Steroid use is a death trap
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Apr 3, 2024
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Uploaded by ChiefTreeSeaLion34
Gregory Fernstrom
Professor Tyson
Communication 343
7 December 2023
Steroid use is a death trap
: prevention of P.E.D.S by adolescent is a need in the
U.S.
Introduction In the United States, approximately one million individuals were former or current users of anabolic steroids. The use of performance enhancing drugs among adolescent individuals is on
the rise. The purpose of my essay is to make people understand that steroid use is really bad for you and your health. Steroids can potentially cause stroke or death. There needs to be a discussion to adolescent teenagers around the United States as to how and why you should not take steroids. There needs to be prevention measures and treatment considerations for people or adolescent teens who are considering P.E.D.S to convince these young adults that there are other natural realistic ways to get big and strong. There were 125 deaths among young adolescent men and 100 deaths among young adolescent women. We know that adolescent teens are at risk for future health issues and maybe even stroke or death because of their use of steroids we want to reduce that. According to monitoring the future, a long-term national study on drug abuse in adolescents funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the 2005 rates for steroid use among adolescent teens were 1.2%, 1.8%, 2.6% for 8
th
, 10
th
, 12
th
grade boys and 0.9%, 0.7%,
0.4% for girls. (NASP,2006). Anabolic steroids are synthetic (Manmade) hormones that can 1
boost body’s ability to make muscle and prevent muscle breakdown. Some adolescent teens take steroids because they believe and are in hopes that it will make them run faster, hit farther, lift heavier weights, or have more endurance. (Teens health 2023). In the United States it is against the law to use anabolic steroids without any prescription or proof of doctor note/health professional note. (Teens health 2023). Steroids works like this; it gives your body increased levels of testosterone in your blood so that when you lift or workout it will stimulate your body to grow larger and stronger. (Teens health 2023). The adolescent is not fully matured yet so they think that by taking anabolic steroids they will be stronger and more athletic but there are many side effects and health problems that come with taking this drug. For young teens and males in general it can reduce sperm production and shrink the testicles and can cause infertility in women. It will cause stunted growth in teens, live tumors, abnormal heart size, violent aggressive
behavior, blood lipid problems, acne, breast growth in males, especially teens, stretch marks that can not be taken away, and lastly hair loss and body aches. These are all long-term effects that could and will happen if adolescents don’t stay away from steroids. In just females’ young women, it can make more body and facial hair appear, deepen their voices and enlarge the clitoris. (Teens health 2023). Anabolic steroids are on a rise in the United States and mature adults need to instill that that is not the route to go to get bigger and stronger and faster and more
athletic it can lead to many health complications and tell them and help them see that with mature adults and people in the industry to have done it and became healthy. Teens should understand that it could lead to death and isn’t worth it in the long run.
Audience Research
The
way I will create a successful steroids prevention, facts and health issues brochure that influences young adolescent teens to stay healthy and to not choose steroids to get bigger, 2
stronger, faster, and more athletic, we have to understand who we are trying to convince on why steroids is not the option and why it is bad for you. The main adolescent we are mainly targeting is young men who think the only option to get big and strong is P.E.D.S. Most young men and women believe that taking anabolic steroids will improve their overall physical appearance quicker then they want but they do not consider the dangers of taking this drug and the damages it can cause the young male and female body. (NASP 2006). Steroids in young teens highly effects their emotional and mental state of mind many teens get suicidal thoughts, and some get sad or angry. Steroids will also change their behavior some teens tend to get very aggressive and some get very sad or upset. The Parallel Response Model and Extended Parallel Process Model both are theories that will help teens and young adults realize why steroids is bad for you and the
brochure will ensure and help consumers/ the audience understand why the people in the fitness industry need to be more honest with the young generation and help them gain their fitness goals the healthy safe natural way. Young teens need a figure who will teach them what the proper way is to gain size become more athletic and stronger, so these young teens don’t try to achieve goals in an unnatural unsafe way when most young adults do not even know what steroids does to the human body. (NASP 2006).
