AP41817

Fear of being too skinny may put teen boys at risk for depression, steroid use

Every guy wants to have that perfect build and not be too skinny or too big. But can someone be so skinny that it changes the way a person thinks about themselves in a negative way? Researchers have studied many teen boys who are underweight and are suffering from depression because of how skinny they are. This is causing many teens to consider taking steroids just to make themselves feel more comfortable with their body, and make them feel better about themselves. Boys who perceived themselves as very underweight, but actually were average weight or higher, reported the highest level of depressive symptoms (American Psychological Association). The boys being tested recorded their weight and BMI at age 16 and were followed for 13 years after that. Overall, 4 percent of the participants in the second study reported ever using steroids and 3 percent reported they were very underweight. Boys who perceived themselves as underweight were more likely to be victims of bullying and report more depressive symptoms which, in turn, predicted steroid use (American Psychological Association). I believe that these statements are true, and I definitely can see some teenagers taking steroids because they are unhappy with their bodies. I personally have a few friends that have taken steroids because of reasons similar to the ones stated in the article.

References:
 * 1) Aaron J. Blashill. **A Dual Pathway Model of Steroid Use Among Adolescent Boys: Results From a Nationally Representative Sample.**. //Psychology of Men & Masculinity//, 2013; DOI: 10.1037/a0032914
 * 2) Aaron J. Blashill, Sabine Wilhelm. **Body Image Distortions, Weight, and Depression in Adolescent Boys: Longitudinal Trajectories Into Adulthood.**. //Psychology of Men & Masculinity//, 2013; DOI: 10.1037/a0034618

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