Author Topic: New York Times Article (Not well done)  (Read 5202 times)

Offline merle

  • Gold Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 447
  • Author, Psychotherapist, Consultant
    • Merle James Yost, LMFT
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/14/fashion/14reduction.html?ex=1182484800&en=4805ecbd54672c59&ei=5070&emc=eta1


NY Times
June 14, 2007
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/14/fashion/14reduction.html?_r=1&8dpc&oref=slogin
A Sense of Anxiety a Shirt Won't Cover

By ALEX KUCZYNSKI
ON a recent afternoon, Dr. Michelle Copeland, a plastic surgeon whose offices face the Metropolitan Museum of Art, clicked her computer's mouse as images of young men's torsos flickered across the screen. Unlike the ancient Greek statues of Herakles or the bronze discus throwers in the newly renovated galleries across the street, the young men in Dr. Copeland's digital images were a bit different: Rather than bearing the broad, flat chests of Greek athletes, their pectoral areas assumed a fuller, more feminine shape.

The patients were found to have enlarged male breasts, a condition known as gynecomastia. While it is not a new disorder, more men are seeking treatment for it, and new statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons show that the majority are adolescent boys.

In 2006, according to the group, nearly 14,000 boys age 13 to 19 underwent surgery to reduce the size of their breasts. That represents 70 percent of all the male patients who had such surgery last year, and an increase of 21 percent over the previous year for that age group.

In a culture that increasingly encourages young boys to be body conscious, demand for chiseled torsos and sculpted pecs is rising, so much so that the number of boys ages 13 to 19 who had breast reduction surgery last year is equal to the total number of all men who had the procedure just two years earlier, in 2004.

The foremost reason is the rise in obesity, according to several plastic surgeons who were interviewed. At the same time, there is a new willingness among pediatricians and plastic surgeons to surgically treat enlarged male breasts.


Often, enlarged breasts are simply part of adolescence, most commonly caused by the hormonal fluctuation of puberty, according to the National Institutes of Health . But in a society that values chiseled abs and Rafael Nadal biceps, adolescent boys are willing to resort to surgery to fix problems their bodies might resolve later on their own.

David Zinczenko, the editor in chief of Men's Health, said that many of his magazine's readers are concerned about having enlarged breasts.

"The sad thing is that it's a fairly common problem among young teenagers, which is usually resolved by the latter stages of the testosterone rush that finishes off adolescence," he wrote in an e-mail message. "But add some fat in there, and a cut-happy approach to body oddities, and you've got teens under the cosmetic knife."

Dr. Roxanne Guy, a plastic surgeon in Melbourne, Fla., and the president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, said that the statistics don't pick up all the nuances of why the numbers have increased, but she was sure on one point. "It is certain that teenage obesity is a huge issue," she said. "And awareness of plastic surgical procedures is much greater than it used to be. I find that men in general, and particularly young men, find it acceptable to have cosmetic surgery."

Adolescent boys also no longer have the patience to outgrow a little breast puffiness. "Boys these days are much more in tune with trying to look good, to try to look like the models on the covers of the fitness magazines," Dr. Guy said. "Be that good or bad, sometimes they can go overboard, and in this sense they are beginning to resemble teenage girls."

The shame can be intense. One of Dr. Copeland's patients, now 17, had breast reduction surgery at 15. His problem was not one of obesity but of glandular overgrowth. He was given anonymity, after saying he was still too embarrassed to speak publicly about the issue.

"I took my shirt off once, and a couple of kids laughed at me, and I never took my shirt off again," he said. His pediatrician was opposed to the surgery, but the young man, a student at a Manhattan private school, had the support of his parents.

"It sounds cliché and kind of lame, but it just comes down to a point of embarrassment," he said. "You don't think you look like you should. If I was fat, I could have lost weight. If was weak, I could have exercised. But this was simply genetic, and there was nothing I could do about it."

Indeed, the condition is a punch line in sitcoms and movies. In a now-famous episode of "Seinfeld," Kramer invented "the Bro," a bra for men with breast development. (Frank Costanza, Kramer's partner, wanted to call the garment "the Mansiere.") In the movie "Knocked Up," the actor Seth Rogen is referred to by the actress Leslie Mann as "the one with the man boobs."

A British Web site, Manboobs.co.uk, welcomes readers with the slogan, "Welcome to Man Boobs. The site that says, 'we're fat and we're proud,' and then quickly puts it T-shirt back on." And several Web sites, such as gc2compression.com and makemeheal.com, sell compression garments that purport to reduce the visibility of enlarged male breasts.

