Some Teens Risk Health to Build Muscle

                    

By: Salynn Boyles,

WebMD Health Nows

     Nov. 19, 2012 -- The quest for six-pack abs 

and a ripped physique may be leading some teens  

especially boys -- in an unhealthy direction, a new 

study suggests.

     Nearly 2,800 middle school and high school students answered 

questions about what they did to build muscle size or tone. Exercise was, 

far and away, the most common thing boys and girls reported doing.

     However, some teens reported a risky behavior: Almost 6% of boys 

and 4.6% of girls said they had used steroids.

     Media images of muscle-bound, "ripped" guys may be giving teen 

boys unrealistic ideas about how their bodies should look, in the same 

way ultra-thin fashion models do for teen girls, says researcher Marla 

Eisenberg, ScD, MPH, of the University of Minnesota.

     “If you look back to the '70s or even the '80s it was pretty unusual 

to see a man without a shirt on in an ad or on TV,” she says. “Now 

they are everywhere and they all emphasize the muscular look.”

     Eisenberg recommends that pediatricians and other health 

professionals ask their teen patients about what they're doing to 

build muscle to check if their strategies are healthy or not.

     “Of course, exercise is a good thing,” she says. “But when the 

emphasis shifts away from health and toward getting a particular look 

or body type, this might point to body image concerns.”

Muscle-Building Activities Common

     The risks are real. It's not uncommon for teens to show up in the 

ER as a result of over-training or using steroids to build muscle, says 

ER doctor Robert Glatter, MD, of New York's Lenox Hill Hospital.

     The new survey, published online today and appearing in the 

December issue of Pediatrics, is the first to examine muscle-building 

behaviors among teens.

‘Proof Not Necessarily in the Mirror’

     Just as with adults, there are healthy and unhealthy ways for teens 

to build muscle, says pediatric sports doctor Chris G. Koutures, MD, 

of Anaheim, Calif.

     Koutures recommends eating a balanced diet with plenty of fruits 

and vegetables, as well as protein for building muscle and strength.

     The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages the use of sports 

supplements.

     And, as with any supplement, it is not always clear if what is listed 

on the label is really what is in the bottle or jar.

     “I tell my patients the focus should be on how they feel, not how 

they look,” he says. “If they are getting faster and stronger, and they 

are able to work harder, then what they are doing is working. The 

proof isn’t necessarily in the mirror.”