Research has shown that body dissatisfaction and muscle dysmorphia are rising among adolescent males, and nearly 60% of boys in the United States report altering their diet in pursuit of muscularity. When faced with the overwhelming pressure to conform to a strong, lean physique, many young men turn to muscle-building supplements and protein powders readily available at their local grocery stores, pharmacies, gyms, and online. Many of these supplements contain excessive stimulants, are illegally adulterated with anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS), and are weakly regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), leaving millions of young men vulnerable to these potentially dangerous products. Clinicians should be aware of their male patients’ use of protein powders and muscle-building supplements because the consumption of these products poses acute and long-term physical and psychological consequences.
Evolving portrayals of the male body in popular culture have placed an unprecedented pressure for muscularity on adolescent men. A...
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