Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Hello, welcome back to On Air with Dr Pete.
I'm your host, dr Pete Economo,and I have a fun topic for you
today the dad bod.
Have you heard of that?
The dad bod?
This is a phenomenon that iskind of hitting social media and
it is across the globe.
I mean, this is not just anAmerican thing.
It was coined somewhere in likethe mid-2010s and it refers to
(00:42):
a male physique that is neitherlean nor overly muscular and
it's often characterized by alittle extra body fat,
particularly in the midsection.
And it is a very funny thingbecause, you know, we have a lot
of stuff that's going on aroundbody image and you know, fat
shaming I mean some really uh,in the world, in the of ozempic
(01:03):
right now, and it's always beenin hollywood where, you know,
skinny, emaciated, was seen aspretty and sexy.
You know, that's obviously inthe modeling.
And then, you know, in the lastmaybe two decades, we have a
little bit more of curvatureallowed or permitted, uh, and so
when it came to men, uh, therewas never really any kind of
(01:25):
name for any of this stuff, andso now we have this.
So pop culture has embracedthis term and it's certainly
more realistic.
It gives me a little bit morehope.
I always joke and say that Inever, even as a swimmer who
competed at the highest level, Iwould be at Olympic trials and
everyone had 8 and 10 and 12packs.
And then there was me and I waslean and I was fit.
(01:45):
You know I'm not trying to sayany of that and uh, what I want
to just say is that all of ushave some kind of body
dysmorphia, and body dysmorphiais a psychology term that says
you just don't see your body aseveryone else does, and that's a
really interesting neurologicalconcept because you actually
never see yourself, becauseyou're only seeing a reflection
of yourself and the way, thebilateralization and the way the
(02:07):
brain even interprets like, say, an image or a picture, you
would never actually seeyourself.
That's a little bit morephilosophical.
The reality of it is none of ussee dad bod was attractive and
(02:32):
that it was also associated withconfidence and a comfortable
lifestyle with six, eight, 10packs.
My brain is just very judgmental.
I'm just going to own it.
My brain is thinking.
One of my thoughts I alwayshave is eat a cheeseburger, says
a vegetarian, but there aregenetics behind some of this,
(02:59):
genetics for some bodycomposition, but the idea that
there's confidence in this Ilove.
I love that because we don'tneed this fat shaming, we don't
have to have like a one sizefits all.
Certainly social media andcelebrity culture has brought
that to us, you know.
So, again, a lot of people wantto demonize social media or pop
culture.
But if that, if dad bod, becomesa well, it has, as dad bod has
(03:21):
become a thing, we can see thatthere are definitely going to be
, you know, some some changesthere, and so there's health
implications here.
You know, when some body fat isnatural, but excess visceral
fat is linked to increased riskof cardiovascular, type two
diabetes and other metabolicdisorders.
So what I'm saying here is thedad bod is the right amount of
(03:45):
fat and I like to say it's sortof like the tire around the
waist.
And the problem with this isthat the CDC we know that 42% of
United States adults are obese.
Now, obesity the measurement ofthat BMI body mass index it's
(04:07):
not a really accurate factor ordepiction of it, but there are
variables that happen as we age,and so this dad bod of late 30s
, 40s man there is lesstestosterone, metabolism has
certainly slowed down and thelifestyle may have changed.
Things like, if you're a parent,career stress as you increase
in your career, there's morestress.
That's going on.
This is a good thing.
Now you want to have somebalance between it.
(04:30):
That's why I'm bringing that upabout this sort of that.
There are health risks if it'stoo much of a dad bod.
So you want to balance and thisis that beautiful middle path a
balance between body positivityand health.
So body positivity is isimportant, but it should not
lead to complacency.
You know you want to be mindfulof that and you know sometimes
(04:50):
some research has shown thatdads will gain about 4.4 pounds
after they have children, andyou know that's not okay.
You know, one of the things I'lldo as a psychologist with new
parents is integrate your childinto your exercise.