Plastic surgeons in the United States suggested that the rise in popularity of professional golf may have also contributed to public awareness of gynecomastia; several prominent popular players have slightly enlarged chests.

But in most adolescents who are not obese, the condition will resolve itself spontaneously as the boy progresses through adolescence and produces more testosterone, said Dr. Brenda Kohn, an associate professor of pediatrics who specializes in pediatric endocrinology at New York University School of Medicine.

As such, she said, "It is very important that one not operate on a child who is still in puberty." If surgery is done too early, she said, the hormones that caused the initial breast enlargement may still be active and cause ongoing breast development after surgery.

While gynecomastia in young men is most often associated with hormonal fluctuations or obesity, many surgeons are also beginning to link it with increased abuse of steroids . "They have hopped up their testosterone levels, and so when they get off the stuff, there is a change in the hormonal milieu," said Dr. Guy, the Florida plastic surgeon. "It can reset itself, but many times if they have abused steroids, you have to send them to an endocrinologist to address the problem." If that doesn't work, she said, they come back to her for surgery

Surgeons who are referred a young patient by a pediatrician often will first call for a complete endocrinological workup to make sure that the breast enlargement isn't a transient hormonal fluctuation. Other causes include decreased testosterone production, kidney failure, testicular tumors and liver disease. The condition can be addressed with hormone treatments such as testosterone patches or even Tamoxifen, an estrogen-inhibiting drug that is best known for its use in the treatment of breast cancer in women. "You have to rule out any other cause before surgery," Dr. Copeland said. (This reporter was until four years ago a cosmetic surgery patient of Dr. Copeland.)

The reduction procedure depends on the size and composition of the breast. Some surgeons simply use liposuction to remove fatty deposits. If the breasts are enlarged with not only fat but also extra glandular tissue, the surgeon must remove the fat and excise the glandular tissue.

Occasionally, in extreme cases, a surgeon must remove fat, glandular tissue, excess skin and reposition the nipple, in which case the patient will have some scarring. The procedure does not require general anesthesia , but it typically requires several days of bed rest and wearing a compression garment for a month.

The price range is $4,000 to $10,000, depending on the complexity of the procedure. The issue of expense, as well as the acceptability of gynecomastia as a medical disorder, was recently addressed in New York when a Long Island man fought Group Health Inc., seeking coverage for his son's breast reduction surgery. In April, the appellate division of the State Supreme Court ruled that the insurance company must pay the family $5,000 toward the $7,500 surgery. But the majority of patients pay for the procedure themselves.

Nathan Johnson, a 31-year-old actor in Manhattan, had the surgery when he was in his early 20s.

"I was definitely a morbidly obese child," Mr. Nathan said. In his late teens, he lost weight, but was left with a sagging chest. "I had these big pockets, little pointy sagginess that looked like pointy breasts. No matter how much I dieted or worked out, I couldn't get rid of them."

Dr. Guy performed the surgery, but Mr. Johnson remained nervous about removing his shirt until a year later. "People love my body now," he said. "And I take great care of myself now."

DR. FOAD NAHAI, a plastic surgeon in Atlanta and the president of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, said that he was "personally amazed" to see that the number of male breast reduction procedures had for the first time risen above those for male facelift procedures.

"Some of these boys are just heavy everywhere," he said. "They are told if you lose weight the problem will go away. And with some of them, having the procedure is an inducement to lose weight. Perhaps if the chest looks good, they will go ahead and start working out and paying a bit more attention to diet and exercise."

Medical ethicists have even come around to see gynecomastia as a disorder worthy of surgical risk. Dr. Arthur L. Caplan, director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania , and typically a critic of cosmetic surgery, said that gynecomastia that does not resolve itself after adolescence should be addressed.

"Growing out of something is a strategy you might take with shyness or awkwardness, but when it's breasts in a boy, or something like acne, I don't know that I'd want to make the patient wait to grow out of it," he said.

Dr. Robert Kotler, a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, Calif., said that his nephew, who is now in his 20s, had breast reduction surgery when he was a teenager.

"My nephew wouldn't take his shirt off in public," Dr. Kotler said. "He wouldn't go to the beach, which in California is a pretty big deal.

"In the past, doctors said, 'Oh, he'll grow out of it.' He decided not to grow out of it, but to have the procedure." The result was astonishing, Dr. Kotler said.

