Last month, college student Mackenzie Pierson wrote an article for Clemson University site theodysseyonline.com that introduced the world to a new term — the "Dad Bod". But what exactly is it? "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.' It's not an overweight guy, but it isn't one with washboard abs, either."
Though the #dadbod is trending now, the idea is nothing new. My father had it, as did his father before him. To be perfectly honest, I’m trying to avoid it. I run or workout a few times per week. I want to stay as physically fit as I can, for myself and my family. But, sad as it is to admit, I’m never gonna be ripped. It takes an impressive level of dedication, determination and time to get and maintain a rockin’ bod. A dad bod just sort of happens. It happens when you’re cooking a special dinner for your wife or going on an adventure with your children. It happens when you’re working too many hours at the office and you don’t want to spend free time with your kids, you NEED to spend it with your kids. The appeal of the dad bod is that a man’s focus, a dad’s focus, is outward, not at the mirror, in other words, exactly where it should be.
The dude that keeps popping up in story after dad bod story is the goofy, friendly, delightfully doughy Jason Segel. Although they play irresponsible man-children in the movies, you can imagine how great they must be with their own kids. They don’t work out very often, but they’re not afraid of physical activity. You can picture them taking their kids hiking, teaching them how to ride a bike or hit a baseball and tossing around the old frisbee. You can also picture them eating half the pizza the family ordered, plus the crusts the kids wouldn’t touch. Dads with dad bods are great at making sure plates are cleaned (even before they do the dishes).
You don’t need to be a dad to have a dad bod (though it helps). Most of the guys I know had one long before they were actual dads. Of course , they’d like to think they wooed their women through their smooth opening lines and good looks. But really it was the personality their dad bodies foretold. Their future wives, future mothers of their children, saw something in those almost-beer bellies. Alongside that extra helping of mayo on their bacon cheeseburgers sat comforting, protective hugs of fathers who would not take themselves too seriously, who would know how to get down and dirty with his kids.
The fact that there is a name for this body type now, and that the name, in a sense, recognizes the important role dads play in our lives is definitely a good thing. Dad bod, or whatever you call it, is the kind of bod women want to marry. This is nothing new, but we men do love hearing that you still think we’re pretty (even if we’ve put on a few).
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