You know, do some squats whenyou're hanging around, or, you
know, play with them and be akid, because that's also helping
(05:11):
your mental health.
So you want to stay healthy.
You don't want to be obsessingabout the gym.
You know if anything that'sexcessive is going to be
unhealthy In 2022,.
An article that was published inthe Journal of Medical
Association found that moderateweekly exercise significantly
lowers health risks.
It's 150 minutes a week, soit's not like you have to be
(05:32):
there three hours a day.
You know, really, if you justgo that you know just under
three hours for the week thatyou're going to have health
benefits there.
So one of the rules I kind oflive by is when I get to the gym
, if I don't feel into it, Ileave Like I don't want to force
anything about it.
You know, obviously I need toforce, you know, and motivate
myself to get there, but youdon't want to obsess and you
(05:53):
don't want to force too much.
So other lifestyle changeswould be there.
So there's strategies with that.
So, again, if you know, workstress is really high and
parenting is really stressful,find strategies where you can do
it.
You know, for example, doingsome biking or hiking with your
kids, if you have children.
If you don't, that's okay.
Do the biking and hiking onyour own or with your partner.
(06:14):
You want to avoid unhealthyfoods.
So I like to think aboutwell-being and wellness in a
holistic way, so you could havea dad bod and eat well, you know
, find balance in that.
So you don't want to just bekind of contributing, you know,
to that.
Always Be more efficient withyour workouts.
You know, again, you don't haveto be there so much in that way
.
So there is no kind of standardfor body image, you know,
(06:36):
especially when it comes to men,and you know that's why I'm
thrilled that there is this kindof dad bod thing.
We've got all different kind oftopics here on air with Dr Pete
and so I really wanted to throwthis out there because it came
to mind I was having aconversation, I heard other
people talking about it and Iwas like I bet you, most people
don't even know what dad bod isand I'm glad that we're
celebrating it because the daysof emaciated and really skinny
(07:00):
are gone.
You know, it's not healthy.
It's not healthy and it's notgood for our young folks.
And you know, we have this newgeneration alpha coming up and
with millennials, and the impactthat social media has had has
made us a bit more sedentary.
And so the more that you canacknowledge, you know, but also
commit, you know.
Acknowledging commit says kindof stick with it.
You know, stick with your plan.
(07:22):
Um, the dad bodge challengesthese unrealistic expectations.
We are all not going to have asix-pack.
Uh, you know, but let's shiftmore to health and well-being,
right?
So it's the truth is, theperson with the six-pack is not
necessarily healthy.
You know, they might not benourishing their body in the
same kind of way.
Many of these diets, forexample, anything that is like
(07:42):
totally eliminatingcarbohydrates, is not healthy.
The body needs carbohydrates.
Your, your neurons needcarbohydrates.
That's how the myelin sheathkind of operates.
And so we have to really thinkabout focusing more on this
overall and general wellness andwell-being and just healthy at
every size.
There's not a one size fits all,and notice it.
(08:05):
So, again, I'm even judging theone that has the six or the
eight pack.
I do so mindfully, meaning Inotice it, I recognize it and I
let it go, and obviously Iprobably do it less, and the
goal is to kind of eliminatesome of that.
But the brain will always judge, and so I'll end with this idea
of you just need to have somekind of balance in life and
that's the middle path that Imentioned earlier and focus on
(08:28):
wellness and well-being.
There's not one thing to do andthere's not like one formula,
because if there was, we'd allbe doing it.
So you really have to find whatworks for you and embrace it.
Notice that your body image isoff, that's body dysmorphia and
let's just celebrate this andthis is a really cool
(08:48):
opportunity, you know, in 2025to say hey, dad, bod, we got you
All right.
Thanks always for tuning intoday.
If you love this episode,please head to our socials
Everything's at official Dr Peteand please like, follow and
share with your friends and yourloved ones wherever you listen
to your podcasts.
And until then, spread a littlekindness and stay well.
