Weight Gain in Men Because of Fatherhood? Study Confirms 'Dad Bods'

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A new study has revealed that men gain an average of 4 to 5 pounds after having children.

The study published in the American Journal of Men's Health took to analyzing the data of over 10,000 men from the database of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. In the 20-year study, researchers from Northwestern Medicine kept track of the men's weight over the years and compared three groups: men with no children, fathers who live with their children and fathers who do not live with their children.

They found that resident fathers gained an average of 4.4 pounds after having children, while nonresident fathers only gained 3.3 pounds. Interestingly, the study revealed that "childless" men lost 1.4 pounds during the course of the study.

This suggests that the "dad bod" phenomenon on the Internet is true.

The report by Inquisitr reveals that the lead author of the study, Dr. Craig Garfield of Northwestern University, was not sure why men gain more weight after having kids. However, the report noted that it may be due to the lifestyle changes of having children where men experience stress, lack of sleep, and the likeliness to become sedentary after starting a new family.

Another factor that adds to weight gain, according to Dr. Holly Phillips of "CBS This Morning," is indulging in sweets and leftover food from their kids.

"Some are very simple. With the new responsibilities of fatherhood you might not exercise as much," Dr. Phillips said in a report by CBS News. "Or there's what I call the 'human garbage disposal' phenomenon, where parents finish whatever's on their children's plates, so men are eating a lot more pizza crusts."

John Kinnear, the writer behind the "Ask Your Dad" blog, also contributed a little insight as to why weight gain is common among new fathers, as confirmed by the new study.

"I have so many more priorities as a father than I did before I had kids," Kinnear told CNN. The report noted that he did not find the study surprising. "I love to cook and eat healthy, but when it comes to compromises on time I will trade a healthy meal for more time with my kids every time."

The researchers concluded that the "fatherhood effect" may be remedied when interventions are introduced earlier in the adolescence of men.

"These findings support the need for obesity prevention interventions specifically designed for and targeted toward young males in general and those transitioning to fatherhood in particular," the researchers said.