Experiment on me!

[buyside]

I can see the example with bodybuilders with gynecomastia... They training REALLY HARD and eat REALLY CORRECT, but... they still have gyno 

I saw some of the pictures of the body builders with gynecomastia, and most of them look fine.  I wish my breasts looked like that, because then I wouldn't care!! But my theory is different than those of the bodybuilders: they build the entire pectoral muscle, whereas I am aiming to build specific parts of the pectoral muscle to aid in the appearance of smaller breasts.  Bodybuilders do just the opposite: they build muscle for bulk, so they're not going to focus on making their pectorals appear less bulky.

While I'm waiting to get the exercise bands out of storage (they aren't mine, and I'm broke), let's spark up a small side-discussion:
Why do you think gynecomastia appears for so many people?  Here's my theories:

Chicken Breast Growth Hormones
Steroidal Inhalers (I "had" to take these as a kid, I think my breasts were getting larger during this period [also I got fat, I was a skinny kid before])
American Diet
Inactivity at a young age (during growth cycle)
High stress level at a young age (during growth cycle)
Hunching/slouching?  Maybe?  I did this a lot as a kid (I notice that my breasts look WAY larger when I slouch)

What do you think?

P.S. Pictures coming soon, I promise!

Gynecomastia is a result of the body converting excess testosterone to estrogen. So I doubt it has much to do with posture or slouching.

I too used an inhaler as a kid and I'm beginning to think that this might have had something to do mine. Totally unscientific but my brother never used one and he does not any sort of gynecomastia. I've also seen mild cases in a few other people who are otherwise fit but used inhalers in the past. But once again, this is hardly the stuff to prove the link without a doubt.

I've been bodybuilding for the past few years and eat a lot of chicken on a daily basis. When I first brought up the issue of gyne with my parents one of my dad's responses was "Well stop eating so much chicken. They are HORMONES in it!"  I don't buy his argument. If it were true that eating "excessive" amounts of chicken was a catalyst for gynecomastia one would expect to see the rate of gyne greater than that of the rest population in groups who 1) eat a lot of chicken and 2) would have no other possible causes of gyne present.  Granted I don't have any statistical evidence but my gut reaction is that this isn't the case. Look at young men who start to eat a bodybuilding diet consuming a lot of chicken daily.  How many times have you heard of one of them developing gyne after the fact? I can't think of a single case be it in real life or via the message boards.  In my own cases, my gyne was present before I started to change my diet.  But I do think it would be an interesting statistical experiment to run.

[P_L]

Gynecomastia is a result of the body converting excess testosterone to estrogen. So I doubt it has much to do with posture or slouching.

I too used an inhaler as a kid and I'm beginning to think that this might have had something to do mine. Totally unscientific but my brother never used one and he does not any sort of gynecomastia. I've also seen mild cases in a few other people who are otherwise fit but used inhalers in the past. But once again, this is hardly the stuff to prove the link without a doubt.

I've been bodybuilding for the past few years and eat a lot of chicken on a daily basis. When I first brought up the issue of gyne with my parents one of my dad's responses was "Well stop eating so much chicken. They are HORMONES in it!"  I don't buy his argument. If it were true that eating "excessive" amounts of chicken was a catalyst for gynecomastia one would expect to see the rate of gyne greater than that of the rest population in groups who 1) eat a lot of chicken and 2) would have no other possible causes of gyne present.  Granted I don't have any statistical evidence but my gut reaction is that this isn't the case. Look at young men who start to eat a bodybuilding diet consuming a lot of chicken daily.  How many times have you heard of one of them developing gyne after the fact? I can't think of a single case be it in real life or via the message boards.  In my own cases, my gyne was present before I started to change my diet.  But I do think it would be an interesting statistical experiment to run.

Not all chicken breast has added hormones in it, but I remember it was a concern several years back, that people found out certain restaurants/companies/ranches were adding a hormone to chicken to increase the size of their breasts.  Maybe it has more of an effect on those who are in the process of growing up, I don't really know.. I think it is probably due to a combination of many things, but I don't think it's genetics.  Nobody in my immediate family has ever had a problem with it.  My grandfathers never had it.  my brother doesn't have it (he's only 7 though).  Maybe the steroidal inhalers (mine had steroids in them) are the biggest factor, at least for me? I'm not sure.

Sorry I haven't responded in so long, I just moved to L.A. and finally got my studio up.  I also found some elastic.... things... that my Brimhall Practitioner gave me, basically wide stretchy bands (I haven't talked to him about my breast problem), so I'll be able to take pictures of the exercises that I am going to start doing.  I also got some pilates DVD's and I'll be doing that as well.

Anyone know a reliable way I can post pictures here?  Is html supported?  I forgot.  I actually got an email from some fellow who wanted to see the exercises that I'm doing, so at least somebody's interested in my experiment.  I just hope it works.  But at least I'll get physically fit even if it doesn't.