The American Journal of Men’s Health recently released a new study that discovered fathers gain more weight over time than men who did not have children.

The study analyzed the BMI of over 10,000 mean from adolescence into their mid-30’s. The data collected compared fathers and nonfathers, reaching a conclusion that dads showed an increase in BMI between adolescence and fatherhood, according to CNN.

They found that men who were living with their child on average gained about 4.4 pounds after they became a parent for the first time. The study also showed that men who became fathers and did not live with their child still gained weight, but at a lower rate of an average of 3.3 pounds.

Adverse to both resident and non-resident fathers, men were did not become fathers actually lost an average of 1.4 pounds over that same period.

The lead author of the study, Dr. Craig F. Garfield, was noted as surprised with the results of the study. Dr. Garfield had conducted earlier studies that showed fatherhood was found to motivate men to improve their health.

“Regardless of what kind of father you were,” Garfield said, “Your weight actually increased. So all fathers ended up increasing their weight as they go through fatherhood.”

This most recent study took into account all factors such as income, education, race as well as screen time and marriage status, which is also proven to affect weight. The study also found that fatherhood status contributed to additional weight gain.

Even though the study could only speculate as to why fatherhood actually leads to this weight gain, fathers were not surprised. With the immediate and overwhelming change in priorities that fatherhood brings on, men agreed that their priorities, including self-health, was often compromised.

With this new information has come the acceptance of a new normal for fathers. Adrian Kulp, author of the “Dad or Alive” blog spoke up regarding this information.

“When you have your first child,” Kulp said, “they are your priority. You put everything else on hold, which sometimes means working out and staying active.”

Kulp added that the unavoidable weight gain is more about a lifestyle change than the actual increased consumption of snacks.

According to Kermyt G. Anderson, the co-author of the 2012 book “Fatherhod:Evolution and Human Paternal Behavior,” commented that there is very little information available on how becoming a father can influence a man’s health.

Anderson added that even though the new study is not precise in how this weight gain is happening, the general ideas formed from the data are extremely interesting in that they truly do isolate fatherhood as a direct contributor to weight gain.

“It certainly echoes my own experience,” Anderson added. He agreed that with becoming a father there is less time to focus on one’s personal health. He admits that he himself struggled with losing the 30 pounds that he gained since he entered fatherhood.

Ultimately, the data from this research clearly calls for a greater attention to young men’s health in relation to fatherhood.