Being effeminate is sometimes a matter of choice, but in many cases, the condition can also be caused by xenoestrogens. Simply put, these substances are synthetic estrogens that are present in a number of products: clothes, pesticides and even drugs.

Men are seldom aware that their bodies are absorbing these synthetic estrogens whose signs are as good as their effects. Check out the following list of signs that indicate an overdose of xenoestrogens.

• MAN BOOBS. Looking at some hot chick's boobs is one matter. A man developing his own bumpers is another. Estrogen is the primary sex hormone that is responsible for the development of breasts in female. When this hormone predominates the system of a male, he too can develop boobs. High-fat diets such as chicken and commercial meat are leading sources of estrogen, claims some reports. Some women even eat chicken and tofu, in the hopes of getting their bust size to increase.

• OSTEOPOROSIS. Yes, women are more prone to bone loss than men; however, when men too get a share of what women naturally possess, the males face the same danger. Estrogen dominance in the system increases the propensity for bone loss or osteoporosis.

According to reports, high levels of the hormone lead to an overdose of prolactin production which can cause stress on the bones. When the bones around the joints start to degenerate, not only simple osteoporosis results, but a more painful ordeal as well called osteoarthritis.

• BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA (BPH). Reports reveal that because of xenoestrogens, men who are as young as 17 or 20 are now being diagnosed with benign prostatic hyperplasia. Typically, the condition is common to men in their 40s or older.

Men suffering from BPH or nodular hyperplasia usually suffer from an increase in the size of the prostate, pushing the urethra and leading to a variety of urination difficulties: interrupted urine flow, urine dribbling, frequent urination, and incomplete urination. The xenoestrogens reportedly make the cells in the prostate more susceptible to the action of DHT or dihydrotestosterone, the hormone that causes the prostate to balloon.

• URINARY TRACT INFECTION (UTI). Normally, women are more prone to urinary tract infections because females have relatively shorter urethras than males do. (Urethra is the tract through which urine, semen and other bodily fluids may pass.) However, in men, UTI is both an indicator of xenoestrogens at work and an offshoot of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

In the latter case, untreated prostate enlargement squeezes the urethra to the point of obstructing the tract. Trapped urine and bodily fluids then become the breeding ground for micro-organisms; hence, infections arise.

Xenoestrogens can be very harmful to men's health. While exposure to the hormone is more of a subconscious process, vigilance against the signs is not. The development of man boobs, unusual pains in the back and joints, as well as any difficulties and oddities when it comes to urinating should be reason enough for a man to pay his physician a visit.