Ahh the Dad Bod. A trend that took off almost two years ago with an Odyssey Article that shook the internet. Unfortunately, this trend did not phase off quickly as most internet phenomena do. Less than two weeks ago, another article surfaced entitled It's 2017 and I Still Love The "Dad Bod." The Dad Bod claims to be a male body type that’s somewhere in between, “I go to the gym occasionally, but I also enjoy drinking heavily on the weekends and enjoy eating 8 slices of pizza at a time.” And I, for one, am not a fan.
Let me get a few things straight before I start this article. I am aware that there are individuals who struggle with medicines and health issues that make it difficult for them to lose weight. I am not talking about them. I am talking strictly about the individuals who actively make a choice day in and day out to “eat 8 slices of pizza at a time.” I am also aware that not everyone wants a 6-pack, chiseled body and THAT IS OKAY. A little extra chub is OKAY. Extra pounds are OKAY and in most cases are normal. What is not okay is putting your health at risk by becoming overweight, consuming alcohol in excess, and eating until you feel sick.
The number one argument I hear for the Dad Bod is that “You know what you’re getting.” The belief that if a guy looks like a dad at 22, you know what you’ll get when he’s 42 is baffling to me. If your guy doesn’t care about his health and body NOW, what’s it going to be like when he is 42? The habits you make in your early 20s are the ones that will stick with you forever. You’re paving the way for your future. Think about it for a second. If your habits consist of regularly stuffing your face with 2000+ low-nutritional calories in a sitting and rarely working out, what is that going to lead to?
The second common argument is that “girls like to be the pretty one in the relationship.” Could this be any more demeaning? You’re arguing that the Dad Bod is so attractive, but then also admitting that it’s not as attractive as your body type. If you need your partner to be less than you in some form, you shouldn’t be in a relationship. If you’re insecure with your own self to the point you need your partner to be “less attractive” than you, you need to reevaluate your relationship. If you need your partner to be less attractive than you so you can feel good about yourself and the way you look, there’s something wrong there.
The Dad Bod allows you to stop pushing yourself.
The Dad Bod allows you to stop pushing yourself. Which was subtly admitted in both articles linked above. If your partner isn’t taking care of his body, why should you? Your partner should continuously push you to be the very best you can be - in fitness, health, wellness, academics, work, everything. If you have someone standing next to you who has already let himself go, what motivation is there for you to continue worrying about your health?
The Dad Bod will not cure your insecurities.
Both articles mentioned how insecure women don’t want to stand next to super fit guys in pool photos because it will only worsen their insecurities. Chances are, if you’re insecure just standing next to someone then there’s probably not anything anyone will be able to do to make you feel better. That has to come from within you. A person’s personality, however, can do a world of wonders for you. If your Dad Bod boyfriend is insulting the way you look, it’s probably doing much more harm to your confidence than having a fit boyfriend would.
Do you really want to be reminded of your DAD's BOD while being intimate with your partner?
If the name alone doesn’t creep you out, I don’t know what will. Am I the only one who finds this incredibly odd and downright weird?
To me, the Dad Bod is easy. It’s easy to sit around on the couch and eat 8 slices of pizza at a time. It’s easy to go out drinking every weekend. It’s easy to only “occasionally go to the gym” (which, in translation, usually means something along the lines of, “I go to the gym, sit on my phone for 30 minutes, lift some dumbells, and leave to go eat more pizza.” It doesn’t take any effort to not better yourself physically. I know, because I’ve been there. I’ve been overweight. I’ve been in a place where you couldn’t get me to go to the gym, let alone eat healthy. Why would you want to be with someone who takes the easy way out? With someone who doesn’t push you to be the best person you can be?
