Lets Talk About Dad Bods

Should it be a concern?

According to the urban dictionary, “Dad bod” refers to males over 30 years old who used to be in good shape, but after finding a mate and having children their physique is best described as “softly round”.  In other words, they’ve traded their six pack abs for a beer barrel!

While Dad bod is currently en vogue, a statement from the American Heart Association suggests that carrying extra weight in your midsection (even if it’s not enough to qualify as obesity), can be problematic.  Specifically, researchers found an increased risk of heart disease in those with elevated waist circumference even if body mass index (BMI) was within a healthy range.  It’s also been linked to higher risk of diabetes. 

When it comes to belly fat, it’s not all the same.  Most body fat is subcutaneous (lies just beneath the skin), the remainder is visceral fat which collects under the abdominal wall and in-between organs.  It is sometimes called “active fat” because it is linked to so many serious health problems.  Cardiovascular disease being one of them!  Visceral fat has also been associated with dementia, asthma, breast cancer and colorectal cancer. 

The good news is that you can reduce visceral fat with a well balanced diet and exercise!  Doing a combination of strength training (weight bearing exercise) AND cardio will help burn that unwanted fat!  Eliminating stress can also help your body release some of the fat that stress hormones tend to have us hold on to! 

This month as we celebrate our fathers, let us keep these two tips in mind to help target unwanted belly fat.

1. You may want to include a banana.A previous study showed that their resistant starch may block some carbohydrates from turning into fuel, encouraging the body to turn to fat stores for energy instead!
2. Secondly, think about getting some extra zzz’s.This study showed that those who got 6 hours as compared to 9 each night, had an average of 1.2 inches larger waist!

Published June 2021