and non-mothers, too.

The 19-year-old Clemson sophomore surely started a firestorm when Pearson confessed her love for chubby bods on men — rather, “human, natural, and attractive” — bods on men. In the wake of the viral article, other articles — like this one explaining why women love this one man’s dad bod — break down the reasons for the attraction. In essence, women like the fact that a dad bod can belong to a responsible, bill-paying man who isn’t too focused on his own form.

Others call the whole dad-bod phenomena hogwash, saying that it is possible for men to take care of their forms and still experience prosperity in their careers and families. The debate continues.

[Image via The Odyssey Online]