The dad bod trend is a craze that celebrates the cuteness of men with big bellies. But I got to thinking, is the trend really fair to Mrs. Dad Bod? In this week’s Love Essentially, published yesterday in Chicago Tribune Pioneer Press, I address the Mom Bod, and the reason it should be celebrated, too!
Mom Bod Just as Hot as Dad Bod by Jackie Pilossoph
In last week’s column, I wrote about my conflicted feelings on the “Dad Bod” and how people are celebrating the cuteness of men with larger midsections and less than perfectly sculpted arms.
It got me thinking about the “Mom Bod,” so I Googled the term and sure enough, I found several articles written by women demanding that if Dad Bod is so darn trendy, then Mrs. Dad Bod should get the same reception.
It’s kind of funny that the Mom Bod backlash is happening right as bathing suit season begins; a time when women spend hours trying on dozens of one- and two-pieces, standing in front of the dressing room mirror wondering, “Is this my body or my grandma’s?”
I feel sad and frustrated that so many woman I know – whether young or old, tall or short, lean or large, all have a less-than-healthy self-image physically.
“It doesn’t matter if they’re size 0 or 24; most women are insecure about their bodies,” said Suzanne Newman, who is the founder of her North Shore-based wardrobe and image consulting business, Find Fashion Happiness. “We live in such a looks-conscious society with so much pressure to be perfect. Women find it difficult to accept their bodies and tend to see every imperfection.”
This is the paragraph in my column where I would ordinarily begin my ranting about the importance of self-love and appreciating and nurturing our healthy bodies instead of focusing on what we don’t like about our post-childbirth figures. Not going any further on my soapbox, though. I instead want to share a few comments made by men when I asked this question on social media:
“If a woman is older or doesn’t have the perfect body, can she still look good in a swimsuit?” Here are some of the replies I received:
“The answer is not in the cut or color of the suit or the age or shape of the model … attractiveness is in the energy born of self-acceptance, quiet confidence and peaceful enjoyment of the moment. A swimsuit (or a business suit) is most successful when it makes the wearer feel awesome, not when it approximates what a viewer might like (a recipe for uncertainty and insecurity as it is always unknowable).”
“Confidence and a healthy self-esteem are very hot no matter what kind of swimsuit someone is wearing.”
“I truly believe if anyone – man or woman – is comfortable in their own skin, they can wear whatever they please. The phrase ‘Clothes do not a person make’ is so true. I have a saying: ‘What you think about me is none of my business.’ I know who I am. We are only as attractive as that which we allow others to see in our hearts.”
“How to Get Your Body Ready for a Bikini: 1. Have a body 2. Put a bikini on it.”
So there you have it. Remember that these comments came not from yours truly, but from men: the people we think are so critical, when in reality they are easy. We are the ones who give ourselves our own undeserved hard time.
I think some of the most attractive women aren’t the most beautiful and physically fit. There is an inner light and true glow that shines brightly on a woman who is passionate, who loves life and who loves and accepts herself.
I’m not saying… Click here to read the rest of the article, published yesterday in Chicago Tribune Pioneer Press. Includes bathing suit shopping tips!
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