In Brief...World News Review

Is Your Little Girl Taking Steroids?

That's right, your little girl may be using "roids" or "juice," as anabolic steroids are known on the street. The Associated Press is reporting that steroid use is up among young girls—some as young as 8 to 10. The report says that up to 5 percent of middle school girls and 7 percent of high school girls have tried steroids at least once. And that number represents a steadily increasing trend for over a decade.

Isn't that what the professional athletes have been taking to gain body weight? Indeed it is, and some female athletes are looking for the same type of additional strength that men seek. But steroids cause different reactions in the female metabolism, and it's to obtain these effects that girls are taking them.

Steroids can give girls a slightly muscular appearance and reduce body fat and overall weight. All of these looks are "in" these days. Of course, girls could obtain the same result by following a disciplined program of weight lifting and exercise, but in these days of pill popping for a quick fix, they are opting for steroids. The same girls who are prone to eating disorders, bulimia and anorexia are susceptible to steroid abuse.

Like so many fads, this one is dangerous. If girls took the time to investigate all of the effects of steroid use, they would undoubtedly run screaming the other way.

"The scientific name for this class of drugs is anabolic-adrogenic steroids. Anabolic refers to muscle-building. Androgenic refers to increased male characteristics" (The National Institute on Drug Abuse, http://teens.drugabuse.gov/facts/facts_ster1.asp).

Unwanted side effects include "severe acne, smaller breasts, deeper voice, irregular periods, excess facial and body hair, depression, paranoia and the fits of anger dubbed 'roid rage.' Steroids also carry higher risks of heart attack, stroke and some forms of cancer" ("Girls Are Abusing Steroids Too," Associated Press, April 25, 2005).

Curiously, steroids cause a kind of hormone mix-up. They can cause breasts to grow and shrink testicles in males. Steroids can also cause one's hair to fall out and they can stunt one's height—in both males and females.

Even if everything looks good on the outside of the body, terrible things can be happening inside the body. "The potential exists for increase[d] blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular disease, blood clotting, cysts in the liver and various tumors—and those are permanent," according to Dr. Linn Goldberg of the Oregon Health and Science University (Kim Trobee, "Steroid Use Up Among Teen Girls," www.family.org, April 20, 2005).

Where are girls getting steroids? Some get the drugs from the black market or from strangers at commercial gyms, but many get them from friends and family members (even parents!) as well as from their coaches. Ask your middle and high school-age children if they know if steroids are available at their schools. Prepare to be shocked at how prevalent they are.

Dr. Eric Small, the chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics' committee on sports medicine, advises adults to gently ask their youngsters about possible steroid use. Soberly, he says that parents need to start the discussion with their children when they are in the third grade. "If you wait till the ninth grade, it's too late" ("Girls Are Abusing Steroids Too," Associated Press).

5-Year-Olds Dieting

In a related story, London's Telegraph (online edition) reported in March that girls as young as 5 do not like their body shape and want to be thinner. The British government is making a concerted effort to put the word out that obesity is harmful. And some children are getting the message. Researchers report that British children feel paranoid about their weight.

But it's not only the government's antiobesity campaign that is affecting little girls' view of themselves. Also contributing is the powerful media image of superslim supermodels.

Flinders University conducted a study of 81 girls. "Almost half (46.9 percent) wanted to be thinner, and 45.7 percent said that they would go on a diet if they gained weight... About 71 percent of girls aged seven said they wanted to be thinner" (Sarah Womack, "Now Girls as Young as This Five-Year-Old Think They Have to Be Slim to Be Popular," March 8, 2005).

The same report found that youngsters formed their opinions on dieting and dissatisfaction with their bodies in their first two years of school. They thought that they'd be more likable if they were thin.

Strangely, the girls in the study had not discussed their body size openly with friends, leading the researchers to conclude that the children were picking up their impressions from casual comments made when trying on clothes, as well as from watching popular television characters.

So, another discussion parents need to have with their daughters is about weight and dieting. Parents need to counteract the powerful negative self-impressions that their children are assuming from media and peers.

Contributor: Cecil Maranville

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