Bigger, Stronger, Faster by Chris Bell

1536 Words4 Pages

For Chris Bell and his two brothers, nicknamed Smelly and Mad Dog, who grew up with not so ideal bodies, mega-men like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Hulk Hogan, and Sylvester Stallone were heroes. The Bells wanted the enormous, muscular physiques that they saw in these guys and in the muscle and fitness magazines, and would stop at nothing to reach that goal. This dream of having a larger than life strength and muscle mass however, eventually led the brothers to make a decision: whether to use steroids or not (Bell). When it comes to the issue of steroid use in today’s society, most people will initially think about its use in sports, recalling large controversies over the drugs like the cases of major leaguers Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire. Not as well known; however, is the recreational use of steroids, outside of the realm of organized sports. This faction of steroid use is much harder to define. It is much easier to see why a professional athlete would want to use steroids: for the money, glory, and fame, etc, but why people in gyms and health clubs across the country are “juicing up” is not as clear. Recreational steroid users often argue that the benefits outweigh the negative aspects of steroids, and that taking steroids is “just as American as apple pie,” but many doctors, experts, politicians, and other people disagree. So how widespread is the use of steroids in gyms across the country? And what makes people go to such drastic measures to achieve the physique they desire despite the health and legality risks? There is no precise number that will tell us the amount of steroid users in the United States today. In 1988, David L. Black, director of the Athletic Drug Testing Laboratory at Vanderbilt University estimated the number... ... middle of paper ... ...istopher Bell. Perf. Christopher Bell. Magnolia Pictures, 2008. DVD. "DEA, Drug Information, Steroids." Welcome to the United States Department of Justice. Mar. 2010. Web. 28 Mar. 2011. . Marshall, Eliot. "The Drug of Champions." Science 242.4876 (1988): 183-84. Print. Parssinen, M., and T. Seppala. "Steroid Use and Long-Term Health Risks in Former Athletes." Sports Medicine 2002: 83-94. Academic Search Complete. Web. 28 Mar. 2011. Petrocelli, Matthew, Trish Oberweis, and Joseph Petrocelli. "Getting Huge, Getting Ripped: A Qualitative Exploration of Recreational Steroid Use." Journal of Drug Issues 38.4 (2008): 1187-205. Print. "Steroids (Anabolic) - Drugs of Abuse and Related Topics - NIDA." National Institute on Drug Abuse. Web. 28 Mar. 2011. .

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