Whether you believe me or not, we do now live in a time where fitness and muscle building are among the forefront aspects of our culture, and the beauty standards and norms have shifted immensely. Gyms are everywhere and the pressure for men to be in shape are certainly far greater than they were a decade or two ago. However, somewhere in and amongst the pressure to look great came a term known as the "Dad Bod", which was coined in order to label a very specific type of physique that guys have had for a very long time. But what exactly is a Dad Bod and where did the label come from? Why did it suddenly gain popularity in recent years?
It seemed in the 2000s that the focus on a larger and more toned physique, as well as health and fitness in general, became far more mainstream and became more "the norm" than is was perhaps just a decade earlier. The era of the comic book movie and the six packed protagonist of most Hollywood films brought on an urge for many of us to join the gym and get into shape. The gym industry exploded and numerous gym chains began opening up around the world, capitalising on this necessity for all of us to shed the 90s physique and ill-fitting clothes in favour of the form fitting outfits that are so popular these days.
Back in the 90s and earlier, an ultra-ripped body was seen as more of a treat, confined to the occasional action star, singers such as Peter Andre, and of course bodybuilders and Olympic athletes. These people stood out from the crowd and they definitely weren’t looked at as the general standard of where society’s fitness level should be.
So what changed?
One thing that changed was simply the progression of science and our understanding of how the human body works. Scientists and curious minds alike managed to do deeper research into the short and long term effects of our modern lifestyles. Trends like gluten free and low carb came onto our screens and into our ears, and we learned about the dangers of alcohol, trans fats and sedentary lifestyles. The proof was in the pudding, and it was loaded with cholesterol. This greater knowledge opened our eyes to the long term effects that some of our decisions and lifestyle choices were having, and it shocked us.
With this broader knowledge, society shifted its focus to healthy eating, exercise, yoga, living stress free, reducing toxins, the list goes on. None of this was a bad thing either, we only have one body and it’s good that we now know how to take care of it and why we should.
And then came Social Media.
To make an understatement, the invention of the internet changed absolutely everything in our world. Daily life shifted from mundane and private to generally becoming public domain, where even the most basic of activities became a spectacle. By 2008, most of the people in the world who had an internet connection were on Facebook and sharing every aspect of our lives with each other - but this was mostly friends, family and acquaintances. Not long after the immense success of Facebook came Instagram, and this is where society shifted drastically. No longer were people sharing their lives with friends and family, they were sharing them with the world, and we were trying to share with more and more people every day. Initially, the platform was dominated by a few exceptional men and women who leveraged their looks and abilities online, which the rest of us looked upon with envious, green eyes and decided to join the gym and make the transformation ourselves.
Validation went from internally achieved to externally required, and we endlessly pursued these images of ourselves showing perfection and power. Granted the muscular and healthy physique was just one aspect of the myriad ways in which we did this, but it was a big one.
So where amongst all of these strives for perfection did the Dad Bod emerge from?
Well, alongside the buff gym guys, the booty/body pumpers, the green smoothie makers and clean eaters, stood the rest of society who comparatively didn’t care quite so much. And it was ok that they didn’t care because they just continued to focus on themselves in a different way and didn’t spend their time at the gym or going on 10K runs or making kale salads. They focused on other ventures that interested them more specifically and pursued other hobbies, and this was happening with men and women alike. However, among those men, were the ones with the Dad Bods. The guys whose priorities weren't their body but were something where success was measured in a different way, whether that be wealth, family, status, or whatever else they decided was their true north.
How do we define a Dad Bod?
Classic traits of a Dad Bod include:
A bit of a belly, but nothing excessively protruding
The slightly larger or less in shape man, but not considered classically “fat”
Likely to still have his chest and belly hair having not shaved it off
Maybe a beard?
At some point in his recent life may have been in fairly good shape, but let himself go just a little
Might still workout and exercise, but doesn’t take is so seriously that he counts calories
And why “dad”? Well, think about the generalised image of a dad, what do you usually picture? Probably not a man who is gym-toned and tanned, but probably rather a bearded man with a smile and a bit of a belly, because he’s too busy being a responsible father than taking gym selfies for Instagram and making chia seed smoothies.
Celebrities like Chris Pratt, James Corden and even Leonardo DiCaprio became pinups for the Dad Bod, and many people actually like it. In fact, some people claim to much prefer it, and for numerous reasons. Many women claimed they found it less “threatening” than a man with defined abs as the Dad Bods seemed somewhat more approachable. They gave the appearance that they weren’t extremely unhealthy but at the same time they weren’t obsessing over the gym and their gram protein intake per lb of bodyweight. They came across as fun to be around; happy, jolly people who lived their lives the way they wanted to, not the way the recent media has depicted they should. This is similar to the size-zero model issue that women previously faced, and the unrealistic and quite frankly unhealthy goals it unfortunately made many women strive to achieve.
People preferred to spend their time with a Dad Bod because it was an indicator that this man probably wouldn’t care as much about their partner’s body tone either, and this was seemingly an attractive prospect. Dating a man with measured 21 inch biceps and washboard abs might actually seem stressful, as you may have to keep up with it or potentially face feeling insecure about your own body. The list goes on.
So where do the Dad Bods stand in 2024 culture?