Theory
The content in the message of my essay is getting young kids to learn and understand that taking steroids is a big mistake and that you don’t need it to get bigger and stronger. The main audience that I am speaking to is young adolescent teens. My brochure gives multiple hazard signs and pictures of bodybuilders who put themselves through that life and what happened to them to warn and show young teens a little fear and lesson as to why you should not take steroids. A study by the The National Institute of Justice divided social learning groups into 5-6 students 3
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with a peer/ leader of each group the study is partners with this club called ATLAS’s where that club will try to exert positive peer pressure and promote positive role modeling. If you are students’ part of this class and are with your leader, they will make you watch 12-15-minute instructional videos and play multiple games/activities those activities include educational games, building skills, role playing exercises, the creation of mock public service campaigns, and friendly competition between squad’s. (ATLAS’S training 2006). Cognitive Dissonance Theory (Theory #1):
When young adolescent teens read this brochure, they will find out the hazards and health
issues that anabolic steroids will cause. They will experience dissonance since they will read the facts on why steroids will kill you and how it affects the human body. The cognitive Dissonance Theory pressures that humans crave consistency out of their cognitions. These teens will experience dissonance while reading this brochure, they will be motivated to change their cognitions to find other ways to get big and strong besides taking steroids. The teens will experience dissonance because of the pictures of unhealthy hospital pictures of famous fitness bodybuilders who were on steroids and what happened to them after, as well as the facts about why steroids can kill you and why they are bad for you along with the health risks and effects. I see the cognitive dissonance theory as a great persuasive theory to make teens realize that steroids will kill you and that there are other healthy better ways to get your fitness goals reached.
This brochure successfully creates dissonance because of the pictures and facts on the health risks and even death facts that prove that you should not take steroids especially adolescent teens. I chose pictures of famous body builders who influence a lot of young adolescent teens in today’s generation, like Ronnie Coleman, Arnold Swartz, Jay cutler, all 4
influencer’s in the fitness industry who have taken steroids and been to the hospital with multiple
heart surgeries. I also chose facts off the NCBI website and other scholarly websites that gave valid information as to why steroids are bad for young teens and what it will do to them. Increasing dissonance will get the readers to process it and not want to involve in steroids and it will make them want to find another alternative to getting physically fit, stronger, and faster.
First by Increasing dissonance we will increase the importance of the cognitions. The way that we will increase the importance of cognitions is by inputting more reasons and scholarly facts and videos on how steroids can and will kill you and the health risks and effects that come with it. The brochure will explain the health risks involved in taking anabolic steroids and what it can do to your organs and whole body or maybe even cause death. The facts on steroids are the biggest factor to this brochure and which will increase dissonance among the young Adolescent as they read the brochure. The ATLAS is a program to prevent young teens from taking anabolic steroids and the goal of the program is to reduce or stop adolescent male athletes from the use of anabolic steroids, while improving healthy nutrition and exercise routines. It divides students into 5-6 groups that will each participate in a educational game or use building skills or role playing exercises to help these young teens to find healthy solutions. They say that steroids will inhibit your abilities and make your body eventually shut down. (NIOJ 2006)
The outcome of this brochure is to make young teens make healthier decision’s and to not
choose steroids to become more athletic and stronger, but instead choose to stay healthy and eat good nutrition and train hard to be naturally strong and big. 5
Extended Parallel Process Model (Theory #2):
This brochure will show and proves successful danger and fear appeals. The Extended Parallel Process Model
is a great persuasive way to convince teens to steer away from steroids and to go by healthier choices. Threat appraisal is the first thing we will talk about because steroid use comes with major health risks, especially for adolescents. Young bodies are still developing, and the use of steroids can lead to severe health issues. These threats can include hormonal imbalances, stunted growth, heart complications, liver damage, and psychological issues like mood swings and aggressive attitudes. A second part I want to talk about is Efficacy appraisal, for young teens, the perceived efficacy of using steroids might be influenced by the wrong conceptions about their benefits. Teens might believe that steroids will rapidly progress their athletic performance or physical appearance. However, the reality is that these short easy gains come with a cost of severe, long term health risks and issues down the road. There is a fear control process that if teens are aware of the future health risks associated with taking anabolic steroids and that they believe they have the ability to avoid these risks by not using steroids, they
might involve in fear control by avoiding steroids use all together to protect their health. Lastly there is the danger control process, where if teens acknowledge the threat but doubt their abilities
to keep themselves restrained from steroids or they are just letting the benefits of steroids outweigh the health risks and dangers. Any teen who thinks that way is participating in danger control. This could involve teens not taking the health risks into consideration and the severity of
those risks, leading them to taking steroids and seeing the dangers and health problems themselves. (teens health 2023)
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While using EPPM, it is important to me that I talk about both the perceived threat and efficacy connecting to steroid use among young teens. Educational campaigns, videos and pictures as why steroids are bad for you and why teens should stay away. This could make teens think that steroids are a perceived threat enforcing the belief in the efficacy of avoiding steroids at all costs.
