Many men would consider breast reduction

Many men would consider surgery to reduce the size of their breasts according to the latest malehealth snap survey.

There has been a lot of media attention devoted to the 44% increases in male breast reduction surgery operations from 2007 to 2008. The actual total number of ops is still very low — just 323 — but the survey suggests the increase could well continue.

In the survey, one man in three said he had large, noticeable boobs while two men in three had smaller ones they were aware of. Altogether, 74% of respondants were embarrassed by their breast size. More than one man in three — 38% - said he would consider boob reduction surgery while a further 21% said 'maybe'.

One man said: 'when they appeared (due to taking an antidepressent) I was absolutely devastated! It doubled my depression and made me paranoid about my appearance.'

The typical sort of comment was: 'I'm always very aware when I go out and try to cover them up with loose clothing or thicker fabrics that disguise the size of them. I don't take my top off in public and avoid sports etc due to the shame I feel. I know what people can be like, and although I can take people having a laugh at my expense, I just avoid giving people the ammunition.'

A younger respondent said: 'I hate them they have totally ruined my life. I'm one of the only ones at my school.'

Moob surgery was 'worth every penny'

On surgery, opinion was more divided. One man, who said he had smaller moobs said: '. Sorry but I really feel cosmetic surgery is for suckers with too few brain cells and too much money. Reducing weight, exercise and diet control will have a huge effect on moobs (and, of course ,health and physique in general).'

But it appears that there are many men out there who would consider it. The reason they don't? The cost. 'I was unable to convince GP that I thought I had gynaecomastia,' said one man. 'Can't afford to go and get surgery privately.'

An American who had had surgery said: 'I had surgery a few years ago and it was the single best decision of my adult life. I am 44 years old now and I would do it again, no matter what the cost. My surgery cost $4000. It was worth every penny. '

Paula Singleton, a researcher in the health faculty at Leeds Metropolitan University said 'it seems like you can hardly turn on the telly and open a newspaper without man boobs being mentioned.'

She is doing a PhD on the attitudes shown by men planning to have breast reduction surgery and told the BBC: '[Those planning surgery] described feelings of shame, anxiety and embarrassment. They had suffered everything from being shouted at from a bus to teasing from work colleagues… doctors smirking and laughing at them and saying “get down the gym”. Men are starting to feel those appearance pressures more and more'.

Obesity not the only cause

Excess weight is far from the only cause of man boobs. They can be the side-effect of legal drugs (such as those used in prostate cancer) and illegal drugs (steroids). Or the cause can be genetic.

In boys and younger men, enlarged breast tissue can result from a temporary hormonal imbalances triggered at puberty. Some experts have theorised that hormone-imitating substances found in plastics and elsewhere in our increasingly unnatural environment might be causing similar hormonal imbalances in older men leading to moobs.

• More snap survey results