The rise in popularity of “dad bods” has been celebrated as a positive shift, challenging the unrealistic beauty standards for men and promoting the attractiveness of healthy body types. However, a woman on TikTok has pointed out the double standard, highlighting that women, particularly mothers, are not given the same acceptance for their bodies.
Unlike the celebration of dad bods, there is societal pressure for moms to “bounce back” to their pre-birth body, reinforcing conventional beauty norms and placing unrealistic expectations on women after childbirth.
The term “dad bod” was coined in a 2015 article titled “Why Girls Love The Dad Bod,” written by Mackenzie Pearson, a student at Clemson University. She noted that she didn’t create the term but heard it in various social circles.
In the article, Pearson explored why some girls find dad bods appealing, describing them as a “nice balance between a beer gut and working out.” She suggested that dad bods make men appear more relatable, natural, and attractive. Pearson highlighted several specific reasons behind the attraction, often related to women’s challenges with body image, including:
Dad bods have become popular because they seem less intimidating than someone with a perfectly fit body. Women often enjoy being seen as the “pretty one” in a relationship and feel slimmer when next to a bigger guy. Dad bods are also seen as better for cuddling. Women interpret a guy with a dad bod enjoying good food as someone who focuses on having fun and enjoying life. Additionally, women appreciate that dad bods give them an idea of the kind of body their partner will have after marriage and having kids.
After sharing the article, Pearson received numerous messages from men expressing gratitude. In an interview with Slate, she shared, “I’ve had a surprising number of men and boys contact me saying, ‘I’ve had trouble with my body image. I’ve been insecure about my body because I’m a bigger guy. I’m a thick guy.’ They’re reaching out and saying, ‘This really helped me with my self-confidence.'”
In general, it appeared that the dad bod movement had a positive impact on men’s body image. Nevertheless, the same interviewer noted that the appeal of the dad bod appeared to be linked to women’s body image concerns, a connection that Pearson did not originally intend but seemed to hold true.
But what about Mom Bods?
In a widely-shared TikTok video, Rachel Whipple, a real estate agent, and Etsy shop owner highlighted the societal double standard concerning body acceptance for parents. She questioned the inconsistency that celebrates “dad bods” while subjecting women who carry and give birth to children to intense pressure to lose baby weight.
Whipple pointed out the societal acceptance of dad bods compared to the scrutiny and expectations placed on women’s bodies post-pregnancy.
The video garnered over a million views and generated numerous comments from viewers who acknowledged the previously unnoticed hypocrisy and shared their own experiences of postpartum body shaming.
Numerous mothers actively participated in the conversation, with many confidently showcasing their “mom bods” in response videos. The positive display of these diverse body types is hoped to encourage and inspire other women to embrace and feel confident in their own skin.
According to a study, the prevailing female beauty ideal is progressively diverging from the appearance of an average American woman. This shift is evident in the evolving beauty standards that encompass various criteria.
These criteria include the expectation of hairlessness across the entire body, a slender physique with a flat stomach coupled with a prominent buttocks, a perpetual pleasant fragrance, flawless skin devoid of blemishes such as acne, stretch marks, or cellulite, and an absence of any visible signs of aging, encompassing characteristics like grey hair and wrinkles.
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