How to Look Like the Rock, but Eat Like Badlands Chugs
image courtesy of tvfanatic.com
By CAROLINE CANNATA ‘22
While stuck at home, many of us have felt the pressure either to change our workout routine or to start one from scratch. Scrolling through the “For You” page of Tik Tok, as one does, I have seen countless videos of workouts and far more videos of a certain trick to give you abs in two weeks. In a sense, the purpose of working out has narrowed in on the aspect of looking good, not of feeling good. As a girl, I have certainly felt the pressure of slimming down and looking a certain way. However, the pressure to look like the Rock is demanding as well for teen boys.
Considering the workout standards of today, many teen boys turn to supplements. A 2012 study in the journal Pediatrics reported that 38.8% of high-school boys used protein powders and shakes in the previous year. Despite the lack of evidence supporting the use of protein powder over natural, protein-rich foods, teens seem to worship this magical substance. So why is protein powder so attractive? Because it’s easy. According to Dr. Jason Nagata, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of California, with “a third of boys trying to gain weight or bulk up,” a simple scoop of this stuff will make the journey easier.
Even at Milton, coming across protein powder is as easy as walking into a dorm. “Walking through the kitchen, I’d see fruity pebbles next to buckets of protein powder,” says Paul Cannata as he reminisces about his time in the Norris dormitory. “These kids, who’d barely step into the gym, would be downing this product like it was water.” Protein powder, along with other supplements, entice the consumer mind of teens. The backs of those looking to get stronger in the weakest way possible hold up this multi-billion-dollar industry built on short-cuts and false promises.
The disadvantages of protein powder do not stop there. The side-effects of protein powder can be deadly. In a 2019 study in the Journal of Adolescent Health, muscle-building supplements were determined roughly three times more likely than vitamins to cause severe medical events including emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and death. What’s scary is that these products are entirely legal and easily accessible by teens. Any seven year old kid could purchase these products with his mom’s money at the local corner store. S. Bryn Austin, the director of the strategic training initiative for the prevention of eating disorders at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, is combating these sales of weight loss or muscle-building supplements to minors in both Massachusetts and New York.
Our generation is being exploited from more than one angle. With social media urging us to change our appearances and protein powder presenting itself as the tool to do so, teens fall victim to misinformation. Don’t take this the wrong way: when paired properly with an intelligent training and nutritional plan, supplements can contribute to the growth of an athlete. However, when paired with a bowl of fruity pebbles and a once-a-month trip to the gym, protein powder will likely doom your internal and external physique. The next time you consider grabbing protein powder, please consider first your mom’s peloton or another walk with the dog.