MAN boobs – or gynecomastia, to give the condition its correct name – affect half of all men, according to research published in the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine.

So how exactly is the condition caused, and how can you mould your moobs into muscle?

Research shows that if you lose a little fat and tweak your hormonal imbalances, you’ll be on the right track.

Lose the fat

This sounds so simple, but not for the reasons you might think.

While it stands to reason that you’ll shrink your moobs, research shows that gynecomastia is also indicative of a hormonal imbalance in the body.

This is because breast tissue in both men and women feeds off oestrogen.

Typically women have higher levels of oestrogen in the body and we men have more androgen hormones like testosterone.

Put simply, your fat could be secreting female, moob-boosting hormones.

Ditch the drink

We all know that alcohol is packed with calories, it’s also a close second to dietary fat in terms of its calorie density, but that isn’t the issue here.

Researchers from the UCLA School of Medicine in Los Angeles say “alcohol history” should be taken into consideration when treating gynecomastia.

This is because research found that “alcohol intake produces a suppression of plasma testosterone.”

In other words, if you have an unwanted cleavage and drink a lot, then maybe you should cut back on your drinking.

Eat like a man

Nutrition will be key to losing fat, but you still have to eat like a man.

Don’t diet, starve yourself and nibble on rabbit food.

Drastically restricting food intake has not only been shown to reduce testosterone levels but it can induce something known as “refeeding gynecomastia.”

According to research the first reported case of refeeding gynecomastia was discovered during the Second War, when prisoners liberated from prison camps developed gynecomastia after resuming a normal diet after weeks of malnutrition.

This is an extreme case study, but highlights the dangers of food deprivation.

While you might think you’re doing the right thing, the reality is you could be doing more harm than good.

Become one with the bench

Learn to love the bench press.

Not only because it’s arguably the most comprehensive exercise for your chest, but also because large, heavy compound movements will help to tip your hormonal ratio back in favour of “heavage” not cleavage.

That’s according to the European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology, who studied the “acute hormonal response to heavy resistance exercise” and found “levels of testosterone significantly increased after heavy resistance training.”

Although the treadmill isn’t without its charms, the iron plates of the bench press will be a better training partner.

Gynecomastia is a complex imbalance of the body’s endocrine system and an accumulation of fat in all the wrong places.

While modern science is still trying to determine the exact causes and treatments, these tips will help get you on your way to a flatter chest.