Teens need to make efforts in self efficacy, by promoting healthy habits and eating the right nutrition and staying away from steroids.
Elaboration Likelihood Model (Theory #3):
Teens, when shown information about the harmful effects of steroids on their health (such as stunted growth, hormonal imbalances, heart problems, and psychological issues), they may deeply process and try to understand the information that they are being given through a central route. Teens will also understand that the short-term benefits of steroids come with severe long-
term consequences allowing them to think long and hard and to use their efficacy of avoiding steroids all together for their overall health and well-being. On the other hand, if teens are not motivated to engage or try to understand the information and facts given on steroids, they might even use peripheral cues. (teens health 2008) These peripheral cues include social influences as well as the immediate physical effects of steroids. The social influences that teens deal with are being peer pressured, the societal norms that portray a certain body image or athletic body. These
might be used as peripheral cues for teens to consider using steroids without fully doing research on the risks and health issues that come with it. The short-term muscle gains and athletic abilities
that are given from steroids is highly overlooked by young adolescsant teens and they don’t often
care to see the health risks. When giving informational evidence-based facts about the specific and severe health risks associated with steroid use it can encourage teens to think about the 7
dangers and inform themselves about what can happen to them and inform them what to do and how to take the healthier route. (teens health 2006) There are many peripheral strategies we can use that tells and persuades teens not to take steroids. There are alternative ways to achieve and reach your fitness goals or athletic goals without resorting to steroids. Highlighting successful careers of athletes that have never taken steroids and chose the natural; healthy lifestyle as well as facts and videos of them explain short term and long-term effects of taking steroids and why you should never take them would help teens understand that they can reach their life goals without being unnatural; and being healthy and big and fit without a drug. By using the central and peripheral route strategies, persuasive messaging can effectively inform and convince teens to not take anabolic steroids. This will work because by addressing their motivations, beliefs, and
the potential consequences of steroids and how they can effectively get their goals through a natural lifestyle through different channels of cognitive processing, as outlined by the Elaboration Likelihood model. Conclusion After analyzing the brochure through deep persuasive evidence and the use of the theories and The Cognitive Dissonance Theory
, The Elaboration Likelihood Model
, and The Extended Parallel Process Model, there is a high chance that adolescent teens are not likely to take or partake in anabolic steroid use considering the evidence of what happens to people who take steroids and the health risks and issues that come down the line also death. It should be clear to teens that taking steroids will not make you better in a good way it will only decline your health 8
and give you short term success and benefits. Teens after reading this brochure will be highly informed and taught that they should not take steroids and the fear and dangers behind taking them and how you can go about a healthy natural lifestyle while obtaining your Athletic and ambitious fitness goals to obtain the body you want to build. It all comes down to nutrition diet and how you train and how hard you train.
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References
White, Nicole D, and James Noeun. “Performance-Enhancing Drug Use in Adolescence.”
American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine
, U.S. National Library of Medicine,
29 Nov. 2016, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6125030/.
Frati, Paola, et al. “Anabolic Androgenic Steroid (AAS) Related Deaths: Autoptic, Histopathological and Toxicological Findings.”
Current Neuropharmacology
, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Jan. 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4462039/.
NASP, NAOSP. “Steroid Use in Adolescence: Tips for School Personnel.”
National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)
, www.nasponline.org/publications/periodicals/communique/issues/volume-35-issue-2/
steroid-use-in-adolescence-tips-for-school-personnel. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.
“What Are the Risks of Steroid Use? (For Teens) - Nemours Kidshealth.” Edited by Rupal Christine Gupta,
KidsHealth
, The Nemours Foundation, Apr. 2023, kidshealth.org/en/teens/steroids.html#:~:text=When%20taken%20for%20a
%20long,enlargement%20of%20the%20heart%20muscles.
Gupta, R. C. (Ed.). (2023, April). What are the risks of steroid use? (for teens) - nemours kidshealth
. KidsHealth. https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/steroids.html N, N. (2023). NHS
. NHS choices. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/anabolic-steroid-misuse/ Goldberg, L. (2023). Jama
. Jama Network. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/348976 10
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