Men often talk of their love for women's boobs, but it seems that most men are not too keen on their own. In fact, according to figures released by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), more men than ever are turning to cosmetic surgery in a bid to banish their man boobs, also known as 'moobs'.

Moobs are caused by a condition called gynaecomastia, which develops for a number of reasons. Nigel Mercer, BAAPS president and a consultant plastic surgeon, explains: "We have been seeing more men with gynaecomastia in recent years. There are a variety of reasons for male breasts getting bigger, these include a rise in obesity, a rise in drinking and potentially, more female hormones in the environment." Indeed, 'gender pollution' has often been cited as a result for this condition, which is caused by too many female hormones working their way into the water system, mainly due to the contraceptive pill.

Moobs can be distressing and hard to shift through diet and exercise, so male breast reduction surgery can often be the only solution. Celebrity sufferers include Simon Cowell, Jack Nicholson and Michael Douglas, and they are regularly mocked in the press when they are unfortunate enough to be photographed shirtless on holiday.

The BAAPS statistics showed that there was a 27 per cent increase in the number of men having breast reduction surgery last year, along with an overall increase in male plastic surgery of 18 per cent. The reason for this rise is attributed to a general acceptance of cosmetic surgery, making procedures less taboo. Dalia Nield, a plastic surgeon with the London Clinic, said: "In the past men probably put up with having strange shaped bodies, or developing breasts. Now men know there is a solution. They regard operations as a way of giving them a better quality of life."