The Science Behind the Dad Bod

Sleep and Melatonin  

Loss of sleep causes a third hormonal impact: lower melatonin. This hormone is a powerful antioxidant and promotes deep and restful sleep. Not only does melatonin help you get better rest, but it also helps your body burn fat and stay lean through numerous physiological pathways.² It may improve insulin sensitivity and reduce inflammation and oxidation.   

Fatherhood is Sometimes Followed by Diet and Lifestyle Changes  

In addition to the above hormonal impacts on weight, physical activity and diet also appear to decline with fatherhood. Sometimes referred to as “mom snacks”, dads are also inclined to eat the same foods they make for their kids. To feed picky children well, high-fat and high-sugar foods are often served to kids. These enticing crowd-pleasers are difficult for parents to resist. This can result in the whole family eating sub-optimal, weight gain-promoting, low-nutrition foods. This is unfortunate because while children often don’t immediately show the negative impacts of a poor diet, those impacts are still there.   

As for physical activity, the types of activities that provide plenty of intense exercise for little ones typically do not challenge an adult male. And since time is limited, getting to the gym or out to other activities can be nearly impossible some days or weeks. Again, like dietary changes, children benefit from a physically active family in ways that are not always immediately obvious.    

What Can Men Do to Get Rid of the Dad Bod?   

Optimise sleep  

Sleep is best supported by low lights, minimal distractions, and improving daytime stress management, which in turn can increase natural melatonin levels. Depending on your situation, you may have unavoidable sleep disruptions, but prioritising sleep can have numerous benefits on health and should be a top priority. This includes improving melatonin, normalising cortisol, and optimising testosterone levels. From improving mood and focus to helping with weight management and hormone balance, sleep is not only enjoyable for tired dads, but it’s a big win for the body.   

If you’re considering melatonin supplements*, be aware that melatonin may not prevent weight gain because loss of sleep causes weight gain in several ways. There is no magical weight loss supplement, however, some find it helps optimise sleep during times of increased stress, and some studies do show it may improve weight management.⁷. After increased cortisol, sugar cravings that occur with fatigue, and reduced testosterone, sleep, and optimal melatonin are only a small piece of the puzzle, but they shouldn’t be neglected.   

Manage stress  

Meditation and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) are simplifying life and accessible ways to lower cortisol. Since cortisol and stress are big components of weight gain, many find relaxation to be the most enjoyable part of a weight loss strategy, but it is often neglected. Don’t let this gem of a strategy pass you by.   

Focus on healthy whole foods  

Whole foods provide nutrients, protein, and fibre which help with blood sugar and weight management. This is important for the whole family!  

Increase exercise  

Physical activity not only burns calories and builds muscle, but helps sleep, improves insulin sensitivity, and lowers cortisol. Children are not likely to enjoy running laps or lifting weights, therefore activities should be creatively designed. Turning family play days into a time for lifting, running, and jumping can increase overall physical activity. The main takeaway is that men become more sedentary with parenthood (or ageing), and it doesn’t need to be that way.   

Test your hormones  

Sometimes it might be best to measure hormone levels including sex hormones and adrenal hormones. Testing can also give insights into the circadian rhythm and melatonin. A comprehensive hormone test can help you figure out if you need a more clinical approach to your lifestyle changes.   

Men’s health is an often-neglected topic when it comes to fatherhood, ageing, and/or hormones. However, lifestyle changes associated with ageing or fatherhood can lead to loss of muscle mass and abdominal weight gain. These changes are not inevitable but are the result of poor sleep, a decline in testosterone, increased stress, an inflammatory diet, and reduced physical activity. Fast fixes like crash diets and short-lived exercise programs may increase stress and negatively impact hormones even further, failing to address the root cause. In truth, the root causes should be addressed first by assessing and optimising sleep, stress, and testosterone and making steady lifestyle improvements.   

* Note – Melatonin supplements are unavailable in New Zealand, if you’d like to have a conversation about prescribed melatonin, visit your GP