Many men are utilizing supplements to hone their muscles in addition to their daily toning routines to achieve their ripped bodies. It turns out, excessive use or abuse of these products is now an emerging eating disorder in men, just like anorexia and bulimia in women.
Researchers were able to present their results at the American Psychological Association's Annual Convention in Toronto, Canada. They reiterated that past researchers dealt with the use of illicit anabolic steroids but did not pay much attention to the over-the-counter muscle supplements that might do harm to the body too, reports Medical News Today.
To land to their findings, they recruited around 200 men ages 18 to 65 years old. They consumed performance-enhancing products or supplements in the past 30 days. They were also recruited based on how much time they spend working out. They filled up an online survey which included questions regarding supplement use, self-esteem, body image, eating habits and gender role conflicts.
According to Albawaba, Dr. Richard Achiro and Dr. Peter Theodoreat of the Alliant International University, California School of Professional Psychology, discovered that around 40 percent of the participants are using supplements and 22 percent said that replaced regular meals with these dietary supplements. These supplements are ideally not recommended for replacement of meals.
Dr. Achiro said, "These products have become an almost ubiquitous fixture in the pantries of young men across the country and can seemingly be purchased anywhere and everywhere - from grocery stores to college bookstores."
They also found out that the major cause of abuse of these products are factors like dissatisfaction with one's body, low self-esteem, and the perception of the person not meeting the expectations of masculinity in the society. Thus, abuse is inevitable that may lead to many complications and health issues. Yet, the Food and Drug Administration is still asked to regulate these products because of variations in strengths and ingredients that might harm the body.
