Women and Steroids – Steroid Use and Body Image

There are many different reasons why women choose to use steroids to help them improve their physique from simply wanting to improve their looks or wanting an extra edge in athletics. There is a medical condition, however, that can contribute to women using steroids: Muscle dysmorphia, a condition that’s related to an eating disorder, is actually a variant to obsessive-compulsive disorder. In fact, a study at the McLean Hospital found that many women bodybuilders suffer from muscle dysmorphia as well as an eating disorder. Generally what happens to people who have muscle dysmorphia is that they feel they are frail or underdeveloped even if they are in top physical condition.

Muscle dysmorphia is common in both males and females (although it happens more in males) and those who have it often suffer from some sort of depression as well. Often what happens is that people are so obsessed with their looks, supposed lack of size and what other people think of them that they often cannot enjoy life – if often takes over their lives and careers because they have a compulsion to continually exercise.

People who have muscle dysmorphia often turn to steroids and over-the-counter aids such ad creatine and nutritional supplements to help them along with constant exercise.

Sources:

“Many Women Bodybuilders Abuse Steroids.” www.mclean.harvard.edu.
“Muscle Dysmorphic Disorder.” ANRED. www.andred.com.
Sutton, Lindsey. “Anabolic Steroids: Not Just for Men Anymore.” www.vanderbilt.com.

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