# How Do I Get Rid Of These Man-Boobs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 8, 2002, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-these-man-boobs/102408 "2002-04-08T02:22:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-these-man-boobs/102408/1 "2002-04-08T02:22:20Z")
The rest of my body is slim and athletic but for some reason I have flabby boob-like tissue on my chest! I also seem to have larger than average nipples. What the HELL is causing this? How do i get rid of it?? Are there any excercises that would help me reduce the affected areas??? Would changing my diet help in any way??? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-these-man-boobs/102408/2 "2002-04-08T02:27:02Z")
You’ve got access to boobies 24/7? You lucky SOB! stv ---
**Author:** ![happyheathen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5e925/32.png) [@happyheathen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/happyheathen)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-these-man-boobs/102408/3 "2002-04-08T02:27:27Z")
if you are slim and athletic (I HATE you), the answer is: you were born that way see a plastic surgeon, if it is worth the time, trouble, and expense. ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-these-man-boobs/102408/4 "2002-04-08T02:30:02Z")
I’m sure I wasn’t born this way. It started happening when I was a teenager. Before then, flat-chested. ---
**Author:** ![biker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ce7236/32.png) [@biker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/biker)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-these-man-boobs/102408/5 "2002-04-08T02:34:48Z")
there is a medical term for this condition but i can’t remember what it is. i worked with a guy who had the same situation and read up on it, but that was ten years ago. i would check google search engine, type in “male breasts,” or something similar. ---
**Author:** ![OneChance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/74df32/32.png) [@OneChance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneChance)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-these-man-boobs/102408/6 "2002-04-08T02:36:22Z")
It’s called gynecomastia. There’s some info here: [http://www.gynecomastia.org/](http://www.gynecomastia.org/) ---
**Author:** ![Barking\_Spider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Barking\_Spider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barking_Spider)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-these-man-boobs/102408/7 "2002-04-08T02:38:44Z")
I believe the medical term is “gynomastia”. Some bodybuilders on steroids get this condition, when the excess testosterone in their system converts to estogen, and gives them what they call “bitch tits”. ---
**Author:** ![DPWhite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d26b3c/32.png) [@DPWhite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPWhite)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-these-man-boobs/102408/8 "2002-04-08T02:55:25Z")
Maybe you are an athletic, slim woman with normal breasts. Ever think of that? ---
**Author:** ![tsunamisurfer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a698b9/32.png) [@tsunamisurfer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tsunamisurfer)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-these-man-boobs/102408/9 "2002-04-08T03:19:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DPWhite \* > \*\*Maybe you are an athletic, slim woman with normal breasts. Ever think of that? \*\* Ever think that a cruel, smart-ass, response to someone’s obvious pain isn’t appropriate and violates SDMB Rule #1: “don’t be a jerk”? What gives you the right to try for a cheap laugh at someone’s pain? ---
**Author:** ![glilly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/48db29/32.png) [@glilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glilly)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-these-man-boobs/102408/10 "2002-04-08T03:20:19Z")
A couple years ago, I read a statistic that 2 of 5 people getting breast reduction surgery were men. Surprised the hell out of me. Might be the way to go, but it is traumatic surgery–much more difficult than liposuction. ---
**Author:** ![Pythagoras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@Pythagoras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pythagoras)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-these-man-boobs/102408/11 "2002-04-08T03:24:14Z")
Maybe you should work on your pects. Maybe strong pecs will straighten out your man booby-ness and make you look buff. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_Bowe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@Doug\_Bowe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_Bowe)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-these-man-boobs/102408/12 "2002-04-08T05:01:32Z")
Glilly is correct. One of our morning trivia services posed the question “What plastic surgery is performed the most on U.S. men?” The correct answer was breast reduction. Well, hey, you’re in a big crowd. ---
**Author:** ![OneChance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/74df32/32.png) [@OneChance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneChance)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-these-man-boobs/102408/13 "2002-04-08T06:55:35Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by tsunamisurfer_ > **What gives you the right to try for a cheap laugh at someone’s pain?** Aren’t all cheap laughs based on someone else’s pain? ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-these-man-boobs/102408/14 "2002-04-08T07:06:22Z")
> [@](#): > > Ever think that a cruel, smart-ass, response to someone’s obvious pain isn’t appropriate and violates SDMB Rule #1: “don’t be a jerk”? I’ve gotta go with **tsunamisurfer** here. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-these-man-boobs/102408/15 "2002-04-08T12:18:19Z")
> [@](#): > > Ever think that a cruel, smart-ass, response to someone’s obvious pain isn’t appropriate and violates SDMB Rule #1: “don’t be a jerk”? Well there are cases of gender misidenitity. Depending on hormone levels during fetus development you could have the sex organs of one gender (male) but actually have the genes of the other (female - XX). Unlikely but it does happen. I would think that you would be having err, umm other problems if that were the case too. ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-these-man-boobs/102408/16 "2002-04-08T17:13:08Z")
**tsunamisurfer** - “\*Ever think that a cruel, smart-ass, response to someone’s obvious pain isn’t appropriate and violates SDMB Rule #1: “don’t be a jerk”? \*” I’m gonna give **DPWhite** the benefit of the doubt and assume he must have interpretted “man-boobs” to refer to a woman with a man-like chest, rather than a man with a woman-like chest. For the record, I am 100%- err, um 98% MALE. But I definately DO have _gynecomastia_, although it’s not as bad as some of the guys in **OneChance’s** link. ---
**Author:** ![pendgwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3da27b/32.png) [@pendgwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pendgwen)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-these-man-boobs/102408/17 "2002-04-08T18:49:51Z")
Do (or did) you smoke pot? Exposure to marijuana is one possible cause of gynecomastia. ---
**Author:** ![Cull](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bc79bd/32.png) [@Cull](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cull)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-these-man-boobs/102408/18 "2002-04-08T18:58:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pendgwen \* > \*\*Do (or did) you smoke pot? Exposure to marijuana is one possible cause of gynecomastia. \*\* Any sources on this? Sounds like an urban legend… “Hey, my friend’s cousin’s nephew’s roomate’s ex-girlfriend’s brother smoked weed… AND THEN HE GREW BOOBIES!!!” ---
**Author:** ![DPWhite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d26b3c/32.png) [@DPWhite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPWhite)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-these-man-boobs/102408/19 "2002-04-08T19:16:48Z")
My apologies fellow dopers, I thought the original post was yanking our chain. And I have to agree about humor: all of humor is at someone’s expense, usually a misunderstanding. So, don’t laugh or find any humor amusing, because you are being a vampire off of someone’s pain. (Not my original theory, Robert Heinlein’s). Remember, guys, no laughter. And as a 235 pound 6 foot fellow, I’m enough in the club, so there. It’s not like we lose sleep over fatty deposits or male pattern baldness. ---
**Author:** ![pendgwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3da27b/32.png) [@pendgwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pendgwen)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-these-man-boobs/102408/20 "2002-04-08T20:58:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cull \* > \*\* > > Any sources on this? Sounds like an urban legend… > > “Hey, my friend’s cousin’s nephew’s roomate’s ex-girlfriend’s brother smoked weed… AND THEN HE GREW BOOBIES!!!” \*\* Well, I remembered it from hight school health classes so I looked it up and found support in medline’s medical encyclopedia. [Here’s](http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003165.htm) my first ever attempt at a link. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-these-man-boobs/102408.md?page=2)