Dad bods are preferred by nearly 75% of singles, survey suggests

"Hot vaxx summer" is on its way and singles everywhere are ready to enter into a season of hedonistic dating and sex. In preparation, some people are ramping up their workouts to lose the "pandemic 15" they gained in the last year.

But according to a survey by Dating.com, singles shouldn't be too stressed about additional weight interfering with their chances to date.

In the survey, 2,000 singles were asked via email what their preferred body type for a partner was, what they looked for in a partner, and what body they considered themselves to have. Nearly 75% of the respondents said they preferred a partner with a "dad bod" over any other body type in 2021. Dating.com did not break down the demographics of who was surveyed.

Unlike the chiseled and toned body types sold as the ideal physique to have, dad bods refer to bodies that are un-toned, a little squishy, but not completely out of shape or overweight.

While dad bods have traditionally referred to men's bodies in the past, Dating.com defined dad bods as something people of all genders and sexualities can have.

The pandemic has likely had an impact on the way singles view bodies — both their partners and their own

Maria Sullivan, dating expert and vice president of Dating.com, told Insider the shift in attitudes toward body positivity likely has to do with the pandemic's effect on our lifestyles.

People who once had active lives may have shifted their habits in the last year to stay safe inside, which led to weight gain.

"Singles are beginning to embrace more body types as they know the struggle of staying in shape during the pandemic," Sullivan said.  

Sullivan expects this positive shift towards dad bods to signal a change in the way people judge the attractiveness of their partners. 

"Dad bods are bringing a whole new level of confidence and body positivity to singles as others are beginning to embrace and prefer a more common body type than the fit and chiseled figure," Sullivan said.   

"Singles are now spending less time worrying about the way their body looks and spending more time getting to know other singles without feeling self-conscious about the way they look."

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