Muscular Appearance a Focus of Too Many Adolescents

Well, this is a bunch of crap.

Muscle-enhancing behaviors such as consumption of protein powders (34.7%) and the use of steroids (5.9%) are relatively common in adolescents, according to a new population-based study. These rates are higher than those that have been previously reported.

Marla E. Eisenberg, ScD, MPH, from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, and colleagues published the results of their survey in the December issue of Pediatrics. The study was designed to identify adolescents who are at risk for unhealthy muscle-enhancing behaviors, defined by the authors as changing eating, exercising, using protein powders, using steroids, and using other muscle-enhancing substances.

First, how many is not "too many"?

Then there is the matter of why taking certain substances, e.g., supplements, is a sign of pathology.

It might be a sign of dumb, since they are a waste IMHO, but that is different from the accusations of the researchers.

Then there are the "exercise" and "eating" issues. They have to be a form of illness since they are being done to look good.

Apparently, wanting to look good is an illness.

The only sickness here is afflicting the researchers and their supporters.

Period.