A dad bod seems to be inevitable when a man grows old and raises a family. This extra padding around the middle of a man is being touted as something attractive. However, medical practitioners don’t believe so.
And this controversy hoists up red flags in the minds of most health professionals who know the real score. A broadening girth in a man is not something to be proud of. It’s a sign that there is an unhealthy thing going inside the body.
Dr. Mehmet Oz is an outspoken health professional who deals with the subject of ‘dad bods’. On a recent visit with TODAY, he discussed some of the health risks connected with the ‘dad bod’ and what men can do to prevent it from developing.
Celebrities the likes of Jason Segal, Leonardo DiCaprio and Seth Rogen are said to be sporting such ‘dad bods’. Dr. Oz remarked that it is “a body that makes women not feel bad about their body.”
“Here’s the truth of it: When men have a dad bod it means they’re more focused on you and the family rather than taking care of their own body, which on the surface, means they’ll take better care of you,” Dr. Oz says.
However, there is a danger to this approach. According to Dr. Oz, although women may find this look more attractive, dads and older guys should be careful.
“It might sound like this gentleman will take better care of you, but a man who really loves his family takes care of himself so he’s there for you,” he warns.
Dr. Oz says a man’s waist should be no more than one half of his height. So, if you think you are starting to develop a ‘dad bod’ there’s no reason to worry. There are 4 simple steps that you can do to bring back and maintain your virile physique.
1. Get the right amount of sleep
A host of health problems, including unwanted belly fat is often attributed to lack of sleep. Why? One of the reasons is your cravings for food especially the refined ones will escalate if you don’t get enough sleep at night.
But if you will always get a full night’s rest, all your body functions will be energized and your food cravings will be in control.
“If you don’t sleep you will crave carbs, without any question,” says Dr. Oz. “That’s why one of the best ways to lose weight is to get better sleep,” he adds.
2. Exercise regularly
Being physically active is very important more so as you age. Try to spend even as little as 10 minutes every other day performing simple calisthenics, or walking outside. It will help your joints function better without the attendant pains associated with getting old.
Dr. Oz says “It’s not a lot, you can do it.” If you like, you can join gyms like Anytime Fitness, Soul Cycle, or LA Fitness to get professional help.
3. Leave stress out of your life
Many health and fitness experts say that worries and anxieties can cause the belly to fluctuate in size.
If you are living with stress and are just trying to cope up, it will cause the production of famine hormones inside your system, and induce you to eat more than you should, thus increasing the size of your waist.
Being a health practitioner, Dr. Oz has a word on this: “The body is hardwired to put weight on when it feels stressed.”
You will eat more of the things you don’t even like and store them in your belly, which is where dad bod is most pronounced,” he warns.
4. Eat Natural Food
Avoiding refined foods such as white rice, white flour and so forth is important in keeping belly fat out. Therefore, you should avoid eating white bread, pasta, sweets, pizza and beer from your diet.
Ever wonder why beer drinkers eventually develop ugly fat bellies? The simple reason is that beer is actually a “white” food type and can lead to that horrible-looking beer belly.
Every time you eat, the nutrients of the food will be absorbed by your body. It they are healthy nutrients, your body will benefit. All your organs, including your kidneys, liver, heart, arterial system, and so forth will function efficiently. They will all convert these nutrients into substances that will make you strong, healthy and physically fit.
But, if all you eat are refined and processed foods, the reverse will come true. Your organs will be hard put in converting whatever little nutrients the refined and processed foods have and your body will manifest unhealthy conditions.
If you persist in eating such foods, you will not only have a fat belly, but probably other debilitating diseases as well. Remember: unhealthy fat expands your belly leaving you with a ‘dad bod’ that does not look pretty and healthy.