Latest news with #ThaboMethie
The Irish Sun
6 days ago
- Health
- The Irish Sun
My moobs halted my love life as I'm too self-conscious to go topless – girls have made cruel jibes since I was a kid
A MAN claims his 'moobs' have stalled his love life as he's too self-conscious to take his top off on dates. Thabo Methie, 31, was just 10 years old when he started noticing that he seemed to be 5 Thabo Methie has felt self conscious about his chest since he was 10 Credit: SWNS 5 He was diagnosed with gynaecomastia, which causes enlarged breast tissue in men Credit: SWNS 5 Thabo swathes himself in baggy t-shirts to hide his body Credit: SWNS Sporty Thabo says he was bullied at school - with kids saying they were "bigger than some of the females". Thabo stopped participating in sports like swimming aged 11 as he was too self-conscious to take off his top and he says he became "sick" of being the brunt of every joke. He went to the doctor and was diagnosed with gynaecomastia – when boys or men have more breast gland tissue than usual. Having lived with the condition for 21 years and worn oversized T-shirts to hide his chest, Thabo has decided to have his breasts surgically removed. Read more on men's health As the surgery is deemed cosmetic, Thabo says it can't be done through the NHS. Instead, he's set up a GoFundMe to raise the £6.5k required for "life-changing" private surgery to remove the breast tissue he says has been holding him back for years. Thabo, a healthcare assistant for the NHS blood and transplant service, originally from Marondera, Zimbabwe, but living in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, said: "It isn't painful, but it has mentally affected me because of how people were to me. "I went for quite a while without dating someone because I didn't want to take my clothes off. Most read in Health "For such a long time, I would debate getting a knife and cutting it off myself. "The moment people started making jokes, that really hurt me and that stuck with me, especially when people pointed them out to me. Dr Philippa Kaye Answers Most Embarrassing Men's Health Questions Part 2 "Some girls were laughing about it at school, and the most heart-breaking one was my then-crush telling me that I could breastfeed." Thabo's insecurities grew when he attended boarding school at 13. He says he became a recluse, trying to avoid any interaction with his peers. He went on to spend the next four years trying to wash when no one would see him - which proved difficult sharing a communal bathroom with 23 other people. 5 Thabo says he was the subject of cruel jibes at school Credit: SWNS 5 He's felt too scared to date as he doesn't want to take his top off Credit: SWNS Thabo said: "My entire life has been about wearing clothes that hide something that makes me deeply embarrassed and has gotten worse with time. "Even now when I want to swim, I worry what people will think of me and I want my confidence to come back and I don't want to worry about what other people think of me." When Thabo was 19, he took up running in an effort to shrink his chest and has more recently added strength training to his repertoire. The 31-year-old claimed he even tried taking weight loss jabs. What is gynaecomastia? Gynaecomastia, or 'man boobs', is where men have bigger breasts than usual. It's common and may not need treatment, but can sometimes be caused by other conditions. The main symptom is getting bigger breasts than usual. Your nipples or breasts may also look swollen or feel sore. One or both breasts can be affected. What causes gynecomastia? Hormone changes in men aged over 50, or during puberty Being overweight Certain medicines Conditions such as an overactive thyroid, kidney disease, or cirrhosis Drug use, including anabolic steroids The effect of pregnancy hormones on some newborn babies Treatments Gynaecomastia is often harmless and may not need treatment, but if it's a problem for you, your GP may recommend: Medicines that reduce or increase certain hormones Losing weight, if you're overweight If your gynaecomastia is caused by a condition, getting treatment for the condition may help reduce the size of your breasts. Surgery can reduce your breasts if other treatments have not worked, but it may not be available on the NHS. When gynaecomastia happens in newborn babies, or when it's caused by puberty, it usually goes away by itself over time. Though he's maintained an active lifestyle to try and manage his condition, he has gained 21kg and now weighs 19st. His breast tissue has grown more with time, affecting his self-esteem and mental health, he said. Thabo said: "This has been ruining my self-esteem and it's just making me feel depressed most of the time. "I have added strength training to the running but these can only do so much, especially as I gain weight. "I started eating healthier with food that has more fibre, and last year I started taking the weight loss injection, but I stopped taking it as it was really expensive." Conditions such as an overactive thyroid, kidney disease, or cirrhosis can cause it, as can taking certain medicines and being overweight. The NHS classifies surgery to remove breast tissue as cosmetic. It also requires patients seeking it to provide long-term UK-based medical records, which Thabo can't do as he only moved to the UK on a visa in 2023. Thabo said: "To have this surgery would mean the world to me. It would be a huge weight off of my shoulders. "I really hope the surgery can be as soon as possible. When I raise enough money, I will be booking the surgery straight away." You can visit his GoFundMe page
Scottish Sun
6 days ago
- Health
- Scottish Sun
My moobs halted my love life as I'm too self-conscious to go topless – girls have made cruel jibes since I was a kid
