Their new-found pride is down to Clemson sophomore Mackenzie Pearson, who wrote a piece for The Odyssey titled “Why Girls Love The Dad Bod”, which Pearson defines as “a nice balance between a beer gut and working out.” A guy with a DadBod is “not an overweight guy, but it isn’t one with washboard abs, either.”
Pearson’s simple story inspired a slew of articles, including: a debate among NYMag.com female staffers (currently their most viewed story) a GQ.com piece that says the DadBod is OK while simultaneously claiming the term is “mostly made up” (UrbanDictionary’s entry is dated October 15, 2009); and an interview with Pearson on Slate’s XX Factor, naming her “America’s Leading Expert” on the DadBod. Not bad for a college sophomore…

I’ve never had six-pack abs, but I am currently carrying a wine barrel waist. Being a full-time dad keeps me busy; working out often takes a back seat to orthodontist appointments and filling out camp forms. There’s also Seamless.com — in no universe should it be so damn easy to order dumplings.

In the interest of equal time, I reached out to dads and moms and asked about the DadBod phenomenon.