Obsessed With Building Muscles

N E W   Y O R K, Aug. 8 -- Just as people with anorexia nervosa go to extremes to shed weight, those with "bigorexia" spend hours in the gym every day, hoping to get bigger and — in their eyes — better.

Bigorexia, also known as muscle dysmorphia, is marked by an obsession with the size and shape of the body, constant working out, weightlifting, and the use of supplements to "bulk up."

A lot of young men are defining their lives by the definition in their muscles these days. Bodybuilder Jamie Izen said the goal to get bigger has become a socially important one.

"It's kind of like a guy with a nice car," Izen said. "You know he's got the good girl."

Is Bigger Better?

Bodybuilding becomes addictive when weightlifters can't stop. And when they don't acknowledge their obsession, it becomes dangerous, especially when it involves using supplements.

Bodybuilder Phil Greco said young people who want to get big don't realize drugs and other muscle-enhancing supplements can permanently hurt them.

"They'll see somebody with a nice physique and they want to get like that overnight so they take a shortcut out and they start dabbling with steroids," Greco said.

Steroids, illegal drugs used for muscle growth, have serious side effects. They cause liver damage, acne, depression and aggression.Bodybuilders have even developed a term to describe the aggressive behavior that results from steroid use — "roid rage."

Gym owner Ralph Raiola said he is concerned about the number of high schools getting into muscle-enhancing drug use.

"Now it's gotten down into the lower ranks as far as ninth-, 10th- and 11th-graders," Raiola said. "I mean it's filtered that far down. It's getting disgusting. It's getting out of hand."

Young 'Juicers'

Some bodybuilders who avoid "juicing," a slang term for taking steroids, try to enhance their build with a supplement called creatine.

Creatine, which plays a key role in producing immediate bursts of energy, has become very popular among young people. According to a study of five suburban New York schools, published in the August issue of Pediatrics, nearly six percent of the 1,102 athletes surveyed in Westchester County schools tried the substance. The percentage soared to 44 percent among high school seniors.