Demand for cosmetic surgery rises

CARYS MONTEATH/The Press

ON PARADE: Tahu FM DJ Ra Dallas organised a Man Boobs on bikes procession and was unabashed about taking his shirt off for the event, but some men would not be so bold

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More Canterbury men are having breast reductions as cases of "man boobs" rise with the obesity epidemic.

Christchurch plastic surgeon and New Zealand Association of Plastics Surgeons president Dr Howard Klein said the number of men seeing him for breast reductions had shot up over the past few years.

A condition called gynecomastia meant hormonally sensitive chest tissue started producing breasts.

Klein used to see about six men a year with the condition, but now sees up to four times that number. He said the rise could be because of an increase in hormones in foods people ate, such as chicken, or from taking steroids.

"It's mostly younger men," he said.

"Some men are never seen with their shirt off even on a hot day."

Klein said the social and psychological impact of "man boobs" could be huge.

Severe cases could result in surgery through the public system, with about three done in Canterbury annually, compared with about 12 breast reductions a year for women.

A lack of time, money and manpower stopped more public surgeries being done, he said. A breast reduction cost up to $16,000.

Klein said more men were seeking cosmetic surgery in general, with many getting eyelid surgery to prevent them looking sad and tired.

Men made up between 15 and 20 per cent of his patients, he said.

Endocrinologist Robyn Toomath said that during the growth spurt of puberty, boys produced a lot of sex hormones that were converted into oestrogen in tissue. In some boys, the tissue became susceptible to the oestrogen and they started to grow breasts.

Fat tissue also made oestrogen, so the effect was amplified if a person was also fat.

"It happens to people who are skinny, but it's been exacerbated by the growing obesity rates," she said.

The condition could go away within six to 12 months, but if it did not, the only option was surgery.

Toomath said there were natural plant oestrogens in some products, such as soy, but the obesity epidemic was the more likely culprit.

- © Fairfax NZ News