There are more than one million, predominantly male, steroid users in UK, according to a report by UK Anti-Doping Agency(UKAD).
Academic Josh Torrance has spent years studying the illegal drugs industry in the United Kingdom, and he claims that while dealing with users, he found one thing in common, “a lot of young lads who had been told by their mates they should start using.”
Watching reality TV shows and social media have fuelled the use of steroid and dysmorphia in males.
Mr. Torrance said, “we need to be seriously addressing [body dysmorphia] if we have a hope of persuading young men not to start taking steroids in the first place”.
This has not deterred Josh Bridgman, a professional bodybuilder, from using the medications.
According to a 28-year-old, body builder, from Stroud, steroid is a sacrifice for his body, in order to acquire good physique.
Mr. Bridgman, who lives in London, says, “Ask any Olympic athlete and they will all tell you that you have to make sacrifices. This is no different. It’s one of the sacrifices that you are willing to take.”
According to him, he researched with the medicine, and chose which one to take, following a strict diet, and restraining higher use of it.
He does follow a regime, but it is not necessary that others do as well. They take risk without knowing the consequences.
Mr Torrance said that people were not “cycling,” a process which allows them to recover from the heavy drugs, as they have to stop taking it for quite a period.
He added, “They would often not really be doing all the things bodybuilders should be: eating six healthy meals a day, spending hours in the gym.”
It is a fling that appears to be a great problematic deal, if you desire survival.
He further said, “As with anorexia, celebrity culture and social media feeds have a lot to answer for here: they are subconsciously making millions of young men in the UK feel inadequate.”
This type of phenomenon occurred out of nowhere, indoctrinating a whole lot of insecurities, inside the ones who use it, or are deprived of it.
