Those same snarky websites that dish the dirt on the worst dressed celebrities and discuss whose plastic surgery is the most shocking also enjoy talking about man boobs. Whether you’re a sports hero like Charles Barkley, a rock legend like Steven Tyler or a reality TV star like Simon Cowell, if you have man boobs, also known as gynecomastia, the camera will find you and out you.
Beyond the sensational aspect of moobs in the public eye, however, there may be things you can learn from male celebrities who are on the top-heavy side. The bodies of a few stars actually hint at some of the reasons man boobs can crop up. Here are a few examples that come to mind.
Arnold Schwarzenegger: The former governor of California admitted publicly to using steroids during his body building years. Because steroids are known to wreak havoc with the hormone system, they are one of the most clearly identified external contributors to man boobs. Of course it’s impossible to establish cause-and-effect with any certainty; nevertheless, Schwarzenegger is prominently featured on one website’s “10 Celebrities with Man Boobs” slide show.
Jack Nicholson: Wherever there’s gossip about celebrity moobs, there’s Jack Nicholson. This actor sports one of the more famous pair of enlarged male breasts in the country. If you take a look at photos from the Oscar winner’s decades-long career, one of the first things you may notice is that Nicholson is quite a bit heftier than he once was. Men who pack on the pounds over the years tend to carry excess fat in the belly, the love handles and the chest. Fat deposits in the breasts create a “double whammy” in that fat itself produces estrogen, which in turn can lead to the growth of breast tissue.
Regis Philbin: This long time TV personality shows up on a website trumpeting “The Greatest Celebrity Man Boobs.” Now in his early 80’s, Regis does indeed seem to be sporting a bit extra on top. A little investigation shows no evidence of man boobs in photos of Regis in his younger years, so it could be that this celebrity is one of the many men whose breasts become enlarged due to hormonal changes later in life.
There are dozens of other public figures with moobs, with backgrounds as varied as David Caruso, the star of CSI Miami, and Tony Blair, the former prime minister of England. The physiques of these two men, like those of countless others, don’t necessarily suggest a possible reason behind their enlarged breasts. And that’s another point: the cause of most cases of gynecomastia is not easy to identify. Actually, the scientific community still knows relatively little about why some men grow breasts.
There’s no uncertainty about how to treat man boobs, however. Gynecomastia surgery is the one and only cure. Although you can easily find miracle “remedies” when you’re out browsing the Web, be assured that pills, creams and supplements do not work. If you’re a man with moobs, and the thought of being outed on the Internet strikes terror (or just having someone you know find out bothers you) consult a board certified plastic surgeon.