Hello, welcome back to On Air with Dr Pete.
I'm your host, dr Pete Economo,and I have a fun topic for you
today the dad bod.
Have you heard of that?
The dad bod?
This is a phenomenon that iskind of hitting social media and
it is across the globe.
I mean, this is not just anAmerican thing.
It was coined somewhere in likethe mid-2010s and it refers to
(00:42):
a male physique that is neitherlean nor overly muscular and
it's often characterized by alittle extra body fat,
particularly in the midsection.
And it is a very funny thingbecause, you know, we have a lot
of stuff that's going on aroundbody image and you know, fat
shaming I mean some really uh,in the world, in the of ozempic
(01:03):
right now, and it's always beenin hollywood where, you know,
skinny, emaciated, was seen aspretty and sexy.
You know, that's obviously inthe modeling.
And then, you know, in the lastmaybe two decades, we have a
little bit more of curvatureallowed or permitted, uh, and so
when it came to men, uh, therewas never really any kind of
(01:25):
name for any of this stuff, andso now we have this.
So pop culture has embracedthis term and it's certainly
more realistic.
It gives me a little bit morehope.
I always joke and say that Inever, even as a swimmer who
competed at the highest level, Iwould be at Olympic trials and
everyone had 8 and 10 and 12packs.
And then there was me and I waslean and I was fit.
(01:45):
You know I'm not trying to sayany of that and uh, what I want
to just say is that all of ushave some kind of body
dysmorphia, and body dysmorphiais a psychology term that says
you just don't see your body aseveryone else does, and that's a
really interesting neurologicalconcept because you actually
never see yourself, becauseyou're only seeing a reflection
of yourself and the way, thebilateralization and the way the
(02:07):
brain even interprets like, say, an image or a picture, you
would never actually seeyourself.
That's a little bit morephilosophical.
The reality of it is none of ussee dad bod was attractive and
(02:32):
that it was also associated withconfidence and a comfortable
lifestyle with six, eight, 10packs.
My brain is just very judgmental.
I'm just going to own it.
My brain is thinking.
One of my thoughts I alwayshave is eat a cheeseburger, says
a vegetarian, but there aregenetics behind some of this,
(02:59):
genetics for some bodycomposition, but the idea that
there's confidence in this Ilove.
I love that because we don'tneed this fat shaming, we don't
have to have like a one sizefits all.
Certainly social media andcelebrity culture has brought
that to us, you know.
So, again, a lot of people wantto demonize social media or pop
culture.
But if that, if dad bod, becomesa well, it has, as dad bod has
(03:21):
become a thing, we can see thatthere are definitely going to be
, you know, some some changesthere, and so there's health
implications here.
You know, when some body fat isnatural, but excess visceral
fat is linked to increased riskof cardiovascular, type two
diabetes and other metabolicdisorders.
So what I'm saying here is thedad bod is the right amount of
(03:45):
fat and I like to say it's sortof like the tire around the
waist.
And the problem with this isthat the CDC we know that 42% of
United States adults are obese.
Now, obesity the measurement ofthat BMI body mass index it's
(04:07):
not a really accurate factor ordepiction of it, but there are
variables that happen as we age,and so this dad bod of late 30s
, 40s man there is lesstestosterone, metabolism has
certainly slowed down and thelifestyle may have changed.
Things like, if you're a parent,career stress as you increase
in your career, there's morestress.
That's going on.
This is a good thing.
Now you want to have somebalance between it.
(04:30):
That's why I'm bringing that upabout this sort of that.
There are health risks if it'stoo much of a dad bod.
So you want to balance and thisis that beautiful middle path a
balance between body positivityand health.
So body positivity is isimportant, but it should not
lead to complacency.
You know you want to be mindfulof that and you know sometimes
(04:50):
some research has shown thatdads will gain about 4.4 pounds
after they have children, andyou know that's not okay.
You know, one of the things I'lldo as a psychologist with new
parents is integrate your childinto your exercise.
