It takes a brave young Iron Male to...

 (Published in ENRICH magazine, 2022)

LET'S TALK ABOUT "IRON MALES," shall we. Iron Males aren't a new gender classification.

This neologism of mine has nothing to do with gender. Iron Males are the guys that have to cope with, or have embraced, physiological and psychological accidents or behaviors many "real men" (the "Macho ito!" gang) don't consider manly.

These men have to, or dare to, be different in a monochromatic society such as ours where accepted gender norms are almost sacrosanct. With this swirl of confusion out of the way, let's talk about "moobs" and "fisss", and what they have to do with Iron Males.

Muscles or moobs?

A muscular chest reeking of raw power is most every man's dream, but being weighted down with "moobs", or man boobs, is a nightmare no man wants. It doesn't help that the medical term for moobs is "gynecomastia", which is Latin for "women's breasts".

Moobs are an embarrassing affliction for males, especially young adults, and with good reason. What young man wants to have big breasts that look more female than male? "Nakakahiya" is the apropos word that comes to mind.

It takes a brave young Pinoy male -- an Iron Male -- to reveal his "moobs" to the world. For a young man with moobs, stripping from the waist up in public or going to the pool or the beach demands an immense amount of courage.

Curiously, we seem not to be horrified when shirtless older, fat men reveal to us how nasty-looking huge moobs can be. We think moobs are normal among the fat and elderly. This double standard is unfair to young guys. Youngsters, however, have an edge over their older compatriots.

They can change their stars by resorting to a lifestyle marked by healthy diets and healthful exercise. Yes, moobs can be removed or "re-moobed" (pardon the pun) by a combination of diet and exercise.

Gynecomastia, TYPES 1-7

A widespread disorder

The Philippine College of Endocrinology Diabetes and Metabolism (PCEDM) defines gynecomastia as a "condition wherein there is an increase or enlargement of the breast tissue in males. 'Man boobs' or 'moobs' are commonly used terms for gynecomastia, but they may also pertain to having excess fat in the chest area, not necessarily the breast glands".

Moobs are quite common, however. They appear in up to 35% of British men, according to a clinical study published 2016 in the British weekly peer-reviewed medical trade journal, The BMJ.

The study called gynecomastia "the most common benign disorder of the male breast tissue". It also revealed moobs are most prevalent in men with ages ranging from 50 and 69. The same might probably be said for Pinoy males, as many of you might attest to.

The study also said it's normal for up to 70% of adolescent boys to develop gynecomastia. Of this number, 75% will resolve on their own within two years of onset without need or medical treatment or surgery.

"If the condition does not resolve within two years, or if it causes embarrassment, pain or tenderness, treatment is warranted," warned the study. This treatment includes surgery.

One type of moobs called clinical gynecomastia is caused by a hormonal imbalance between estrogen (the female hormone) and testosterone (the male hormone) in the breast glands. Men with this kind of moobs secrete more feminizing estrogen than testosterone. This imbalance stimulates the growth of glandular breast tissue around a man's nipples.

Estrogen stimulates breast tissue growth while androgens inhibit this growth. Men and women both have estrogen but the levels of this hormone are significantly less in men with moobs.

Testosterone is mostly converted to estrogen in our fat cells. The excess estrogen then binds to receptors encasing the nipple and stimulates breast tissue growth. This means the fatter or more obese a man is, the more likely he is to have women's breasts.

The other type of male breast abnormality is caused by excess fatty tissue (or chest adipose tissue) but isn't called clinical gynecomastia. This type of gynecomastia is called “pseudogynecomastia” or “adipomastia” and is commonly seen in obese men.

In both gynecomastia and pseudogynecomastia, swollen male breasts exhibit a more female-like appearance. Breast prominence is typically a combination of enlarged glandular breast tissue and excessive chest fat.

Moobs are classified according to severity from Grade 1 (minor enlargement with no skin excess) to Grade 4 (marked enlargement with skin excess). The latter is the worst to look at.

There are also seven types of gynecomastia that classify the degrees from horizontal a breast sags. The worst, Type 7, or an extreme sag, will see the top of areola below the chest fold.

You must be aware that only a doctor, preferably an endocrinologist specializing in male hormonal health, can tell if what you've got is gynecomastia, pseudogynecomastia or something else. His medical advice will determine what you do next. Don't self-evaluate.

Gynecomastia

How not to moobs

In the case of moobs, prevention is better than cure. Some doctors say moobs are entirely avoidable given the right exercise routine and an appropriate diet. It turns out losing weight and fat through diet and exercise might gradually cause moobs to fade. Daily exercise for young men will help boost testosterone levels, lower body fat -- and lose weight.