The love for the Dad Bod will very much depend on the person, however the look has been around for a long time and was only recently given a name, so it’s likely to be around for a while longer too. The fact is that even in our healthy modern world, a lot of people just don’t have the motivation in what little time they have to hit the gym or go for a run, and their body will reflect that - and that’s ok. Having a bit of a Dad Bod is absolutely fine and there’s not really anything unhealthy about it.
The dangers of the Dad Bod, however, will come from unhealthy by-products such as visceral fat. If you’re not sure what visceral fat is, it works like this…
The abdominal area will typically carry two types of fat:
Subcutaneous fat - this is the fat that you find around most of your body and sits just under your skin and on top of your muscles. In the belly for example, this will be the layer of fat that covers up your abs when you’re trying to shred at the gym. A little subcutaneous fat is not unhealthy and, believe it or not, is actually beneficial for the body. Fat actually protects the body, so people with extremely low body fat percentages will lower their body's defence system against certain diseases, particularly heart problems, and run the risk of being vitamin deficient from fat soluble vitamins as well as having very low energy.
Visceral fat - this is a different story. This is the fat that collects within the abdomen and builds up around your organs. Visceral fat is extremely bad for you and can lead to serious health problems such as diabetes and organ failure. Eating processed foods, lots of sugar, and saturated fats will all contribute to the storage of visceral fat so it’s important to be aware of what you’re eating. On top of this, lack of exercise will mean that you create a calorie surplus in your body, and excess calories will lead to fat storage over time, and the body loves to store fat in the belly amongst other places. Genetics will also play a part and some people are more susceptible to visceral fat than others.
So the takeaway from this is that it’s ok and actually beneficial to have a little fat on the body, so it’s not fundamental that we’re all doing HIIT workouts and trying to achieve 6% body fat - which is highly unsustainable even for professionals let alone the average man. However, if we start to cultivate too much mid-section fat, it’s probably a good idea to start changing your habits a little. In the modern world we are highly aware of all aspects of health and fitness, and in particular the extreme benefits of exercise (both cardiovascular and resistance) and the dangers of living a sedentary lifestyle paired with a poor diet, so there isn’t really much of an excuse to be ultra out of shape.
The suggestion is that we should all be doing some regular exercise, even if that just means going for a brisk walk a few times a week or working out with some resistance bands at home if you can’t afford a gym membership or don’t have the time to go. Try to cut down on some of the unhealthier foods and drinks and be more sensible with your diet - you don’t have to cut everything out completely, just be aware.
So is it OK to have a Dad Bod?
In a word, yes, it’s ok to have a Dad Bod, as long as isn’t at an unhealthy level where it’s affecting your body negatively. There have been multiple surveys done in recent years where many women in particular were asked about their preferred body type on a man, and they quite often chose a Dad Bod over a ripped, muscular physique. The two main reasons that were cited were that a man with a Dad Bod tended to appear more cuddly and also far less vain.
The problem with a superhero-like gym body is that it often takes an immense amount of effort and dedication in its upkeep, so vanity can potentially creep in and take over the reason behind it. A body full of large muscles might also be less “cuddly” than a bit of cushioning, as muscles in their nature tend to be a lot firmer than fat. That’s not to say that people who have a highly muscular gym bod aren’t good looking or they shouldn’t deserve a proverbial tip of the hat for their efforts (and it is a lot of effort and consistent hard work and so is commendable), but it’s not necessarily the only physical standard that everyone is being held to.
What about for the bald man?
One of the tips we tend to give at The Bald World is that it’s important to try as much as possible to stay in reasonable shape if you can. For bald men this isn’t only about health but also about your overall image and personal brand. This doesn’t mean you need to be in bodybuilder shape, it just means that someone who takes care of themselves is far more attractive than a "slob". Having a bit of shape on your body and a little lower fat content will compliment your shaved head look, so it’s a good idea to get to the gym every now and then, go for a walk or a jog and get your step count in, and cut down on some of the unhealthiest of foods (ideally anything overly processed or loaded with saturated fats and sugars).
Being in good shape will not only make you feel healthier, but I guarantee you will actually feel more confident. As bald men, confidence is something we want to project as it goes hand in hand with our look. Not only will your body look better, but your clothes will fit better, and that is going to help your overall style as well, which is something that we also encourage at The Bald World. This isn't taking a jab at Vin Diesel at all, there's nothing wrong with his Dad Bod here - but most of us aren't Vin Diesel, we aren't Hollywood superstars. So it's a good idea for us to maybe take a little more care of our look if we want to stand out amongst the millions of others. Also don't forget that many superstars like Vin Diesel will have "on-season" and "off-season" physiques, where they will get in shape for a role and stay in shape for the duration of that role, and when not filming they will take months off and not worry as much about it. This is even true for bodybuilders and olympic athletes, again circling back to the point I made earlier about sustainability in terms of physique.
In summary, I think it is ok to have a bit of a Dad Bod, and many people are definitely physically attracted to it, so it doesn’t make you unattractive in the eyes of every beholder. Speaking from personal experience having periods in my life when I had abs and periods where I certainly sported a bit of a belly, both were liked by different categories. My advice would simply be this: don’t go too far. Having a little extra is ok and you do not have to be in move-star shape, just be mindful of your weight and general health. Exercise as much as you can in line with your lifestyle, dress appropriately, be confident and kind, and try as best you can to enjoy life. Everyone will have different measurements of enjoyment, so find yours and figure out where health and fitness fits into that. But your absolute baseline should at the very least be the urge to stay healthy.
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