"Here was the shyest, most introverted kid you could ever meet," he said. "And now, well, he's the polar opposite of the shy kid. Guess what he does now? He's a Hollywood agent."
« Last Edit: June 14, 2007, 12:55:47 PM by Merle »
Demystifying Gynecomastia: Men with Breasts
The first book on Gynecomastia

My newest book: Facing the Truth of Your Life is very relevant to members of this forum. It could save you a lot of unnecessary pain and time.

Book books are available on Amazon. FTTOYL is also available through your local bookstore or on Audible or iTunes.

Offline Mr_Nip

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 890
  • Had expensive surgery... Now I'm flat busted!
The problem with it is in assuming that fat is a common cause of gynecomastia.  That's unfortunately a powerful stereotype that the writer has fallen for, and the article begins with that premise.

The rest of the article seems to be on track, though, with a few little misconceptions along the way.  I don't have a problem with the warnings of having the surgery as a child in puberty.   

Though the first half of the article suggests that surgery is done mostly by teens to mirror the hard bodies seen in the media, the whole last half of the article seems to support gynecomastia surgery for those people who's cases have not resolved after puberty. 


We have an advantage by being a part of this site.  Those who don't have access to the information we have here are greatly influenced by the stereotypes that are mainstream in our culture.  How can we expect a newspaper writer to avoid those stereotypes when his medical sources are saying that fat causes gynecomastia?   No wonder sitcoms, news outlets, and the general public make that assumption.   

We've got a long way to go.
MR. NIP

I come from nowhere
And you should go there.
Just try it for a while.
The people from nowhere always smile.  -  Frank Zappa

Offline hungry.tides

  • Silver Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 155
  • make the most of what you have got
Absolutely correct Mr_Nip

Quote
Those who don't have access to the information we have here are greatly influenced by the stereotypes that are mainstream in our culture.
In this era of info superhighway i guess not finding this site is a little difficult though....
Is there a way we can make this site more popular?

There are lot of instances where i have seen members wishing they had found this site earlier (including me)  ;)

the society should know how lonely it could be being a gyne victim, every thing in ones life is effected, by everything i mean EVERY THING!!

ciao
Surgery Date: 25th June 2007
Age: 24 years
Lipo + Excision (<100% removal around nipple)
Plastic Surgeon: Dr. Ananteshwar, Manipal, Bangalore
pre & post pics link:
http://s191.photobucket.com/albums/z236/hungrytides/
Know more @ :
http://www.plasticsurgery4u.com/procedure_folder/male_breast/index.html

Offline normexcept

  • Bronze Member
  • **
  • Posts: 74
In my opinion......
While there were obvious aforementioned assumptions included in the article, I think it will do more good than harm for this cause.  If nothing else, more people now have a name to associate with the condition.  If they do an internet search on gynecomastia, now that they have that word, they should eventually find this site.  That's how I got here.

Offline Grandpa Bambu

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5444
  • 31 Year Gynecomastia Victim...
What about those people who are not affected by Gynecomastia and don't do the Google thang, they are lead to believe by the article, that Gynecomastia is caused by obesity.

Just like the Nikeplus advert implies, if you're fat, get off you ass and run your m(o)(o)bs off. Nikeplus is telling their gullible viewers that by running and loosing weight, you'll loose the man boobs. Directly linking Gynecomastia to obesity....  WRONG!

Many, many people are ignorant to the fact that both men and women have the same basic chest 'plumbing' at birth and that Gynecomastia is a common occurrence.

The concept of Female=breasts / Male=flat hard chest, is one that will be around for many, many years to come.

As Mr_Nip mentioned....  We've got a long way to go!

GB
Surgery: February 16, 2005. - Toronto, Ontario Canada.
Surgeon: Dr. John Craig Fielding   M.D.   F.R.C.S. (C) (416.766.8890)
Pre-Op/Post-Op Pics

Offline merle

  • Gold Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 447
  • Author, Psychotherapist, Consultant
    • Merle James Yost, LMFT
Here are some of my specific problems in the article.
 
 
I notice that most of the doctors she talked to were women. I think that she is looking at this from a very odd perspective.

 
"The foremost reason is the rise in obesity, according to several plastic surgeons who were interviewed. At the same time, there is a new willingness among pediatricians and plastic surgeons to surgically treat enlarged male breasts."
 
 
The vast majority of cases are idiopathic, they don't know why. This is taking one reason and blasting everyone. It is not true and it is hurtful.
 
