London — For the second straight year, breast reduction for men is the fastest-growing cosmetic procedure in the United Kingdom, the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons reports.
According to the association, the number of such operations rose 80 percent, from 323 in 2008 to 581 last year.
BBC News reports that consultant plastic surgeon Rajiv Grover, M.D., said that while gynecomastia — or so-called “man boobs” — is not a new problem, media coverage has significantly increased awareness.
BBC News quotes Dr. Grover as saying, “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 realizing that they can get something done about (gynecomastia).”