The man with the slight belly and soft chest has won. He did not win through effort or campaign. He won because women looked at the options and chose him over the guy who counts macros and flexes in bathroom mirrors.
The data confirms what many suspected for years. A Planet Fitness national study surveyed 2,000 American men and women and found nearly 7 out of 10 women think men with dad bods are more attractive than men with six-pack abs. The sculpted physique, long held as the male ideal, has lost ground to something far less polished.
This preference runs deeper than a passing trend. Dating.com surveyed 2,000 participants and found nearly 75% of singles prefer the dad bod over other body types. These numbers point to a genuine attraction pattern that contradicts decades of fitness marketing and superhero casting. Women are not settling. They are choosing.
The Biology Behind the Preference
Dr. T. Joel Wade from Bucknell University has studied body type preferences for years. His research suggests women may prefer men with lower testosterone levels for long-term mates. Men who carry a bit of extra weight often have lower testosterone than their leaner counterparts. The reasoning connects to behavior. Lower testosterone correlates with reduced aggression and better partnership qualities.
Wade and his colleagues used waist-to-chest ratios in their research. They found that dad bod figures received higher ratings for traits like being affectionate, nurturant, and having good parent potential. Women rated these men as better prospects for raising children and maintaining relationships. The preference for the dad bod appears rooted in practical assessments of who will stick around and who will help.
What Grooming Says About a Man’s Comfort in His Own Skin
The dad bod signals something beyond physical appearance. According to the Planet Fitness national study of 2,000 American men and women, 80% of women believe a dad bod indicates confidence. This perception extends to grooming choices, too. A man who keeps his look natural, whether he rocks a beard or clean shaven face, often reads as someone comfortable with who he is rather than chasing an ideal image.
Research from Bucknell University by Dr. T. Joel Wade found that dad bod figures received higher ratings for traits like being affectionate and having good parent potential. These qualities matter more to many women than perfect abs or meticulously maintained appearances. The willingness to look like a regular person, soft edges and all, communicates authenticity in a way that gym-sculpted perfection cannot.
What the Numbers Actually Mean
65% of women in the Planet Fitness study define the dad bod as “sexy.” Another 59% said they would prefer a man with a dad bod over someone really muscular. These percentages represent a majority preference, not a niche taste. The data comes from a broad sample of American adults over age 18.
A Northwestern University study led by Dr. Craig Garfield tracked over 10,000 men for 20 years. The research found fathers gained an average of 4.4 pounds after becoming dads. This weight gain happens naturally as men transition into parenthood. Sleep deprivation, reduced gym time, and shared meals with children contribute to the change. The dad bod often arrives through fatherhood itself.
Practical Attraction Over Aesthetic Ideals
Women make attraction decisions based on multiple factors. Physical appearance matters, but it functions as one input among many. A man who spends hours each day at the gym may have less time for a partner. A man obsessed with his body fat percentage may bring that obsessiveness into other areas of life. The dad bod suggests a man who has other priorities.
This does not mean fitness carries no value or that health should be ignored. The preference for the dad bod speaks to moderation. A man can be healthy without being sculpted. He can stay active without treating his body as a project requiring constant optimization.
The Confidence Connection
80% of women who associate the dad bod with confidence are responding to something real. A man comfortable in his own body, even an imperfect one, broadcasts security. He does not need external validation through appearance. He has made peace with who he is physically.
This confidence extends to behavior. Men fixated on their appearance often seek reassurance. They fish for compliments. They position themselves for optimal viewing angles. The man with the dad bod tends to operate with less self-consciousness. He can relax at the beach without monitoring who might be watching.
Where This Leaves Men
Men have received conflicting messages about their bodies for decades. Fitness magazines pushed one ideal while romantic partners often wanted something else. The research cited here offers clarity. Most women prefer authenticity over perfection. They prefer approachable over intimidating. They prefer the man who looks like he might share a pizza over the man who brings his own Tupperware.
The dad bod has earned its place through honest appeal. No marketing budget promoted it. No celebrity spokesman endorsed it. Women looked at their options and made their choice known through surveys and dating patterns. The man with the soft middle and the easy confidence has what women want. The data proves it.
