{"id":886018,"date":"2026-10-17T23:32:10","date_gmt":"2026-10-17T23:32:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/886018\/"},"modified":"2026-10-17T23:32:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-17T23:32:10","slug":"leonardo-dicaprios-dad-bod-puts-spotlight-on-dangerous-belly-fat-and-how-to-lose-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/886018\/","title":{"rendered":"Leonardo DiCaprio’s ‘dad bod’ puts spotlight on dangerous belly fat \u2014 and how to lose it"},"content":{"rendered":"

Recent beach photos of actor Leonardo DiCaprio have reignited the \u201cdad bod\u201d debate \u2014 and raised questions about whether carrying a little extra weight around the middle can pose hidden health risks<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The popular term generally describes a softer physique with extra weight around the midsection.<\/p>\n

While appearance alone isn\u2019t an indicator of health, excess abdominal fat \u2014 particularly visceral fat<\/a> surrounding the organs \u2014 has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and other medical conditions, according to Cleveland Clinic.<\/p>\n

Marfred Suazo, a New York City-based personal trainer known as Fonz the Trainer, spoke with Fox News Digital about the potential risks associated with excess abdominal fat and ways to reduce it.<\/p>\n

Suazo, who has not trained DiCaprio, defines a dad bod as a \u201closs of structure,\u201d an increase in waist circumference and a loss of muscle mass.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe you\u2019re losing structure in your day-to-day eating \u2026 moving a lot less, taking fewer steps per day,\u201d he said of potential causes.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd typically you\u2019re eating and drinking<\/a> more than you\u2019re moving. And the body just starts showcasing that stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leonardo DiCaprio enjoys a beach day at the Four Seasons Resort Lanai in Lanai, Hawaii, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. Clint Brewer Photography \/ The Hapa Blonde \/ BACKGRID<\/p>\n

An expanding waistline can be an important indicator of health risk.<\/p>\n

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, men with a waist circumference greater than 40 inches have a higher risk of developing health problems, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Visceral fat \u2014 which lies deep within the abdomen and surrounds internal organs \u2014 has also been linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, Cleveland Clinic states.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to try to mitigate these things as best as possible before they become an issue,\u201d Suazo said.<\/p>\n

Getting rid of a dad bod<\/p>\n

Reversing a \u201cdad bod\u201d starts with getting nutrition in check, according to Suazo.<\/p>\n

That includes understanding daily calorie intake and getting an appropriate balance of protein, carbohydrates and fats.<\/a><\/p>\n

DiCaprio is on the island to attend the wedding celebrations of jewelry designer Jennifer Meyer. Clint Brewer Photography \/ The Hapa Blonde \/ BACKGRID<\/p>\n

He recommends pairing that strategy with full-body strength training two to three times per week, focusing on compound movements such as squats, stiff-leg deadlifts, back rows, push-ups and chest presses.<\/p>\n

Also among his favorite exercises are pull-ups. \u201cIt\u2019s a tremendous exercise that targets the stomach, the biceps and the back,\u201d he said, noting that working larger muscle groups can help build overall strength.<\/p>\n

Suazo also recommends incorporating cardio into a well-rounded routine that includes nutrition, strength training and cardiovascular exercise.<\/a><\/p>\n

Federal physical activity guidelines recommend that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity each week, along with muscle-strengthening exercise on at least two days.<\/p>\n

Personal trainer Marfred Suazo recommends pairing balanced nutrition with full-body strength training two to 3 times weekly. Clint Brewer Photography \/ The Hapa Blonde \/ BACKGRID<\/p>\n

The trainer noted, however, that exercising the abdominal muscles alone won\u2019t eliminate belly fat.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it comes to belly fat and any fat on the body, we can target our exercises through isolated movements \u2026 but we can only reveal it through a loss of body fat throughout the whole body,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Suazo said people who improve their nutrition may begin noticing changes within several weeks, although results can vary based on factors including diet, activity level and starting body composition.<\/p>\n

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\u201cUpon four weeks of dialing in your nutrition, you will see a tremendous change in the body,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Nutritional improvements can also boost energy and confidence, the trainer noted, which may help people become more consistent in the gym.<\/p>\n

Better nutrition can also support sleep and exercise recovery, he said.<\/p>\n

Combining those dietary changes with a smart exercise routine and cardio can create a \u201crecipe for success,\u201d according to Suazo.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Recent beach photos of actor Leonardo DiCaprio have reignited the \u201cdad bod\u201d debate \u2014 and raised questions about…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":886019,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[3457,674,337,97,2942,149],"class_list":["post-886018","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-diets","tag-exercise","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-leonardo-dicaprio","tag-lifestyle"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/886018","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=886018"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/886018\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/886019"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=886018"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=886018"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=886018"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}