I would like to make Alice aware that the writer's concern over his pronounced chest may be more serious than simply a body acceptance issue. This writer may be suffering from gynecomastia (http://www.gynecomastia.org) ? "male breasts."

It is a VERY emotionally painful experience to the sufferer. I have a brother who suffered from gynecomastia during high school. He played football, ran track, weight lifted, and he often found himself in situations where he had to either take off his shirt or wear tight athletic clothes that accentuated his pronounced chest. Also, increasing the muscularity of his chest made his breasts more obvious as well. The "friendly" ribbing about his chest only added to his embarrassment. It was psychologically painful enough that my brother eventually convinced my mother to allow him to have a breast reduction surgery.

After surgery, you should have seen the smile on his face! I can still picture his face as he sat up in the hospital bed. A look of joy and relief. His self-esteem increased dramatically after the surgery. He finally felt like "one of the boys."

No matter how we wish, society is not forgiving to men who appear to be "less of a man." And, breasts on a man are not an indicator of virility to women. People don't often get to know the inside of a person if they do not like the outside.

Concerning the writer shaving his chest: a shaved chest will accentuate his pronounced chest. This is why many body builders shave their bodies; they want to accentuate the curves and definition of their legs and chests. Body hair softens the lines of the body.

Thank you for providing a service to the community!