It’s a common sexual health problem, but for men, growing breasts can have a hugely negative effect on their emotional wellness and wellbeing. Men develop breast-like protrusions for a number of reasons, including a simple case of storing excess fat in the chest area. Body fat can be stored underneath the wall of your chest, which pushes the pectoral area out the way.
Some medications, such as the treatment for cancer (chemotherapy), antidepressants, antibiotics and heart drugs can also make your breasts become larger. Using street drugs such as heroin, marijuana and steroids, plus alcohol, can also cause you to develop breasts.
There are ways that you can help to get rid of these so called ‘man boobs’, though, and keep them off for good. One of the best ways is to do exercise on a regular basis. If your man breasts are due to carrying excess weight, doing regular exercise will also help you to lower your body fat, which should help reduce the size of your chest. Healthy weight loss is around one or two pounds per week. Strength training on top of this can help to build up the muscles in your chest which can give your pectoral area a more firm and muscular look.
Alongside exercise, you should also aim to follow a low-calorie diet in order to lose weight. Talk to your doctor or healthcare provider about your calorie intake. Your daily calorie limit depends on your current age and weight, so your doctor should be able to tell you roughly what you should be eating every day.
You should also ask your doctor to help you find out whether your medication could be causing the growth of breast. Your doctor (or a local pharmacist) will be able to tell you if growing breasts could be a symptom of any of the medications that you take on a regular basis.