You can thank the likes of Chris Pratt for the "appeal" of your lack lustre gym efforts. Photo / Getty Images

No cheese grater abs? No worries. Middle-aged men rocking a bit of a gut are actually being perceived as the more attractive body type, according to a new survey by a US fitness giant.

"Dad bod" has been a term since 2016, according to Planet Fitness, one of the biggest fitness club franchises in America. The term is used to describe a man with a bit of a belly who probably loves beer and isn't too fussed about working out. Or, according to Urban Dictionary, the dad bod is "a male body type that is best described as 'softly round'. It's built upon the theory that once a man has found a mate and fathered a child, he doesn't need to worry about maintaining a sculpted physique."

And it appears the body type is gaining popularity, due in part to the physiques of Hollywood stars such as Chris Pratt, reports The Sun.

According to Planet Fitness' survey of more than 2000 people, 70 per cent found extra kilograms for cuddling are attractive on a man.

Planet Fitness marketing vice president Jessica Correa told The Sun: "Our survey results show the majority of people think positively about dad bods, and men who identify as having them are proud of who they are."

The survey also found:

• Seventy-eight per cent of women think men with dad bods seem confident about how they look.

• Close to one in two women (47 per cent) think dad bods are the "new six-pack," and nearly three in five (58 per cent) mothers felt this way.

• Eighty-three per cent of mothers said they would be proud to have a husband rocking a dad bod.

While Pratt may be considered the poster boy for dad bods, in March, he shared how he'd lost some weight for a role. But despite his new look, it's fair to say the Hollywood star has always seemed confident in his appearance.

READ MORE: • Chris Pratt's punishing body transformation

Beyond Hollywood, the title can be applied to famous sporting superstars.

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When Belgian football icon Eden Hazard signed with Real Madrid from Chelsea, images were shared of the winger embracing his dad bod.

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