Men turning to surgery to win back a waistline
MEN with a paunch are increasingly turning to cosmetic surgery to rid themselves of unsightly waistline bulges.
The number of men having a tummy tuck has soared by 55 per cent in a year and experts say the total is continuing to rise.
Most men fight the “menopaunch” by cutting down on beer, hitting the gym and doing stomach crunch exercises to shed the pounds.
But research from The Harley Medical Group has found the number of men aged 35 and over who had tummy tuck surgery was up in the first two months of 2010 from 26 the year before to 40. And many men are turning to surgery even after they have lost weight, to remove stubborn fat and excess skin on their stomachs.
It is common for men to develop abdominal fat, especially in middle age.
All fat can be a risk to health, but it is more of a problem when it builds up in and around the abdomen.
Pound for pound, this kind of abdominal fat is much more likely to cause diabetes, heart disease and other health issues. The rise in surgery patients may also be fuelled by widespread mockery of male celebrities for showing off their saggy stomachs, like Hollywood star Jack Nicholson, French actor Gerard Depardieu and Gavin and Stacey comic James Corden.
Liz Dale, director of The Harley Medical Group, said: “Many of the ‘man tuckers’ are businessmen who have been on a health kick but following weight loss find themselves with loose, overhanging skin on their stomachs.
“Competition in the workplace sees many men fighting to be fit but losing the weight around the midriff can throw up as many problems as it solves.” Figures also showed that there was an increase of 23 per cent over the previous year of men from 35 upwards undergoing rejuvenation procedures, with use of Botox and fillers up 23 per cent and 17 per cent respectively.
Alan Bradley had a tummy tuck and male breast reduction at The Harley Medical Group despite losing a significant amount of weight through diet and exercise.
He said: “It was demoralising to have lost so much weight just to be left with huge flaps of skin that made me feel as unattractive as before.
“The surgery means I’m now more mobile and healthier and it has made it easy for me to keep the weight off.”
Last month it emerged that record numbers of men were getting “man boob” surgery to remove unsightly, sagging breasts.
Male cosmetic surgery in general has soared by 21 per cent in just a year, with the number of breast operations alone shooting up by 80 per cent.
The number of male breast reductions reached 581 in 2009, moving from the fifth most popular procedure for men to the third.
Back in 2003, just 22 man-boob reductions were carried out.
To find out more about cosmetic surgery call Mybreast on 0870 780 4000 or visit www.mybreast.org
