It seems ‘Dad Bod’ is a real thing, as research has found new dads sometimes gain over a stone after their baby is born.
While at first mothers can lose quite a few pounds as a result of welcoming their bundle of joy into the world, it appears both parents then start to slide up the scale within the first year of their child’s birth.
A survey conducted by LighterLife Fast has revealed one in ten new dads gain the same amount of weight as new mothers within the first year, with first time fathers gaining on average around 1st 5lbs.
The survey studied 1,500 men, and looked into the possible causes of the weight gain.
Even without doing the research I can imagine a lot of it comes from not having the time to think about eating healthily and exercising a lot when there’s a whole new tiny person relying solely on you for survival.
The research explained new dads get less free time for exercise and meal prep, as well as the unavoidable lack of sleep due to the screaming, crying bundle of joy.
Lack of sleep affects your levels of satiety, which is the feeling of fullness after eating. It also lowers testosterone and growth hormone levels, which negatively impacts muscle mass.
LighterLife also asked participants about the moment they realised they’d officially joined the ‘Dad Bod’ community.
The study found 27 per cent struggled with clothes which had started to stretch at the seams, 15 per cent noticed they were getting out of breath when playing with their children, and 26 per cent noticed the weight gain when other health concerns rose to the surface.
A quarter of the dads surveyed noticed their weight gain after seeing an unflattering picture of themselves, but I think you could always just blame that on bad lighting and angles?
While the weight gain might not be everyone’s favourite result of having a baby, I think the ‘Dad Bod’ has gained its own appreciation in recent times.
Seems a few of you on social media agree:
One smart Twitter user pointed out, ‘Dad Bods’ are more comfortable – apparently, it makes you a funnier person too?
The baby will probably be able to sleep better on a soft, cushion-like stomach, rather than a rock-hard one, so I think gaining the body of a new father has its silver linings.
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.