UK: Children are so obese that surgeons give breast-removal operations.

[john7heaven]

Children are so obese that surgeons are having to give breast-removal operations to schoolboys

Children are so obese that surgeons are having to carry out breast-removal operations on schoolboys.

Doctors today revealed they were seeing dozens of youngsters every year who had developed female tissue because they were so overweight.

Christian Duncan, a plastic surgeon specialising in obesity-related surgery, at Liverpool's Alder Hey Hospital, said that in the last 12 months he had performed at least 20 breast reduction operations on young boys who have developed the condition known as gynecomastia.



He is also treating others, who do not yet qualify for surgery, by encouraging them to make lifestyle adjustments - like starting a healthy diet or beginning an exercise programme.

Mr Duncan, 40, said the rarely talked about condition was becoming more common in teenage boys.

And he warned the lives and self-esteem of sufferers could be "terribly damaged" by the condition.

Mr Duncan explained that while some boys have fat on their chests that makes it look like they have breasts, this is not gynecomastia and can be helped by losing weight.

Gynecomastia is caused by a hormone imbalance which can be triggered by obesity. It causes firm, tender female breast tissue to grow under the nipples.



Mr Duncan said: "This is different to someone just being overweight.

"These are firm female breasts, something any woman would be proud of.

"There isn't one month that has passed in the last 12 months where I have not seen a new patient with this condition.

"It used to be much less common and I am afraid is a sign of the growing problem of childhood obesity.

"We try to teach these boys about making lifestyle adjustments, like getting them to go to the gym, but they just won't go.

"They become very self conscious and it can start to affect their ability to socialise and concentrate at school. Often they are bullied.

"To rectify the problem for them we basically use liposuction to remove the glandular and breast tissue and fat from around the chest to give a flatter appearance."



Mr Duncan said the poor diet and increasing obesity of the boys was causing their hormones to go wrong.

He said: "Both men and women have breast tissue but there is something about obesity that triggers hormone imbalances and causes an unnatural growth in these boys.

"If nothing is done to stop the growing tide of childhood obesity in the city I expect to see more cases year on year."

The medical term gynecomastia comes from the Greek for "women-like breasts."

This embarrassing condition can affect up to 40 per cent of men to varying degrees.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=567254&in_page_id=1770

[jackanonymous]

 

[Grandpa Bambu]

"Obesity experts say a couch potato lifestyle, in which TV dinners have replaced family meals and computer games are preferred to outdoor play, are behind the figures."

A sad reality... 

GB

[Paa_Paw]

While it is true that one of the predisposing factors for Gynecomastia is severe obesity, I find it offensive that the connection is made in such a way as to equate Gynecomastia with severe Obesity.

[elcrep]

Children are so obese that surgeons are having to give breast-removal operations to schoolboys

Doctors today revealed they were seeing dozens of youngsters every year who had developed female tissue because they were so overweight.

You don't develop female tissue because you're overweight, you just have fat on your pecs that looks like breasts.

[The_G0rn]

Children are so obese that surgeons are having to give breast-removal operations to schoolboys

Doctors today revealed they were seeing dozens of youngsters every year who had developed female tissue because they were so overweight.

You don't develop female tissue because you're overweight, you just have fat on your pecs that looks like breasts.

BUT, if you are severely obese you almost certainly have gyno.  When was the last time you saw a big fat guy with a flat chest?.
Anyway, yeah this is sickening news.  But the surgeons must be loving it $$$

[elcrep]

Well, personally I choose to defferentiate between pseudogynecomastia and gynecomastia.
For the simple reason that most people who are overweight made some kind of choicethat led to their obesity. Those of us with gynecomastia that's purely or mostly gland should be distanced from people who just have fat that looks like titz.

Lets not forget that we actually have a SEPERATE TISSUE that causes a breast-like protrusion, not just a layer of fat.

[The_G0rn]

Well, personally I choose to defferentiate between pseudogynecomastia and gynecomastia.
For the simple reason that most people who are overweight made some kind of choicethat led to their obesity. Those of us with gynecomastia that's purely or mostly gland should be distanced from people who just have fat that looks like titz.

Lets not forget that we actually have a SEPERATE TISSUE that causes a breast-like protrusion, not just a layer of fat.

I whole-heartedly agree.

[elcrep]

were not UNHEALTHY -- we suffer from a MEDICAL CONDITION

[jameswr]

Well this article extracts the urine right?

The Daily Mail obviously need to do some real research! Also I know for a fact that in the UK the NHS only provides the operation if Your BMI is below 25 and you're out of puberty!