A few weeks ago I was scrolling though Facebook when I came across an article about a new trend. Intrigued, I clicked on the hyperlink to see an article featuring a picture with half-naked college-age boys and their beer bellies. The article, written by a fellow Odyssey writer, “Why Girls Love the Dad Bod," stunned me. The article itself was not what shocked me, but the fact that the “dad bod" is actually becoming a fad, and is being encouraged by women.
There are so many things wrong with this. Think about what you are encouraging ladies; you are basically giving boys a reason to justify skipping the gym, eat and drink poorly, and be just plain lazy. Obviously attraction is subjective and completely a matter of opinion, but personally, I would much rather take a six-pack of abs than a six-pack of Budweiser belly any day.
There is a reason why this body type is called the dad bod. It's because it belongs to married men in their mid to late 40's with three kids, a minivan and nonexistent sex life. They drink beers in their spare time and neglect the gym because they feel as though they no longer have anyone to impress. College boys – unless you got married freshman year or just popped the question to your girlfriend, you still have plenty of deserving girls to impress. There's a time for it and it's not now. Please do not let yourselves go just yet.
There are many sides to the dad bod trend. Yes, to some degree it supports normality among body types, because boys are criticized just as much for their bodies as us ladies are. Many would say that the dad bod is encouraging boys to feel comfortable with their body, even without defined abs and muscles. I agree that we should all feel comfortable in our skin and that we have no one to prove anything to but ourselves. Where this trend really irks me though, is how boys are taking this as an excuse to be pardoned from trying to maintain a healthy body and girls are advocating for it.
My main question about the dad bod is: why are girls supportive of it? Perpetuating the dad bod on our end only makes boys think that their lack of motivation is acceptable. Let me tell you boys: it's not. The dad bod should be no one's goal body type. If I am expected to achieve the social construct of the “perfect body," such as a thigh gap, flat stomach and toned arms, so do you.
The dad bod brings up deeper-seated issues than perpetuating laziness. It's sexism at the highest level possible. The dad bod brings up a complete double standard. No one can possibly argue that the “mom bod" would ever become a trend. Why is it acceptable for boys to slack off and drink beers with their friends, but if girls miss a couple of workouts, we are condemned for not working hard enough on our bodies? In the age of women's rights and equality, society has its standards backwards, and college girls are only perpetuating modern sexist values.
A good friend of mine and I were recently talking about our shock for why the dad bod is growing in popularity. We were on what we call a “mom-walk" around our school's campus and brainstormed endless reasons for why the dad bod needs to be stopped:
Boys are not as in shape, therefore, less stamina…
in the backyard. Who is going to help run after our kids? When the training wheels come off, who is going to be on the other side to catch them when they fall? Who is going to carry me through the threshold of our new house? (This one is simply a two-person job, I cannot carry myself through). There are plenty of other highly important activities where stamina is both necessary and appreciated, but I'll keep this PG. I'm not saying you need to have a full on six-pack, because realistically, I'm never going to have one either, but the effort is what really matters.
It promotes permanent laziness.
Encouraging the dad bod only promotes a lack of motivation in other areas of their lives, such as their career. Lack of motivation equals immaturity and failure to act responsibly as a contributing member to society. If one does not even have the drive to take care of their own bodies and health, they probably do not have the drive to advance very far in their job either.
Why be the “pretty one" when you could be the hot couple?
I would much rather be considered the “hot couple," than be the girl who is considered out of her boyfriend's league. Power couple vs. power partner… two is better than one.
All in all, I'm calling for an end to the dad bod. Instead, us girls should be promoting the “dilf" bod. A dilf is not only attractive because he is a hot dad, but because he has his life together. He most likely has a great job, wears tailored suits to work, owns a nice house (probably with a pool), and is coach of his son's little league team. Girls should be encouraging the dilf bod and everything that it embodies, instead a supporting 20-year-old college boys' alcoholism in the form of a beer gut. Give me a hot dad over a sort-of chubby college boy any day.
We should all promote a healthy body and lifestyle for not only guys, but girls too. I am by no means saying we all need to look like Ralph Lauren models, but we can try. I promise to work on my “milf" bod, or at least try to, if all you boys promise to put down the beers, get off you a** and work on your “dilf" bods. Think of the children.
