Got moobs?

A recent study for Men's Health Week found that 10 per cent of men want to get in shape before their summer holiday. And for many, that means toning up those man boobs.

Just like women, men have certain areas where the body fat is harder to shift with dieting and exercise

Of the 3,300 surveyed, one in ten also admitted that beer was their biggest downfall when it came to losing weight and more than a third said they found it hard to resist sweets and foods with a high-calorie count.

When it comes to additional curves, we tend to think of women. Muffin tops, bingo wings, rounded tummies and heaving hips make for a thriving diet and fitness industry. But although men may not store as much fat in such places, man boobs or moobs are not as easy to shift when they do appear and can leave a man feeling extremely self conscious.

Confidential spoke to sports, social anxiety and body image therapist Emma James to get to the bottom of the moobs...

What are moobs?
“They’re fatty deposits on the mammary area of men, more commonly known as male breast tissue. Moobs have been around from some time, but in recent years have acquired more attention as the focus of perfection has highlighted an area which until now has remained an accepted part of carrying additional weight for men.”

How and why do men get moobs?
“An increase in female hormone levels which can come from weight increase, lack of physical activity, age and decreased testosterone. Due to our lowered level of manual work and general activity and a more sedentary lifestyle, the amount of exercise we do has decreased and our body fat percentages have increased. Just like women, men have certain areas where the body fat is harder to shift with dieting and exercise. For women it is the thighs, lower back, lower abdominals and buttocks. For men, it is the stomach, lower back and moobs/chest area.”

What's the best way of exchanging moobs for pecs?
“A combination of diet and exercise will promote testosterone, increase muscle tissue and shape the moob area. If you don’t diet when exercising, you will build muscle under the fat and possibly make them worse. First decide on an eating plan which will speed up metabolism and also help you lose body fat such as the Rebel Diet plan. Modify your eating, cut out the processed foods, lower the bread intake and anything which is high in salts. Get yourself to the gym, there are a number of exercises which will help to shape your pectoral (chest) muscles and you need to keep the rep range to a fat burning level of 12 to 20 reps and really work it. Remember to work the upper, mid and lower areas of the chest, so if using dumbbells on a bench - do dumbbell press flat, then incline and then decline.”

Emma James' services are based in central Manchester. For more information on training go to www.emmajames.net and for diet www.rebeldiet.com.

Emma James
23 New Mount Street
Manchester
M4 4DE