Some experts recommend two types of exercises to limit moobs: cardio exercises that burn body fat, and chest exercises that increase the size of the pecs or pectoral muscles located beneath the breast tissue. Recommended exercises are push-ups, walking, swimming, cycling and weight training.

On the other hand, some physiologists argue the key to reducing moobs is to lose weight. That's because spot weight reduction, or losing weight in one particular area such as one's moobs, is ineffective when it comes to weight loss. In other words, it's your body that decides where it wants to lose fat.

"Soy-tenly" not

If there's a food group mooby guys should avoid it's soy-based food products such as "taho", tofu and soymilk. These products contain phytoestrogens that might contribute to hormonal imbalance. Phytoestrogens are bioactive compounds with estrogenic activity.

Consuming too much alcohol is another no-no. It's been shown excessive drinking might suppress testosterone levels.

Beer, wine and other alcoholic drinks are high in calories. Imbibing too much alcohol will also lead to weight gain, which leads to more body fat. Keep this in mind since moobs can occur at any stage of a male's life.

Moobs is now an accepted colloquial term for "man boobs". It became a bona fide English word only in 2016 when the Oxford English Dictionary gave it an official seal of approval.

To "fisss" or not to “fisss”

Japanese "dansei" do it. Swedish "män" do it. German "Männer" do it, as well, as do men in other Central European countries.

The "it" that men of all ages in these countries have in common is they urinate while seated on a toilet. Pee sitting down?

This form of bladder relief isn't common among Filipino males. Almost all Filipino males piss standing up at home or away from home. It's a cultural thing our young guys have to unlearn.

It takes a brave young Iron Male to piss sitting down. We don't even have a Filipino word for this action. Me, I'll go with my invented word, "fisss", which sounds like piss but isn't piss so there's a difference.

The Swedes call it "sittkissa". The German equivalent is "sitzpinkler". The Nihongo (the Japanese language) word is "suwari-shon". There is no single English word for "to urinate while seated".

This practice has been accepted in Sweden, Germany and Japan -- more or less. But as with anything "unnatural", peeing while seated remains a hot topic.

“It takes a brave young Iron Male to piss sitting down. We don't even have a Filipino word for this action. Me, I'll go with my invented word, "fisss", which sounds like piss but isn't piss so there's a difference.”

 

Filipino males, especially young men, should seriously consider fisssing and pass this hygienic practice on to their sons. Filipinas should take the lead in convincing their men this is the culturally correct and healthy way to relieve male bladders.

Surprisingly, fisssing might be a common occurrence in the United States. A study released in 2007 revealed that 42% of married men fisssed, likely due to pressure from their wives. A perfect example of what women can do if they set their minds to it.

In Germany, some public toilets have signs telling men not to urinate while standing. The issue of a man's right to pee while standing became a very public spectacle in 2015 when a court in Dusseldorf ruled in favor of the male plaintiff in this case.

The judge said peeing while standing was within the plaintiff's rights and that this method was within cultural norms. He also said "urinating standing-up is still common practice" among German males.

The landlord had sued the plaintiff for damage (or stains) the latter's urine "splashback" inflicted on the bathroom floor. He sought damages worth $2,200.

Sign reminding German men to sit down to urinate

It's been reported more and more Japanese men practice suwari-sho to eliminate the ugly stains created by their splashbacks on bathroom floors and the disgusting stench of urine.

A survey in June 2021 showed that more than 60% of male respondents aged 20 to 60 prefer to sit. More than a quarter of men in their 20s said they had always been "native toilet sitters".

There are medical benefits to fisssing. Peeing while seated encourages a “more favorable urodynamic profile”, said a 2014 study by the Leiden University Medical Center in The Netherlands. It also helps men with prostate problems urinate with greater force.

Fisssing will also allow guys to use their mobile phones while parked on the toilet seat. That's a dubious advantage, however.

Urine is a hygiene risk because it can damage floors, carpets, furniture and other items. There is a mountain of online videos touting "solutions" to prevent pee splashback damage to toilet floors. Some homes have even installed urinals to prevent splashback damage.

Every man knows that even the best "aimer" misses the toilet bowl a lot. The result is that piss droplets ricochet off the toilet rim and could land up to three feet away, according to one study.

Pissing while standing also creates a fine but invisible urine mist that will accumulate over time on objects inside the toilet. That's one reason why porcelain sinks and bowls turn an ugly yellow color. This mist is also to blame for sticky bathroom floors.

The simplest solution to all this mayhem will be for Iron Males to fisss. No splashback; no stains; no stink.

Countries where men sit down to pee