Dude. Brah. This statement is almost as cringe-worthy as the one you deleted. Let's take your statements: There's a reason why dudes are getting in shape in greater numbers than in the past few decades. These align with the observation made by the article: That men are spending more and more time preening in the gym, and that this is a new thing. But then you go with this howler: Assume that were true, which is hilarious, but assume it were, and it doesn't the answer the argument: why do women "react most strongly" to 8-pack abs NOW? Why are the men of today suddenly the first and only enlightened generation in the history of mankind, which up until now has subjected the fair sex to flab purely out of ignorance and sloth? When you attempt to answer the question, you throw a wobble ("Maybe all the anti-obesity propaganda is starting to work") and then head back to the tried'n'true Brosif parable: "I'm in it for the chicks." Right. All these dudes getting ripped for movies, which are attended 70% by 18-yo males, are doing it to impress the female audience. But leave that aside for a minute and try again: Why NOW?There's a reason why the 'dad-bod' thing died so quickly.
Who reacts most strongly, most positively to defined abdominal muscles? Women.