What causes the gland to enlarge with weight gain?

[letsfixthis]

Hello.

I understand the fat tissue expanding during weight gain but I don't understand why a gland will grow in a man just because of weight gain?

Thanks.

[M233V]

It has to do something with an increase of female hormones because of to much bodyfat. There are some people that can get as fat as they want but not develop Gyno, so it might be about genetics as well.

[letsfixthis]

It has to do something with an increase of female hormones because of to much bodyfat. There are some people that can get as fat as they want but not develop Gyno, so it might be about genetics as well.

Is there anyway to neutralize this hormone?

[Paa_Paw]

I don't think so.

Excess fat does a number regardless of a person's sex. With obesity a person tends to lose the secondary characteristic that distinguise their sex. In the case of men, Testosterone is actually converted to Estrogen by the fat cells so the breast gland growth is favored. The process is called Aromatase. That is in addition to the fact that the breast area is a normal place for fatty deposits even in men.

There are some drugs that inhibit Aromatase, but I do not know how effective they are. I think if they actually worked all that well the news would be all over these pages.

[letsfixthis]

I don't think so.

Excess fat does a number regardless of a person's sex. With obesity a person tends to lose the secondary characteristic that distinguise their sex. In the case of men, Testosterone is actually converted to Estrogen by the fat cells so the breast gland growth is favored. The process is called Aromatase. That is in addition to the fact that the breast area is a normal place for fatty deposits even in men.

There are some drugs that inhibit Aromatase, but I do not know how effective they are. I think if they actually worked all that well the news would be all over these pages.

When you say inhibit Aromatase, do you mean simple to stop it from progressing any further along or do you mean to reverse its effects? I was under the impression that once that gland was enlarged, surgery was the only option.

Both because there was no way to make that gland shrink back down and also because even if you worked out, the pocket of fat around the breast would be the last to go. Basically because you can't burn up the fat in an area by working out in that area and the body takes the fat from wherever it wants and not were you want it to.

I guess one of the flaws in humans is that both man and women while developing are given some of the same parts in the chest area and then chemicals contribute to the various changes. I would prefer male features were hardwired into us so that no natural chemical imbalance should be able to change who we are.  

I mean, I might have that wrong but don't both men and women are a certain part while developing as a fetus look identical? I am talking early early development stages.

Maybe in the future with genetic engineering, they can lock in the gland from ever growing in the first place or maybe edit it out of our DNA completely.

I would like to see gynecomastia eradicated from our gender the way of the tuberculosis.

Who knows what advances will come 100 years from now.

  

[Paa_Paw]

Inhibit does not mean stop or reverse, it means slow down.

You might be surprised to learn that your body actually needs Estrogen. And believe it or not a woman also needs Testosterone. It is the balance of the two that is important. This is only part of the picture as there are several other hormones involved too. It is possible for a person to mess up their hormone balance in a very bad way if they attempt to balance this on their own. Most Doctors will not handle these things either, but refer to an Endocrinologist.

Regulating your reproductive physiology is not a do-it-yourself job.

[moobius]

there are primarily 3 things that play into the growth of the glandular tissue: estrogen, prolactin and IGF1. genetics will play a large role into how susceptible one is to the effects, but it generally takes elevated levels of two of the previously mentioned to effect growth. high E & P can lead to tissue development just as elevated E & I.  taking an anti estrogen will not inhibit growth to any significant degree if IGF and prolactin remain elevated; however, if the stimulus is E&I or E&P then an anti-estrogen or anti-aromatase WOULD have a significant impact.  again these are relative and genetics will play a huge part in determining at what point the body gets the signal to grow the mammary glands.

fat does act in a glandular capacity, so obese people and their greater levels of adipose tissues will generally have a higher level of female hormones resulting in an increased disposition to develop gyne (relative to the slimmer version of themselves).  ever notice how really obese men and women kinda look the same? their hormonal system has been hijacked by their adipose tissue and is being driven primarily by the 'fat gland' resulting in similar characteristics and body shapes.

Paa_Paw is correct though that males DO need estrogen. if estrogen is crashed, libido  is negatively impacted, joints get achy, cholesterol levels are thrown for a loop, etc. the body's hormonal system is a delicately balanced system. you can't turn one knob without it impacting a number of other systems (some positively, some negatively). 

despite the formal training, most endo's are poorly educated on these topics. both in terms of properly diagnosing it as well as adequately treating it. IMO the primary reason for this is how they are trained and the elitist sense they have about them once they've 'earned their degrees'. (if you disagree, just question one on the approach they are taking.) find an endo that values continuing education, self learning, and has a genuine curiosity about the intricacies of the human body's hormonal systems and you will have a tremendous partner in addressing your hormonal abnormalities.

[Paa_Paw]

I will agree that not all Endocrinologists are well versed in everything. I know one who is so narrowly specialized that he goes looking for patients with problems managing their calcium. He is the ultimate expert for a person with bone loss. Likewise, there are some who have a specific interest in liver function, etc. For our purposes we would want to find one who has a special interest in development or reproductive issues.