'Moobs' may be more common than you think - read on for everything you need to know about the condition causing them 'SICK OF IT' My moobs halted my love life as I'm too self-conscious to go topless – girls have made cruel jibes since I was a kid Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MAN claims his 'moobs' have stalled his love life as he's too self-conscious to take his top off on dates. Thabo Methie, 31, was just 10 years old when he started noticing that he seemed to be developing breasts instead of pecs. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Thabo Methie has felt self conscious about his chest since he was 10 Credit: SWNS 5 He was diagnosed with gynaecomastia, which causes enlarged breast tissue in men Credit: SWNS 5 Thabo swathes himself in baggy t-shirts to hide his body Credit: SWNS Sporty Thabo says he was bullied at school - with kids saying they were "bigger than some of the females". Thabo stopped participating in sports like swimming aged 11 as he was too self-conscious to take off his top and he says he became "sick" of being the brunt of every joke. He went to the doctor and was diagnosed with gynaecomastia – when boys or men have more breast gland tissue than usual. Having lived with the condition for 21 years and worn oversized T-shirts to hide his chest, Thabo has decided to have his breasts surgically removed. As the surgery is deemed cosmetic, Thabo says it can't be done through the NHS. Instead, he's set up a GoFundMe to raise the £6.5k required for "life-changing" private surgery to remove the breast tissue he says has been holding him back for years. Thabo, a healthcare assistant for the NHS blood and transplant service, originally from Marondera, Zimbabwe, but living in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, said: "It isn't painful, but it has mentally affected me because of how people were to me. "I went for quite a while without dating someone because I didn't want to take my clothes off. "For such a long time, I would debate getting a knife and cutting it off myself. "The moment people started making jokes, that really hurt me and that stuck with me, especially when people pointed them out to me. Dr Philippa Kaye Answers Most Embarrassing Men's Health Questions Part 2 "Some girls were laughing about it at school, and the most heart-breaking one was my then-crush telling me that I could breastfeed." Thabo's insecurities grew when he attended boarding school at 13. He says he became a recluse, trying to avoid any interaction with his peers. He went on to spend the next four years trying to wash when no one would see him - which proved difficult sharing a communal bathroom with 23 other people. 5 Thabo says he was the subject of cruel jibes at school Credit: SWNS 5 He's felt too scared to date as he doesn't want to take his top off Credit: SWNS Thabo said: "My entire life has been about wearing clothes that hide something that makes me deeply embarrassed and has gotten worse with time. "Even now when I want to swim, I worry what people will think of me and I want my confidence to come back and I don't want to worry about what other people think of me." When Thabo was 19, he took up running in an effort to shrink his chest and has more recently added strength training to his repertoire. The 31-year-old claimed he even tried taking weight loss jabs. What is gynaecomastia? Gynaecomastia, or 'man boobs', is where men have bigger breasts than usual. It's common and may not need treatment, but can sometimes be caused by other conditions. The main symptom is getting bigger breasts than usual. Your nipples or breasts may also look swollen or feel sore. One or both breasts can be affected. What causes gynecomastia? Hormone changes in men aged over 50, or during puberty Being overweight Certain medicines Conditions such as an overactive thyroid, kidney disease, or cirrhosis Drug use, including anabolic steroids The effect of pregnancy hormones on some newborn babies Treatments Gynaecomastia is often harmless and may not need treatment, but if it's a problem for you, your GP may recommend: Medicines that reduce or increase certain hormones Losing weight, if you're overweight If your gynaecomastia is caused by a condition, getting treatment for the condition may help reduce the size of your breasts. Surgery can reduce your breasts if other treatments have not worked, but it may not be available on the NHS. When gynaecomastia happens in newborn babies, or when it's caused by puberty, it usually goes away by itself over time. Though he's maintained an active lifestyle to try and manage his condition, he has gained 21kg and now weighs 19st. His breast tissue has grown more with time, affecting his self-esteem and mental health, he said. Thabo said: "This has been ruining my self-esteem and it's just making me feel depressed most of the time. "I have added strength training to the running but these can only do so much, especially as I gain weight. "I started eating healthier with food that has more fibre, and last year I started taking the weight loss injection, but I stopped taking it as it was really expensive." Gynaecomastia is fairly common and thought to be linked to an imbalance of oestrogen and testosterone. Conditions such as an overactive thyroid, kidney disease, or cirrhosis can cause it, as can taking certain medicines and being overweight. The NHS classifies surgery to remove breast tissue as cosmetic. It also requires patients seeking it to provide long-term UK-based medical records, which Thabo can't do as he only moved to the UK on a visa in 2023. Thabo said: "To have this surgery would mean the world to me. It would be a huge weight off of my shoulders. "I really hope the surgery can be as soon as possible. When I raise enough money, I will be booking the surgery straight away." You can visit his GoFundMe page here.
