While most of the nation obsesses over getting thinner, some people can't seem to get big enough, no matter what the cost. Psychologists say our nation's teens are most at risk for developing an obsession with muscle building.

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 is also known as muscle dysmorphia, marked by an obsession with the size and shape of the body, constant working out, weight lifting, 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.

Is Bigger Better?

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

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. Body builders have even developed a term to describe the aggressive behavior that results from steroid use — "roid rage."

Gym owner Ralph Raiola said he is really 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 body builders 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.

Creatine may cause severe muscle cramping, diarrhea and dizziness. There is no data documenting the safety of creatine in children or adolescents, according to the study.

The bodybuilding supplement, which can be purchased in health food stores or over the Internet, has yearly retail sales of about $400 million in the United States.

Why the mad obsession with muscle mass? Just like with anorexia, many blame the focus on getting bigger on the media.

Bodybuilder Scott McNicol said extreme bodybuilding is pure vanity. "Whose arms are bigger, who's tanner, who looks the best? I think a lot of that is artificial and you could tell by the way they look and the way they act aggressively," McNicol said.

Size and Shape Obsession

Recovery from bigorexia is very difficult because, as with anorexia nervosa, the individual is usually unwilling to admit their problem.

Treatment can include therapy, behavioral changes, social support, and even medication.

Bodybuilder Mike Lipari said it's hard to ignore the pressure to look buff because it's everywhere you look.

"There are all kinds of shows, everyone's in bikinis and everybody's topless," Lipari said. "Everybody's concerned about how you look. You know, just every where you look now. It's just becoming a subconscious thing."

Reference Source 89

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