Simon Cowell lacks the pecs factor

Recent photos of Simon Cowell on the beach have been less than flattering, mainly down to the emergence of a bust many women would be proud of.

Surprisingly, given his alleged vanity, his man boobs, or moobs, don't appear to bother him but, according to new research, he is in a minority.

The latest figures show that men are queuing up to get rid of their moobs - in fact, the operation to remove them was the second most popular cosmetic procedure last year, showing a 28 per cent increase on 2009.

Only nose operations had a greater appeal among men.

Men get a drubbing in the media - not to mention down the pub - if they undergo cosmetic procedures but the fear of mockery seemingly isn't putting them off.

Clinics reported a seven per cent increase in men signing up for cosmetic operations last year, compared with five per cent in women.

And moob removals are among the most popular treatments - so what exactly are they?

There are two sorts of moobs. One sort is caused by a condition called gynaecomastia, commonly seen in teenage boys. Firm, tender glandular breast tissue grows under the nipples, under the influence of hormones, and is usually caused by rising oestrogen levels that occur during puberty.

These moobs disappear without treatment within a couple of years. In adults, however, their occurrence is not normal. They are often caused by the conversion of testosterone into oestrogen via the enzyme aromatase.

Affected men may also notice a reduction in muscle mass, a more feminine fat distribution, tiredness and loss of libido. Taking anabolic steroids, certain medicines or using cannabis can also upset hormone levels, causing gynaecomastia, and occasionally it may be due to a tumour or hormonal disease of the pituitary gland, liver or testes.

The more common type of moob is something entirely different, most frequently observed in the middle-aged male.

They are, to be blunt, just fat, caused by poor diet, lifestyle and lack of exercise. This "false gynaecomastia" does not involve any real breast gland growth, and none can be felt. The breast tissue simply feels as it looks: loose and flabby.

Moobs are the stigmata of modern working life, ushered forth by the all-too-commonly encountered combination of stress, booze, lack of exercise and poor diet, and can be tackled by a good overhaul of lifestyle.

But there is a certain degree of crossover between the two types of moobs because testosterone is converted to oestrogen primarily in the fat cells, so the fatter you are the more likely you are to
develop them.

It can all seem very amusing and if you want some alarming examples of man boobs, look at the top 10 page at manboobs.co.uk. If yours look anything like these, it really is time to do something about them.

Moobs can actually signal the impending onset of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and diabetes. So it's not that funny at all really.