New York Post
6 days ago
- Health
- New York Post
Man with rare ‘boob' condition is scared to take his top off while dating
A man with 'boobs' due to a rare condition is raising $8,741 (£6.5k) to have them removed – because he is too conscious to take his top off on dates. Thabo Methie, 31, was just 10 years old when he first started noticing he was developing breasts instead of pecks. Sporty Thabo says he was bullied at school, with kids saying they were 'bigger than some of the females.' Thabo stopped participating in sports like swimming at age 11 as he was too self-conscious to take off his top, and he says he became 'sick' of being the brunt of every joke. He went to the doctors and was diagnosed with gynaecomastia – an increase in the amount of breast gland tissue in boys or men. 6 Thabo Methie, 31, was just 10 years old when he first started noticing he was developing breasts instead of pecks. Thabo Methie / SWNS Having lived with the condition for 21 years and worn oversized t-shirts to hide his chest, Thabo has decided that enough is enough. As the surgery is deemed cosmetic, Thabo says it can't be done through the NHS. Instead, he's set up a GoFundMe to raise the $8,741 (£6.5k) required for 'life-changing' private surgery to remove the breast tissue he says has been holding him back for years. Thabo, a healthcare assistant for the NHS blood and transplant service, originally from Marondera, Zimbabwe, but living in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, said: 'It's not painful, but it has mentally affected me because of how people were to me. 6 Thabo says he was bullied at school, with kids saying they were 'bigger than some of the females.' Thabo Methie / SWNS 'I went for quite a while without dating someone because I didn't want to take my clothes off. 'For such a long time, I would debate getting a knife and cutting it off myself. 'The moment people started making jokes, that really hurt me, and that stuck with me, especially when people pointed them out to me. 'Some girls were laughing about it at school, and the most heartbreaking one was my then-crush telling me that I could breastfeed.' 6 He went to the doctors and was diagnosed with gynaecomastia – an increase in the amount of breast gland tissue in boys or men. Thabo Methie / SWNS When Thabo was 13, he attended boarding school, where his insecurities grew and he became a recluse, trying to avoid any interaction with his peers. He went on to spend the next four years trying to wash when no one would see him, which proved difficult, sharing a communal bathroom with 23 other people. Start your day with all you need to know Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters Thabo said: 'My entire life has been about wearing clothes that hide something that makes me deeply embarrassed, and has gotten worse with time. 'Even now, when I want to swim, I worry what people will think of me, and I want my confidence to come back, and I don't want to worry about what other people think of me.' 6 Having lived with the condition for 21 years and worn oversized t-shirts to hide his chest, Thabo has decided that enough is enough. Thabo Methie / SWNS When Thabo was 19, he started to go running to try and prevent his chest from growing any bigger, which actually helped him to an extent. Thabo said, 'This has been ruining my self-esteem, and it's just making me feel depressed most of the time. 'I have added strength training to the running, but these can only do so much, especially as I gain weight. 6 Thabo Methie set up a GoFundMe to raise the $8,741 (£6.5k) required for 'life-changing' private surgery to remove the breast tissue he says has been holding him back for years. Thabo Methie / SWNS 'I started eating healthier with food that has more fibre, and last year I started taking the weight loss injection, but I stopped taking it as it was really expensive.' Thabo's condition is thought to be linked to a hormone imbalance and has significantly impacted his life for over two decades. Though he's maintained an active lifestyle to try and manage it, he has gained 21kg and now weights 19st – and still wears XXXL t-shirts. The breast tissue has grown more with time, affecting his self-esteem and mental health, he said. 6 Methie's condition is thought to be linked to a hormone imbalance and has significantly impacted his life for over two decades. Thabo Methie / SWNS The NHS classifies the surgery as cosmetic and requires long-term UK-based medical records, which Thabo cannot provide due to his recent arrival on a visa since moving to the UK in 2023. Thabo said: 'To have this surgery would mean the world to me. It would be a huge weight off of my shoulders. 'I really hope the surgery can be as soon as possible. When I raise enough money, I will be booking the surgery straight away.'
