Is becoming a dad good for your health?

The costs of fatherhood are well known: financial responsibilities and related stress, diminished sleep, and less free time. But there are also plenty of mental and physical upsides that come from taking on such a pivotal caregiving role. 

These include greater stores of empathy, improved longevity, and more happiness and meaning in life. “Men also report improvements in diet and exercise and less substance use after becoming fathers,” says Sarah Schoppe-Sullivan, a psychology professor at Ohio State University and a fellow of the National Council on Family Relations. “And dads who are more involved with their children are more satisfied with their lives and are more connected with friends, family, and community.”

A present father can also provide unmatched benefits for the kids they are raising. “Children who grow up with invested fathers have better social, emotional, and academic outcomes than children without such fathers,” says Lee Gettler, a biological anthropologist and director of the Hormones, Health, and Human Behavior lab at the University of Notre Dame.

Though related upsides also apply to mothers and all committed guardians and caregivers, here’s how fatherhood can transform life, largely for the better.