 
"Often, enlarged breasts are simply part of adolescence, most commonly caused by the hormonal fluctuation of puberty, according to the National Institutes of Health . But in a society that values chiseled abs and Rafael Nadal biceps, adolescent boys are willing to resort to surgery to fix problems their bodies might resolve later on their own."
 
 
Again she is chalking it all up to vanity. While it is part of the problem and for some all especially puffy nipples, the vast majority of boys risk humiliation, physical and sexual assualt, and a sever impairment to their normal sense of development as a male. It can and does for many derail normal socialization and participation in sports and social activities. This is not just wanting to look like a Calvin Klein model. Does she think women that do not develop breasts are just vain and should get over it?
 
 
"Adolescent boys also no longer have the patience to outgrow a little breast puffiness. "Boys these days are much more in tune with trying to look good, to try to look like the models on the covers of the fitness magazines," Dr. Guy said. "Be that good or bad, sometimes they can go overboard, and in this sense they are beginning to resemble teenage girls.""
 
 
This is part of the nonsense that so many doctors preach to boys with really knowing that if it is there more than 6 months, the odds of it disappearing on its own dramticly decreases with each passing day. For more and more it is not going away. Again she is pounding on boys and how selfish and vain they are. There is no understanding or compassion for the real emotional pain they are in. Does she think that boys are not supposed to have emotional pain? This is a predjudice of many women. To have feelings is not to be a man.
 
 
"Plastic surgeons in the United States suggested that the rise in popularity of professional golf may have also contributed to public awareness of gynecomastia; several prominent popular players have slightly enlarged chests."
 
 
Who is she talking to? This is a rich white male perspective to say the least. Go to a Home Depot and you will see all the gynecomastia you could want to. This comes up in PE or at the pool when you get taunted and humiliated by friends, that is when most boys notice it.

 
"But in most adolescents who are not obese, the condition will resolve itself spontaneously as the boy progresses through adolescence and produces more testosterone, said Dr. Brenda Kohn, an associate professor of pediatrics who specializes in pediatric endocrinology at New York University School of Medicine."
 
Again a woman. The issue as I understand it is that there is too much testosterone, more than the liver can handle. It is about the system getting back in balance that the body can handle, but if it does not happen in time, the breast growth is permanent. Not temporary. Most don't even notice. If it is big enough that they really notice, there may be a bigger problem.
 
 
"Occasionally, in extreme cases, a surgeon must remove fat, glandular tissue, excess skin and reposition the nipple, in which case the patient will have some scarring. The procedure does not require general anesthesia , but it typically requires several days of bed rest and wearing a compression garment for a month."
 
 
Again who is she talking to. It almost always is done under general. While she puts in some correct information, she is all about minimizing the male stuff. She has some real gender issues.
 
She completely ignored the issue of adult onset, again implying it is a fat issue. She does not really understand this topic and should have never written on it. It was an exercise in male bashing.
 
Here was an opportunity to talk about the increased drugs that men are on like SSRI's that can cause gynecomastia and of course the prostate drugs and many others.
 
Frankly she should have read my book, but she really did not do her homework.
 
""Some of these boys are just heavy everywhere," he said. "They are told if you lose weight the problem will go away. And with some of them, having the procedure is an inducement to lose weight. Perhaps if the chest looks good, they will go ahead and start working out and paying a bit more attention to diet and exercise.""
 
You can be heavy everywhere and not have breasts. Again she is trying to say this is the main cause. Also, many lose the weight and the breast tissue is still there. Weight may add to it, but it is not the issue. The breast tissue is.
 
Frankly I am appalled at her stuff being dumped all over the men and boys with gynecomastia. She should stick to women and plastic surgery, she sure does not understand and I think does not like men.
 
« Last Edit: June 15, 2007, 01:17:40 PM by Merle »

Offline Doodley

  • Posting Member
  • *
  • Posts: 10
Those are really good points Merle is making.  This reporter clearly hasn't researched the subject with any sincerity. 

It's quite awful to hear her attack people as vain, when in fact they're suffering profoundly.  I don't know if I'd go so far as to suggest she's got something against men, more likely the stupidity of the article has to do with her own cosmetic surgery experience and issues. 

She may be scoffing at the pain of others to try to justify to herself her own surgery, which I'm sure seemed necessary to her.  It is pretty incredible that she managed to do such a bad job with the story!  And how strange to reference Nadal's biceps, and the golf thing--just weird!

