We’ve all heard of the dad bod, a bit of flab and a beer belly with muscles.. you know, somewhere down there. The term first appeared around 2015 or so and quickly went viral.
The trend was considered body positive, a net win for men, but now we have to wonder… where’s the love for mom bods?
Rachel Whipple, a 32-year-old from Eugene Oregon called out the love of dad bods and lack of love for mom bods on TikTok.
“Do you ever think about how society is so accepting of dad bods,” she points out, “and yet, it’s women who literally carry and birth the child. And the second they do, they’re bombarded by society about how to lose the baby weight. Because their ‘mom’ bod that literally birthed a human is not accepted, but a dad bod is.”
Rachel’s video quickly went viral with over a million views and women poured into the comments to agree with her, chiming in “EXACTLY” and “you’re so right”.
Rachel spoke with BuzzFeed and told her that since the dad bod trend started, it has always “rubbed me the wrong way. I love that it allows for body acceptance and confidence, but why only for men? I couldn’t understand how ‘dad bods’ achieved this cultural acceptance while society was still preying on women’s insecurities with such intensity.”
Rachel told BuzzFeed that it was important for her to share her thoughts on TikTok.
“I was teased about my body growing up, and still deal with body dysmorphia. I’ve gone back and forth about having children for many reasons, but a huge one is the societal pressure placed on women to ‘lose the baby weight’ knowing I already struggle with my body image. It’s always felt so unjust to me that a woman will carry and grow a human for nine months, have their organs rearranged, go through the physical and mental trauma of childbirth, and then be expected to look the same way they did before it all happened.”
And in response, moms on TikTok started to show off their mom bods. Check it out!
Rachel says, “Women aren’t given grace about their bodies the way men are.”
“When I saw women using my sound to show off and embrace their ‘mom bods,’ I started crying. It’s a bittersweet mixture of emotions: happiness to see women embracing their bodies, grief for the way things are, relief that so many people agree, anger for the misogyny that came through in the comments, and hope that things will get better.”
“I’m just grateful the video started so many conversations. It brings me peace knowing that people shared it with their friends, family, and partners. Talking about these issues with the people you care about, however uncomfortable it might be, is how things start to change.”
“I’m an advocate for body neutrality and/or positivity for all. I don’t want this to be about men versus women, or ‘let’s tear men down more so it’s equal.’ I want better for all of us. I’d encourage everyone who cares about this issue to get acquainted with intersectional feminism and listen to the voices of those who are the most marginalized and oppressed by our patriarchal society,” Rachel concluded in her chat with BuzzFeed.