The Sun
6 days ago
- Health
- The Sun
My moobs halted my love life as I'm too self-conscious to go topless – girls have made cruel jibes since I was a kid
A MAN claims his 'moobs' have stalled his love life as he's too self-conscious to take his top off on dates. Thabo Methie, 31, was just 10 years old when he started noticing that he seemed to be developing breasts instead of pecs. 5 5 5 Sporty Thabo says he was bullied at school - with kids saying they were "bigger than some of the females". Thabo stopped participating in sports like swimming aged 11 as he was too self-conscious to take off his top and he says he became "sick" of being the brunt of every joke. He went to the doctor and was diagnosed with gynaecomastia – when boys or men have more breast gland tissue than usual. Having lived with the condition for 21 years and worn oversized T-shirts to hide his chest, Thabo has decided to have his breasts surgically removed. As the surgery is deemed cosmetic, Thabo says it can't be done through the NHS. Instead, he's set up a GoFundMe to raise the £6.5k required for "life-changing" private surgery to remove the breast tissue he says has been holding him back for years. Thabo, a healthcare assistant for the NHS blood and transplant service, originally from Marondera, Zimbabwe, but living in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, said: "It isn't painful, but it has mentally affected me because of how people were to me. "I went for quite a while without dating someone because I didn't want to take my clothes off. "For such a long time, I would debate getting a knife and cutting it off myself. "The moment people started making jokes, that really hurt me and that stuck with me, especially when people pointed them out to me. Dr Philippa Kaye Answers Most Embarrassing Men's Health Questions Part 2 "Some girls were laughing about it at school, and the most heart-breaking one was my then-crush telling me that I could breastfeed." Thabo's insecurities grew when he attended boarding school at 13. He says he became a recluse, trying to avoid any interaction with his peers. He went on to spend the next four years trying to wash when no one would see him - which proved difficult sharing a communal bathroom with 23 other people. 5 5 Thabo said: "My entire life has been about wearing clothes that hide something that makes me deeply embarrassed and has gotten worse with time. "Even now when I want to swim, I worry what people will think of me and I want my confidence to come back and I don't want to worry about what other people think of me." When Thabo was 19, he took up running in an effort to shrink his chest and has more recently added strength training to his repertoire. The 31-year-old claimed he even tried taking weight loss jabs. What is gynaecomastia? Gynaecomastia, or 'man boobs', is where men have bigger breasts than usual. It's common and may not need treatment, but can sometimes be caused by other conditions. The main symptom is getting bigger breasts than usual. Your nipples or breasts may also look swollen or feel sore. One or both breasts can be affected. What causes gynecomastia? Hormone changes in men aged over 50, or during puberty Being overweight Certain medicines Conditions such as an overactive thyroid, kidney disease, or cirrhosis Drug use, including anabolic steroids The effect of pregnancy hormones on some newborn babies Treatments Gynaecomastia is often harmless and may not need treatment, but if it's a problem for you, your GP may recommend: Medicines that reduce or increase certain hormones Losing weight, if you're overweight If your gynaecomastia is caused by a condition, getting treatment for the condition may help reduce the size of your breasts. Surgery can reduce your breasts if other treatments have not worked, but it may not be available on the NHS. When gynaecomastia happens in newborn babies, or when it's caused by puberty, it usually goes away by itself over time. Though he's maintained an active lifestyle to try and manage his condition, he has gained 21kg and now weighs 19st. His breast tissue has grown more with time, affecting his self-esteem and mental health, he said. Thabo said: "This has been ruining my self-esteem and it's just making me feel depressed most of the time. "I have added strength training to the running but these can only do so much, especially as I gain weight. "I started eating healthier with food that has more fibre, and last year I started taking the weight loss injection, but I stopped taking it as it was really expensive." Gynaecomastia is fairly common and thought to be linked to an imbalance of oestrogen and testosterone. Conditions such as an overactive thyroid, kidney disease, or cirrhosis can cause it, as can taking certain medicines and being overweight. The NHS classifies surgery to remove breast tissue as cosmetic. It also requires patients seeking it to provide long-term UK-based medical records, which Thabo can't do as he only moved to the UK on a visa in 2023. Thabo said: "To have this surgery would mean the world to me. It would be a huge weight off of my shoulders.
