To get more out of his workouts, my brother began using legal steroids.  His “favorite” type of steroid was “Ripped Fuel.”  He said this pill gave him more energy when he worked out.  He also drank “Whey,” which was a protein shake he took this to make sure he was getting enough protein while he was training.  According to Calvin, he never experienced any negative effects, however he did not experience any positive effects either.  All the products he used were bought from General Nutrition Center.  “I love going to that store because they always have so many new products,” replied Calvin, “I could never get the good stuff though since I am still under eighteen.”  Despite my parents’ efforts to prevent him from using these products, the availability is so vast that it is virtually impossible.

To some people it might seem astonishing that a high school student is sold steroids, but actually GNC is doing nothing illegal.  Along with stores, web sites also make it easy to obtain steroids.  Get ripped products.com claims that their products will help increase muscle mass while putting off a healthy image (“Sick and Tired”).  Because GNC and similar stores can sell to adolescents, the use of steroids in American high schools has increased 50% in the past four years (Cloud).  Steroids are even becoming more dominant than crack cocaine (“Anabolic Steroids: Pharmacology”).  Even though the trend is increasing that does not mean that steroids are any less harmful.  “Young teens whose brains are still developing and muscle mongers prone to depression may be even more susceptible to steroids’ mind-altering effects-especially with the sky-high doses typically injected in weight rooms and gyms across the country,” according to an article on Anabolic steroids, released by Psychology Today.

With steroids making their appearance in the lives of young males more often, it is obvious that a major problem is developing.  Before this obsession gets too out of control, we as a society need to prevent young males from getting in the mind set that they need to be extremely muscular to be considered masculine.  The thin line between healthy and obsessive needs to be clearly defined.

Works Cited