You know, do some squats whenyou're hanging around, or, you
know, play with them and be akid, because that's also helping
(05:11):
your mental health.
So you want to stay healthy.
You don't want to be obsessingabout the gym.
You know if anything that'sexcessive is going to be
unhealthy In 2022,.
An article that was published inthe Journal of Medical
Association found that moderateweekly exercise significantly
lowers health risks.
It's 150 minutes a week, soit's not like you have to be
(05:32):
there three hours a day.
You know, really, if you justgo that you know just under
three hours for the week thatyou're going to have health
benefits there.
So one of the rules I kind oflive by is when I get to the gym
, if I don't feel into it, Ileave Like I don't want to force
anything about it.
You know, obviously I need toforce, you know, and motivate
myself to get there, but youdon't want to obsess and you
(05:53):
don't want to force too much.
So other lifestyle changeswould be there.
So there's strategies with that.
So, again, if you know, workstress is really high and
parenting is really stressful,find strategies where you can do
it.
You know, for example, doingsome biking or hiking with your
kids, if you have children.
If you don't, that's okay.
Do the biking and hiking onyour own or with your partner.
(06:14):
You want to avoid unhealthyfoods.
So I like to think aboutwell-being and wellness in a
holistic way, so you could havea dad bod and eat well, you know
, find balance in that.
So you don't want to just bekind of contributing, you know,
to that.
Always Be more efficient withyour workouts.
You know, again, you don't haveto be there so much in that way
.
So there is no kind of standardfor body image, you know,
(06:36):
especially when it comes to men,and you know that's why I'm
thrilled that there is this kindof dad bod thing.
We've got all different kind oftopics here on air with Dr Pete
and so I really wanted to throwthis out there because it came
to mind I was having aconversation, I heard other
people talking about it and Iwas like I bet you, most people
don't even know what dad bod isand I'm glad that we're
celebrating it because the daysof emaciated and really skinny
(07:00):
are gone.
You know, it's not healthy.
It's not healthy and it's notgood for our young folks.
And you know, we have this newgeneration alpha coming up and
with millennials, and the impactthat social media has had has
made us a bit more sedentary.
And so the more that you canacknowledge, you know, but also
commit, you know.
Acknowledging commit says kindof stick with it.
You know, stick with your plan.
(07:22):
Um, the dad bodge challengesthese unrealistic expectations.
We are all not going to have asix-pack.
Uh, you know, but let's shiftmore to health and well-being,
right?
So it's the truth is, theperson with the six-pack is not
necessarily healthy.
You know, they might not benourishing their body in the
same kind of way.
Many of these diets, forexample, anything that is like
(07:42):
totally eliminatingcarbohydrates, is not healthy.
The body needs carbohydrates.
Your, your neurons needcarbohydrates.
That's how the myelin sheathkind of operates.
And so we have to really thinkabout focusing more on this
overall and general wellness andwell-being and just healthy at
every size.
There's not a one size fits all,and notice it.
(08:05):
So, again, I'm even judging theone that has the six or the
eight pack.
I do so mindfully, meaning Inotice it, I recognize it and I
let it go, and obviously Iprobably do it less, and the
goal is to kind of eliminatesome of that.
But the brain will always judge, and so I'll end with this idea
of you just need to have somekind of balance in life and
that's the middle path that Imentioned earlier and focus on
(08:28):
wellness and well-being.
There's not one thing to do andthere's not like one formula,
because if there was, we'd allbe doing it.
So you really have to find whatworks for you and embrace it.
Notice that your body image isoff, that's body dysmorphia and
let's just celebrate this andthis is a really cool
(08:48):
opportunity, you know, in 2025to say hey, dad, bod, we got you
All right.
Thanks always for tuning intoday.
If you love this episode,please head to our socials
Everything's at official Dr Peteand please like, follow and
share with your friends and yourloved ones wherever you listen
to your podcasts.
And until then, spread a littlekindness and stay well.
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.