Middle-aged men sporting beer bellies — also known as “dad bods” — may be healthier than their skinnier peers.
Richard G. Bribiescas, an anthropology professor at Yale University, says that chubbier guys have lower levels of testosterone, which makes them less likely to engage in risky, life-threatening behaviors a la “The Hangover” and more focused on taking care of their families.
“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,” Bribiescas writes in his new book, “How Men Age: What Evolution Reveals About Male Health and Mortality” (Princeton University Press, out now).
He also argues that huskier guys with lower testosterone levels are less prone to heart attacks and prostate cancer.
“The cumulative effects of a lifetime exposure to testosterone can contribute to prostate hyperplasia and cancer later in life,” Bribiescas says in a Q&A with his publisher.
But dads should still hold off on gorging on pizza and beer: Bribiescas says these findings only apply to guys who are slightly overweight.