By The public is slowly shifting away from ripped abs and healthy physiques to ones that remind you of Homer Simpson on his couch. The beauty standard for male celebrities is always pretty straightforward — six-pack abs, lean, muscular, chiseled. No wonder “GET ROCK HARD ABS IN 5 MINUTES” is a headling in every single Men’s Health issue. But are people getting bored of the typical David-esque figure?
A “Dad Bod” can be defined as the perfect balance between I-go-to-the-gym-sometimes and the male figure in its natural, sedentary, 9-5 job-with-3-kids state. Celebrities like Seth Rogen and Jason Segel are being heralded as the pioneers of Dad Bod. It can be quite puzzling as to why this body type is attractive. Science and evolution are always cited to prove that a chiseled body was what was evolutionarily advantageous and made one more suitable as a mate. However, maybe people in 2015 aren’t exactly looking for an alpha male hunter.
The reason these Dad Bods can be attractive to some is because they are a representation of a stable, relationship-type guy. They are not intimidating. You don’t feel self-conscious around them, and you can impulsively order three pizzas without having to think twice if he’s down. He’s a cuddler and Netflix-watcher, but also knows how to take care of himself without being overzealous with the protein shakes and #gymflow selfies. He’s who you envision running errands with and maybe even a future with children. You already know what he’s going to look like in 10 years anyways because he looks like it right now. So, it’s not hard to see why this concept can be attractive to many.
The rise of body positivity in men is great, but we wish that we could see the same with female celebrities. While men who aren’t even fathers get a pass for looking like one, actual mothers are 
being criticized for looking like mothers. How many times have we seen some tabloid trashing a female celebrity for not instantaneously dropping her pregnancy weight after childbirth? Or in the cases of Kim Kardashian and Jessica Simpsons, being mocked for looking pregnant…while pregnant.
Many female celebrities are choosing to ignore the pressure and focus on their health. When Jennifer Love Hewitt had her child, she decided to focus on childcare instead of hitting the gym.
If your priorities are right, the baby’s most important. You have to eat to feed your baby. And I have a girl, so I want her to see some day why her mom has good self-esteem and good body issues. It gets you down sometimes, I’m not going to lie. I’ve had days where I’m like, ‘Ugh, I wish this was easier.’ But it’s not, and that’s OK. – Jennifer Love Hewitt
We support the loosening of strict beauty standards for celebrities and, by extension, the general public. We should love our bodies just the way they are and focus on being healthy instead of looking like celebrities who invest countless hours and dollars into sculpting their bodies. Own your plushiness!