UK moob jobs rocket 80 per cent as men feel the pressure of perfect body image

By Simret Samra

2009 saw an 80 per cent jump in the number of men having a breast reduction operation, say the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (Baaps).

In total, the number of surgical procedures last year exceeded 36,400 - a slow but steady rise of 6.7 per cent.

Consultant plastic surgeon Rajiv Grover said that while the problem of so-called “man boobs” – or “gynaecomastia” in official language - was not a new one; it had been thrust into prominence by media coverage.

He said: “Many men are feeling the pressure from men’s magazines that weren’t even being published five or six years ago.

“In addition, they are just realising that they can get something done about it.”

However, he said that in many cases, surgery could be avoided by simple changes to lifestyle.

“Quite a few cases are caused by obesity, and we often say to men to look at their lifestyles before thinking about the scalpel,” he added.

Cosmetic surgery appears to be defying the recession, with an overall increase in the number of procedures.

Baaps president Nigel Mercer said: “The public’s interest in aesthetic surgery appears to remain strong and indeed growing quite considerably among UK males despite the economic downturn.”