Chubby, older dads live longer and are more attractive to women, scientist claims

The ‘dad bod’ makes men live longer and appear more attractive to women, according to a new book set to delight fathers everywhere.

Richard Bribiescas, professor of anthropology at Yale University, compared “pudgy”, older dads to their leaner, younger counterparts.

In How Men Age, he argues that while becoming fatter after fatherhood may not fit the “macho” ideal, it does strengthen the immune system.

Further evidence suggests that these men are less likely to suffer from heart attacks and prostate cancer.

“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,” says professor Bribiescas.

“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.

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“This has a significant negative impact on the pace at which men age.”

In the book, he writes: “One effect of lower testosterone levels is loss of muscle mass and increases in fat mass.

“This change in body consumption 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.”

But, before you get too excited, a study by Cambridge University study last year found that women searching for a father for their children should choose long-distance runners, because they are more likely to have stronger sex drives and higher sperm counts.

(Credit: Universal)