Links Between Media Exposure, Body Satisfaction, and Use of Sports Supplements or Steroids Among Teens

From TV to magazines to the Internet, there's no question that today's teens are media-savvy. But how does so much media exposure affect teens' sense of body satisfaction? Researchers from Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts; Stanford School of Medicine in California; and Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, studied possible links between body satisfaction, exposure to different types of media, and risk of using potentially harmful sports supplements or steroids among teens.

Researchers surveyed 6,212 girls and 4,237 boys between 12 and 18 years of age about their physical activity and weight concerns. The teens reported their height, weight, how much time they spent playing sports each week, and whether they'd thought about having more defined or more toned muscles. Teens also noted how much TV they watched, what types of magazines they read, and whether they'd tried to look like the people they saw in magazines, on TV, or in movies. Finally, the teens reported how often within the last year they'd used products like protein powders or shakes, creatine, weight-loss shakes or drinks, amino acids, growth hormones, and anabolic steroids.

Overall, almost 5% of teen boys and nearly 2% of teen girls said they'd used protein powders or shakes, creatine, amino acids, growth hormones, steroids, or other types of supplements or products at least once a week to improve their appearance or increase their strength. Both boys and girls who spent a lot of time thinking about wanting more defined muscles or who wanted to gain weight were more likely to use these products than other kids their age. Reading men's, fashion, or health and fitness magazines was also associated with the use of supplements or steroids. In addition, girls who said they wanted to look like women in the media were significantly more likely to try products to improve their appearance or strength. Spending hours each week lifting weights and participating in football was also associated with using supplements or steroids weekly, however, the number of hours a teen spent watching TV wasn't linked to the likelihood that he or she would use supplements or steroids.

What This Means to You: According to the results of this study, many teen girls and boys try sports supplements or steroids as a shortcut to increased strength or more defined muscles, and the use of these products is more prevalent in teens who read magazines that promote large, defined muscles. It's not clear whether some of these products are even effective, and in some cases, using steroids or sports supplements can be dangerous to a teen's health.

If your child's curious about building more muscle, talk to your child about why using steroids is dangerous and encourage your child to use healthy ways to improve strength and muscle development, such as proper exercise and nutrition. If you suspect that your child is using these drugs or your child shows signs of steroid use, such as mood swings, worsening acne, or sudden increases in muscle development, you should call your child's doctor. He or she may recommend that you have your child be tested for steroids or other drugs.

Source: Alison E. Field, ScD; S. Bryn Austin, ScD; Carlos A. Camargo, Jr, MD, DrPH; C. Barr Taylor, MD; Ruth H. Striegel-Moore, PhD; Keith J. Loud, MD, CM, MSc; Graham A. Colditz, MD, DrPH; Pediatrics, August 2005

Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: September 2005

Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.

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