Fat Acceptance Plus

What is Gynecomastia?

Gynecomastia is breast growth in men. This condition can be caused by many factors such as Obesity, Hormonal Imbalances, Medicinal Drugs, Illegal Drugs and Alcoholism. In many cases Gynecomastia does not have a known cause and this is called a Idiopathic condition.

I have found out that I have a enlarged thyroid condition and this also can cause Gynecomastia. Thyroid conditions can affect hormone levels and cause problems with the Pituitary gland. Thyroid/Pituitary problems as well as most of the endocrine system are medical areas that Doctor's do not fully understand.

Living with Gynecomastia

My breasts started developing in late Elementary and early Middle School and the condition never regressed. When I was growing up I never heard anyone talk about the condition, even though once in a while I would get teased.

I think that it is the secrecy of Gynecomastia that is part of the problem. The experience is painful for a boy and I would employ all parents to talk to their sons, if they have the condition.

I realize that my weight is a contributing factor condition, but genetics is the primary cause of this condition, there are many Fat Men out there who have far larger bodies than me, who's breast growth is way smaller . Most Fat Men have some breast fat, but unless they have real breast tissue growth they will not have to deal with the large female like breasts that some Fat Men have.

The body's genetics can use some mens fat to store estrogen and feed breast growth. Men like women have breast only mens are normally less developed. Chemicals in the environment (pesticides and Plastics) also contribute to the problem causing a estimate of 60% of men to have this problem to some degree during their lifetime.

There is little self-help support for men with Gynecomastia like what I reported about Fat Acceptance. Outside of discussion boards about surgery the Gynecomastia support system always seems to devolve into Fetishism/Transgenderism combination.

I do not want it to seem like I am coming down on the Transgender community. The there are fetishes present in most all gender/sexuality areas that men are involved with.

Many men seem to be able to do nothing but discuss surgery options. What is strange is that most of the men that talk about having surgery never get around to having it, but they will not talk about living with the condition.

Maybe most men with the condition are too ashamed to say anything more than that they plan to get breast reduction to correct things. I think that most men try to act if the condition does not exist, even if it bothers them emotionally.

I am a Fat Man, but so are many Men in my family and many of them have Gynecomastia to a lesser degree. Over the years I have dieted as far down as 200 lbs and I still had B-C Cup Breasts. When I was younger Gynecomastia caused me to be unsure about my gender and for a brief time I explored crossdressing.

I think that it was when I talked to other Fat Men with similar excessive breast growth that I knew that I was not alone.

I think that the issue of Fat and Gynecomastia (not just breast fat) is something that no Fat Woman can truly understand, even Fat Women who are relatively flat chested do not have the stigma of a man with very large breasts. Reading the experiences of women with POCS and excessive hair has always given me a feeling of kinship with them. Their obsession with their excess hair is similar to the mania that men experience over large breasts.

Photo Page

When I first decided to make a website about my Gynecomastia, I was undecided about if I should include photos. I think that the deciding factor was that I have been hiding my body my whole life with baggy shirts and by never going bare chested in public. Please ask for permission (password) to view my Photo Page.

Links

Links for support Clothing:

http://enell.com/

http://www.title9sports.com/

Some men with more severe cases of this condition have turned to using sport bras when being active. There is something called a Gynecomastia Vest but that is a compression garmet from shoulders to waisted designed for patients after Gynecomastia Surgery. Enell even makes a model dedicated for Men with Gynecomastia.

Medical Links:

http://www.plasticsurgery4u.com This is a great site for anyone planning to have surgery.

News Articles:

Off Their Chests

http://www.newsweek.com/id/69002

Support Links:

http://www.gynecomastia.org/ I really enjoy the support that I get from the people on this Site's Discussion Board and its Topica Discussion Boards . It is nice to know that many other men share what I feel about having Gynecomastia.

http://www.007b.com/bra-men.php This is a great site which is primarily about Women's Breasts and Breastfeeding, but also deals with the perception of Female Breasts in Society. They also dedicate some space to Gynecomastia..

http://www.lilithgallery.com/feminist/afraid_ofmy_breasts.html / This site is also involved with changing North American Society's perception on Women's Breasts. Unfortunately the theme of the site is some sort of goth-like attitude where it is cool to be cruel. They have a lot of empathy for female breast image, but show little empathy to men with Gynecomastia.