Chubby older dads live longer and are more attractive to the opposite sex than their leaner counterparts, scientists have claimed.
Becoming fatter after fatherhood due to decreasing testosterone levels may not fit the “macho” ideal, but it actually prolongs lives and strengthens immune systems, according to Prof Richard Bribiescas, professor of anthropology and deputy provost at Yale University.
There is also evidence that these men are less likely to suffer from heart attacks and prostate cancer, while a study in 2008 found that men with high metabolisms were around 50% more likely to die in a given year than those whose bodies burned up less energy at rest.
Prof Bribiescas said: “Macho makes you sick. The Hollywood image of the swaggering, dashing man dispatching bad guys and carrying the day conjures up a perception of indestructibility.
“While men are on average larger and physically stronger than women, men have a considerable weakness.
“We have a harder time fighting off infections and illness compared with women, and… men simply do not take care of themselves.
“This has a significant negative impact on the pace at which men age.”