READY TO PAUNCH!
Single guys with ‘dad bods’ say it’s their time to shine
Is flab the new fab? Women have a soft spot for single guys — a very soft spot, according to a new study — and dudes who’ve packed on the pandemic pounds couldn’t be more delighted.
Three-quarters of singles surveyed on Dating.com say they’re turned on by the not-so-chiseled chassis of a “dad bod” — more than any other body type.
“If a dad bod and gray hair are hot, I’m the pandemic’s Brad Pitt,” Upper West Sider Tom Kelly, 44, told The Post. “Women may find dad bods attractive; my cardiologist does not.”
Still, he’s not used to being lauded for his love handles.
“I had a girl grab my belly and say, ‘This is cute,’ ” recalled Kelly, who hosts his own eponymous podcast. “I said, ‘I look six months pregnant. What is wrong with you?’ ”
For hot milkman Frank Acosta, the co-founder of the delivery service Manhattan Milk, rocking a bod that looked like it was cut from marble used to be a point of pride. But there were downsides to his dashing appearance: “It can lead to a judgment about you, like, ‘This guy isn’t serious — he’s a narcissist and all he cares about are his looks.’ I’ve definitely had that judgment.”
That hasn’t been an issue since he gained 10 pounds and has been skipping his intense daily gym workouts during the pandemic. Now Acosta, 41, sees his less-defined muscles as an asset
with women.
“I feel like I’m being taken more seriously — that I don’t look like I just work out all day and that it consumes my life,” he said, noting that he’s gotten more compliments on his appearance since his weight gain.
“I’m not so worried about the aesthetics now — I accepted that my body has changed and I’ve learned to be comfortable with it,” he said. “I’ve come to understand that women like wrinkles and gray hair and you don’t have to look like all you do is train.”
Chef Dom Tesoriero, who runs NYC’s Mac & Cheese Truck, copped to gaining 8 pounds by overindulging in his “vices” — mac ‘n’ cheese and ice cream — but isn’t beating himself up.
“I’m not a dad, I’m just working on the bod,” said the 36-year-old Staten Islander, adding that the suddenly sought-after body type is a welcome change. “It’s realistic. We all live in this world now where what we see on social media is what we think we need to be. The reality is that we’re great exactly as we are.
“I’m not 6 ½ feet tall either,” added the chef, who stands 5-foot-8. “Do I give a s - - t if anyone thinks I’m a little softer than I’m supposed to be? Absolutely not. The next time I’m out with a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model, maybe I’ll be a little bit self-conscious.” But he predicts the extra padding won’t be an asset for very long.
“Now that we’re almost postpandemic, I think this trend will swing back in the other direction,” he said. “Ladies won’t be quite as understanding.”
NO PUDGEMENT:
Milk delivery man Frank Acosta (near right), and Staten Island chef Dom Tesoriero (far right) have put on a few pandemic pounds but are still comfortable in their skin.