Leave the six-packs for the fridge dads! That one-pack you’re sporting? Is HOT, HOT, HOT. At least according to 75% of people surveyed it is.
Dating.com, the company behind numerous online dating sites, just announced the results of its latest member survey and the results may surprise you.
Or not.
The dating site asked 2000 email participants about their body type preferences when looking for a partner.
The overwhelming response: Dad bod for the WIN.
And by dad bod? Yeah, we DON’T mean this:
Even though Jason Momoa is, in fact, a dad. With a body.
Or this.
Who also happens to be a body-sporting dad.
No, the dad bod we’re talking about is less about the muscle and more about the meat (and not the extra-lean kind).
The “dad bod” is officially defined by the Urban Dictionary as:
A male body type that is 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.
And now, neither does any other man, married or not.
According to a press release, the results of the study found that:
- Nearly 75% of singles shared that they are a fan of the “dad bod,” meaning they like a figure that isn’t super chiseled.
- Even though dad bods were a highly ranked preference, more than 20% of those surveyed also shared that body type doesn’t matter when it comes to finding a partner. They prefer to focus on personality over looks.
So men, fear not if you don’t have 18 hours a day to sculpt your body into a rock-hard temple of chiseled abs, sculpted chest, and muscly muscles on top of muscles.
Because this is NOT what single women want, apparently.
Forget the shredded physique and pass the tacos.
Additionally, the study revealed that:
- Only 15% of Dating.com members shared that they prefer a Barbie or Ken-like body type when it comes to a person of their desired gender.
- Out of those surveyed who believe they have a dad bod, 45% of them shared that they like to put #dadbod it in their bios because they are proud of their physiques.
Which is impressive, considering society’s obsession with appearance. It’s a welcome shift towards a greater acceptance of the body positivity movement.
Researchers did not differentiate the results by gender, so no telling if the majority of respondents were male or female.
Or if women related to having a “dad bod.”
Maria Sullivan, Dating Expert and Vice President of Dating.com, says of the results:
“Very fit and in shape bodies are seen as ideal when it comes to attracting a partner; however, the users of Dating.com just proved that isn’t always the case when it comes to real life romances.
She goes on to say:
Movies and TV shows tend to promote Barbie and Ken body types, giving people the idea that they need to look similar in order to find their match. We’re happy to be able to confirm that is not how the real world actually operates.
Considering that many of us have been in survival mode for the past year and pandemic pounds are a thing, this is good news.
For men, anyway.
Which makes me question, when are mom bods going to have their moment?
Cuz I’ve been waiting for 12 YEARS for the world to celebrate my squishy bits. And while I’m happy that men are being embraced for having the body of an average man and not the Greek god Adonis, I’d be lying if I didn’t say women deserve the same.
The average size of a woman in the United States is between 16 and 18, according to a study published in the International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology, and Education.
And yet, “mom bods” are only celebrated if they don’t actually look like they carried or birthed a baby. Nevermind that new mothers’ bodies are unrealistically expected to just “bounce back.”
While this may happen to a few of the lucky ones with amazing genetics (or those who can invest in surgery or personal trainers, nannies, and chefs who cook them crazy healthy meals of seaweed and wheatgrass) most of us struggle to shrink our hips and recover the abs and asses we once knew.
And for the majority of us, our bodies will never return to the flat abs of our pre-kids days no matter how many sit-ups we do.
So yeah, #dadbods for the win but can we also add #mombods too?
For all the love that the survey showed to the dad bod, it seems that maybe participants aren’t quite as happy with their bodies as they let on.
The survey also found that the majority of people are ready to hit the gym in the hopes of being “beach body” ready by summer.
- More than 70% of singles reported that they have started working out / going to the gym more in the last couple of months to get in shape before Summer.
- 38% of Dating.com members shared they joined a gym with the hope of getting fit before bathing suit season but have yet to workout.
But don’t feel like you have to. After all, if this study is any indication, chubby is the new sexy.