Dad bods. It’s a fairly new phrase, one used to gently tease average guys about their physiques. Most dudes don’t have John Cena-style bodies. We don’t have the spare five hours a day it takes to maintain one. We have average-looking, ‘normal’ bodies. ‘Dad bods’. And, guess what? They might just be better!

That’s right. Apparently they can help you pass on your genes better, make you live longer and even make you more attractive to women!

This new theory comes from Dr. Richard Bribiescas, a professor of anthropology at Yale University. In his new book, ‘How Men Age: What Evolution Reveals About Male Health and Mortality‘, he goes into detail.

“Macho makes you sick. The Hollywood image of the swaggering, dashing man dispatching bad guys and carrying the day conjures up a perception of indestructibility. While men are on average larger and physically stronger than women, men have a considerable weakness.

“We have a harder time fighting off infections and illness compared with women, and… men simply do not take care of themselves. This has a significant negative impact on the pace at which men age.”

Dr. Bribiescas goes on: “This change in body composition not only causes men to shop for more comfortable trousers but also facilitates increased survivorship and, hypothetically, a hormonal milieu that would more effectively promote and support paternal investment.”

Why science says pudgy dad's live longer. There's hope yet for some of us!! @ChrisBIpswich @mark_hardingham https://t.co/Wo8uNZIxet

— Abdul Razaq (@AbdulRazaq_DPH) November 1, 2016

Apparently a dad bod will have less testosterone pumping around it and that means that men are less likely to cheat. Women will innately sense that and find themselves more willing to commit and want to start a family with them.

God bless science!