The medical term is gynaecomastia, the common term is “moobs” – either way, as a male, enlarged breasts are one thing you really don’t want.
One man is so sick of his moobs, he is going under the knife.
Steven Horne is one of a growing number of men with moobs.
“I’m just so conscious,” he says. “When I look at myself from the side I just think it looks disgusting.”
Steve’s moobs came along 15 years ago, following a significant weight gain. He has since shed the weight, but the moobs won’t budge.
He says he is so unhappy with his body that he wears tops that are one or two sizes too small, and only swims when the beach is empty.
Dr Mark Gray performs 15 to 20 operations on men to remove excess fat in the male breast area every year.
“Usually we see it in people just like Steve who are middle-aged men,” he says.
“They put on a bit of weight and end up being estrogenized a bit, so their testosterone levels start falling a bit.”
But it’s not just people like Steve who are prone to gynaecomastia – plastic surgeon Tristran de Chalain treats teenage boys and men in their 20s.
But treating the condition is expensive – costing up to $15,000.
Dr De Chalain says insurance companies and public hospitals do little to help.
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