A viral ad for Australian underwear company Bonds is sending up the so-called “dad bod” in a gender-reversal take on post-partum bodies.
The ad, produced in advance of Australian Father’s Day, features a support group of dads talking about how they’ve unintentionally packed on the pounds since becoming a father.
“When we brought Tommy home, I was up every couple of hours feeding: pizza, cured meats, cake,” said one man.
Another bemoans his newly discovered stretch marks and swollen ankles.
READ MORE: Big daddy: Here’s how much weight new dads gain after baby arrives
Recently, high-profile moms have spoken out about the undue pressure some women feel to return to their pre-pregnancy physiques. Some have criticized this Bonds ad as being insensitive to those pressures.
Motto, a curated website from the editors of Time Magazine, wrote: “It’s hard to overlook the strange tone of the video. For one, Bonds makes a farce out of the idea that fathers should also be helping out with their new infant…The ad also seems to satirize what women say about their bodies during the early stages of motherhood.”
READ MORE: How fatherhood changes a man’s brain
Others, including Canadian Member of Parliament Seamus O’Regan, have called the ad funny.
Although the ad was produced in jest, studies have shown that new fathers do gain more weight in 12 months than their childless counterparts.
“Fatherhood can affect the health of young men, above the already known effect of marriage,” lead author and pediatrics professor, Dr. Craig Garfield, said in a university statement.
“You have new responsibilities when you have your kids and may not have time to take care of yourself the way you once did in terms of exercise. Your family becomes the priority,” Garfield said.
– with files from Carmen Chai
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