THE LATEST FAD.....THE DAD BOD

     This story is a couple of weeks old, but still worth writing about because everyday, I hear about how I should go to the gym and get into shape. If you saw me, you wouldn't think I was out of shape, but I will admit that there is a bit of a gut here now. The funny thing is that this gut seems to be in the new fad. It's almost like I started a new trend. Flab is the new fab, apparently. No need to lose those beer belly, my brothers! Women are now lusting after dudes with "dad bods"- a little extra gut around the middle. I fall right into that category! This fad couldn't come at a better time. 

     I always laugh at my friends on Facebook who post selfies of themselves at the gym. Great! You have to work your ass off to retain the body you have. See what I have? No working hard at all! 26-year-old Marie Dugo, a marketing manager from the Upper East Side, said, "(It shows) you love life, but also have the good sense to not let yourself completely go. You can take them to family parties and eat cake together. 

     Ladies loves men who put the focus on fun, not physique, saying they're friendlier, more mature and less narcissistic. Diane Hunt from Jersey City, NJ says about the "dad bod" guy, "He would come across as fun, goofy guy not stuck on himself." The love is spreading across the country, and even the world, with women as far away as Denmark cherishing the chub club. Dothe Lodberg of Denmark said, "Looking too fit can come across as self-centered." 

     Hey, the normal guys like me are definitely not complaining about this new trend, though my wife keeps telling me we need to go to the gym. I did, however start notice some extra eyes look my way with my new gut. Alan from Inwood said, "You look at the people on Men's Health and they all have 13-pack abs. The fact that society is starting to find normal physique sexy is a good thing." 

     I guess by calling the "dad bod" thing a trend, I'm wrong because men have been letting themselves go since the beginning of time. This fad came to our attention when a 19-year-old Clemson University sophomore wrote a pro-dad bod piece in her college magazine. She called the "dad bod" a nice balance between a beer gut and working out. Her article has been shared 452,000 times. Since writing her piece, men have thanked her for helping them feel less insecure about their less-than-buff-bodies. New York Magazine took the movement one step further when it created a hypothetical diet for men wanting the "dad bod" - Orange Gatorade, Clif Bars and Trader Joe's frozen burritos all made the cut. 

     Some think this fad is both sexist, like the male equivalent of being a MILF, and old, since gay men have fetished after "bears" for years. The main problem with the "dad bod" is maintaining it when you're a real dad. I don't think this is true. I have many friends who are real dads and are in amazing "dad bod" shape. This might be one of the best movements in a while and I hope it gets more popular because then I won't have to hear about staying physically fit and going to the gym. I like to work out at my own pace. Playing on stage and carrying a bass on your shoulder is plenty a workout. The only problem is now my bass rests on my belly and that does look kind of sad.