Offline Mr_Nip

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 890
  • Had expensive surgery... Now I'm flat busted!
Here are some of my specific problems in the article.



...Who is she talking to. This is a rich white male perspective to say the least. Go to a home depot and you will see all the gynecomastia you could want to. This comes up in PE or at the pool when you get taunted and humiliated by friends, that is when most boys notice it....



...Frankly I am appalled at her stuff being dumped all over the men and boys with gynecomastia. She should stick to women and plastic surgery, she sure does not understand and I think does not like men.



Well said, Merle.

I was so wrapped up in the "fat" stereotype that I totally missed the "man-hater" stereotype that's even more evident throughout the piece.  Unfortunately, our society has embraced this kind of disrespect and put-down of male feelings as being somehow bad.  I've heard women in conversation use the word "testosterone" to explain anything they see as bad behavior in a man.  They ususally get nods of approval from other women, but even worse, no argument from men who are present.  How the *%##! did we come to this point?

Offline Grandpa Bambu

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5444
  • 31 Year Gynecomastia Victim...
I have sent Dr. Michelle Copeland this email...

"Hey there Michelle...

My name is John Paul Bell @43 years, and had Gynecomastia for 31 years. In 2005, I had the condition rectified. I am presently an avid member of the Website: Gynecomastia.org.

The New York Times article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/14/fashion/14reduction.html?ex=1182484800&en=4805ecbd54672c59&ei=5070&emc=eta1

is a topic of discussion @ Gynecomastia.org.

Please read this...

http://www.gynecomastia.org/smf/index.php/topic,10518.0.html

As a PS and a medical prof, I'm very surprised that you did not set straight, the misconception that Gynecomastia is caused by obesity. Gynecomastia 'is' caused by hormonal imbalances and NOT obesity! You should know that!

The New York Times article states that you can see from your office, Greek statues at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. These statues depict Greek males with 'broad flat chests', which as a female, you enjoy looking at. As much as us 'males' like looking at females with large breasts. I once saw on the Net, a statue of a Greek male with 'signs' of Gynecomastia. You wouldn't see this statue outside the MMOA... why? Because todays society wouldn't accept it... You'd probably be embarrassed explaining to your 5 year-old son/daughter, why that man in the statue has 'B(o)(o)bs'. Correct me if I am wrong here...

To be honest with you and coming from someone who has suffered with Gynecomastia for many years, Gynecomastia comes first then obesity, not vice-versa!

Please feel free to email me if you wish...

Regards...
"

John Paul Bell
(Grandpa Bambu @ Gynecomastia.org)
Brampton, Ontario Canada
« Last Edit: June 15, 2007, 01:16:41 PM by Grandpa Bambu »

Offline notobvious

  • Bronze Member
  • **
  • Posts: 55
As a PS and a medical prof, I'm very surprised that you did not set straight, the misconception that Gynecomastia is caused by obesity. Gynecomastia 'is' caused by hormonal imbalances and NOT obesity! You should know that!
you're a PS? :o

Offline thatkoolkatal

  • Posting Member
  • *
  • Posts: 12
The reason why I found this wonderful site, the reason I've schedule my first consultation with a PS for July 17th, the reason why I'm finally going to confront this condition that has caused me undue embarrasment, shame, and psychological distress. is all because of that NY Times article.  So while there may be some shortcomings, the overall good that article will do for those us who suffer from gyne will far outweigh the harm.

I'm grateful for it. 

Offline Grandpa Bambu

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5444
  • 31 Year Gynecomastia Victim...
As a PS and a medical prof, I'm very surprised that you did not set straight, the misconception that Gynecomastia is caused by obesity. Gynecomastia 'is' caused by hormonal imbalances and NOT obesity! You should know that!
you're a PS? :o

No dude, I am talking about Dr. Copeland being a PS and medical professional. Not me.   :P

GB

Offline Grandpa Bambu

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5444
  • 31 Year Gynecomastia Victim...
The reason why I found this wonderful site, the reason I've schedule my first consultation with a PS for July 17th, the reason why I'm finally going to confront this condition that has caused me undue embarrasment, shame, and psychological distress. is all because of that NY Times article.  So while there may be some shortcomings, the overall good that article will do for those us who suffer from gyne will far outweigh the harm.

I'm grateful for it. 

Awesome dude!   Good luck with your consult...  ;)

GB


 

SMFPacks CMS 1.0.3 © 2024