Love for Dad Bods is on the Rise

The love for dad bods is on the rise! According to a study by Planet Fitness, more and more women say they find dad bods attractive, and more men with dad bods say they feel good about their bodies.

To start, what is a dad’s body?

According to Urban Dictionary, a dad body ”  is a male body type best described as “softly round.” It’s built upon the theory that once a man has found a mate and fathered a child, he doesn’t need to worry about maintaining a sculpted physique.”

So, how did Planet Fitness determine this? Over the past three years, Planet Fitness has surveyedrences about people’s body types (among other things) that have changed yearly.

So what have they found?

Compared to last year, more people report:

  • That dad bods are attractive (65 percent vs. 57 percent)
  • That a dad bod is sexy (61 percent vs. 51 percent)
  • more are even saying a dad bod is a new six-pack (51 percent vs. 41 percent)

But this goes beyond just people reporting they are sexier; more men with dad bods say they feel better with their bodies. The report states that this could be because of a cultural shift towards body positivity, but some scientific work would need to be done to confirm this.

Compared to last year, more men with dad bods are reporting that:

  • They are happier with their dad’s body (79 percent vs. 64 percent)
  • That having a dad bod has improved their lives (72 percent vs. 62 percent)

And then, in general, many men report their dad’s body has helped them, in general, is nearly half.

  • Men who say their ” dad bod” has improved their life this year claim their body type has helped them accept themselves (48 percent).
  • Men who say their dad bod has made them less concerned with their appearance (47 percent).

This is not a peer-reviewed study, meaning it is not published in a scientific journal and has not been through vetting to prove that the investigation is. But maybe, given the results, we may soon have a science of dad bods.