5-6% of youth using steroids

[BendtheBar]

Not sure of the accuracy. Posting from the Tyler Hooten site:

The Taylor Hooton Foundation | Fighting Steroids Abuse

For the past several years, the Taylor Hooton Foundation has been telling the nation that 5-6% of our kids in middle schools and high schools are using anabolic steroids. There is now an independent, scientific university study to back this fact up.

Yesterday's Pediatrics, the Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, published a study recently which was completed by the University of Minnesota.



The U of M team studied 2793 diverse adolescents from 20 urban middle and high schools. Mean age was 14.4. Here is the bottom line of their study:

5.9% of boys reported steroid use
4.6% of girls reported steroid use
34.7% of boys reported use of protein powders or shakes
90% of boys and 80% of girls were exercising to become more buff
“If they’re interested in developing muscle at 13, 14, and 15, what are they going to be doing at 18 or 20?” says the study’s lead researcher Marla Eisenberg, an assistant professor in pediatrics in the division of Adolescent Health and Medicine at the University of Minnesota School of Medicine. “Are they going to be doing something more dangerous?”

[J_Byrd]

"buff" the problem with that is, most think buff is 160lbs of abs and skin lol.

[IronWill]

When I was in school, we bought black market drugs, but they weren't steroids.

[MC]

I don't like throwing in the use of protein powders or shakes in the reported results. It makes it seems as if protein shakes/powders are related to steroid use when, IMHO, they are more related to wanting to be "fit" in some shape or form.

[J_Byrd]

Originally Posted by MC

I don't like throwing in the use of protein powders or shakes in the reported results. It makes it seems as if protein shakes/powders are related to steroid use when, IMHO, they are more related to wanting to be "fit" in some shape or form.

I agree

[EliteDreams]

I'm wondering how exactly these studies were done. And if at least a few of these adolescents are among those who have been fed that creatine is a bad steroid.

[skinnyBo]

Originally Posted by MC

I don't like throwing in the use of protein powders or shakes in the reported results. It makes it seems as if protein shakes/powders are related to steroid use when, IMHO, they are more related to wanting to be "fit" in some shape or form.

I agree. There is nothing wrong with the protein powders or shakes. If they are taken correctly then that should not have been a factor in this study.

[5kgLifter]

Girls wanting to become more "buff", personally, that statement alone makes me question the piece, especially since girls don't appear to want to exercise due to sweating, and 80% of those questioned wanted to become more "buff"...hmm, can't see it.

[bamazav]

“If they’re interested in developing muscle at 13, 14, and 15, what are they going to be doing at 18 or 20?” says the study’s lead researcher Marla Eisenberg, an assistant professor in pediatrics in the division of Adolescent Health and Medicine at the University of Minnesota School of Medicine. “Are they going to be doing something more dangerous?”

Let me get my head around this statement. Is Marla implying that weight training in the teens years is akin to a gateway drug? Try to build muscle at 13 and you will be hooked on AS by 18? Give me a break. No offense to the scientists in our audience, but sometimes scientist should be slapped up side the head for their stupid statements.

[dossas]

Are steroids that easy to get?? In early teenage years? When I was that age, it was pretty badass to get a hold of cigarettes, alcohol, or at the most, weed.