Dad bods

"Dad bod" is a slang term in popular culture referring to a body shape particular to middle aged men.The phrase has been adopted in United States culture as a celebration of this particular type of physique, with references generally skewing toward a positive and light-hearted tone. This masculine body type is a unique cross between muscular and slightly overweight physiques, and could be considered skinny-fat.
Origins
The phrase originated with Mackenzie Pearson, a full time student at Clemson University majoring in psychology. Pearson routinely posted essays on her Odyssey account and soon started making them humorous. In a Twitter interview she was asked for the reason she had uploaded the essay. "I wrote it with as a humor piece originally. My roommate and another one of my friends were in a group called ourselves the 'dad bod squad' and I thought it would be funny to elaborate on what a dad bod was. A lot of guys at my school looked like it so I just built it based off my guy friends and what they did. Originally it was a joke for my circle of friends".
Public conversation
After Pearson's essay went viral, it was widely picked up by news media. Credible news sources including MSN, New York Daily News, and The Washington Post all talk about this new slang term. Amanda Hess, author of a highly viewed related article on the website Slate, explains her opinion that women find dad bods attractive: "We don't want a guy that makes us feel insecure about our body. We are insecure enough as it is. We don't need a perfectly sculpted guy standing next to us to make us feel worse. No one wants to cuddle with a rock. Or Edward Cullen. The end. 'There is just something about the dad bod,' Pearson continued, 'that makes boys seem more human, natural, and attractive.'”

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