Why the Body Conscious Craze is Bad!

The growth of the UK Fitness Industry has been confirmed by recent reports which demonstrate that in the last year its total market value has grown to £3.92 billion. This can be seen in a broad spectrum of advertising campaigns, from Weight Watchers to Elite Sport via the music industry and fashion, all designed to promote body consciousness. The truth about the body conscious craze in the UK is that it is not all good. Advertising, encouraging people to become sheep in the massive over-expanding flock that is the "health" industries, is everywhere. Companies actively make millions of pounds advertising the newest type of supplement or diet plan to help consumers "slim down for summer" or "keep that winter weight off" and companies promising incredible results regularly leave thousands of people incredibly disappointed.

One segment of this enormous industry is that of diet supplements. One of the main supplements to recently take the market by storm is protein shakes. Many people have heard of them, but few people really know what they are all about. People are often drawn into buying these products by clever advertising, including flashy labels and cool names, alongside glamorous photographs of the very lean and sculpted models the companies use to advertise the supplements. The fact of the matter is that the average protein shake contains approximately 20-25 grams of artificial protein. To the average person, the advertising can convince them that this seems like a high proportion, but in fact the same amount of protein can be consumed from one chicken breast or two eggs, which are both natural. By doing the maths it can soon be seen that if the consumer does three or four gym sessions per week and takes a protein shake after each session, even at the lower number of three shakes per week, in one year the consumer will be paying upwards of £300 on artificial protein powder alone. This begs the question is it really worth spending this much money on a shake when the consumer can get all that is required in their normal diet?

A very recent industry development is pre-workout supplements. These are powders dissolved in water or fruit juice which are designed to increase physical performance in the gym. The ingredients found in these supplements include chemicals like Beta-Alanine, Caffeine, Phenylalanine, Arginine, Creatine, Tyrosine, Guarana, and many other things besides. Although some of these ingredients may be beneficial to take before a workout, there is no real hard evidence to suggest which of the many ingredients in the supplement actually improves performance. There is also doubt that these supplements work at all. Many people feel that these supplements are in fact a placebo and that because people believe they have taken something which will improve their performance, their performance improves with no actual effect from the supplement. Some of the supplements have been found to contain a drug called DMMA (dimethylamylamine) which has been linked to headaches, vomiting, high blood pressure, strokes and even death. Investigations into this drug began after two US military soldiers suffered heart attacks during fitness testing.

Steroids are another relevant aspect of the fitness industry. They are not as much of a problem in the UK as they are in other western countries, but are financially significant. The majority of steroids used by professional athletes are anabolic. Anabolic steroids mimic the male hormone testosterone and promote the storage of protein and growth of skeletal muscle. These drugs are used to help athletes build greater muscle mass; improve their ability and to build strength; to increase their ability to build endurance; help to prevent injury and speed up recovery and allow the body to utilise protein better, so that an athlete can train harder and longer with less negative effects. All of these effects seem hugely positive but there are numerous health risks which accompany the use of anabolic steroids. When men take anabolic steroids they may experience an increase in sex drive and subsequently they may experience a reduction in natural production of testosterone. In addition men may experience erectile dysfunction and their testicles may become smaller. Another side effect is gynaecomastia (deposits of oestrogen in the area of the nipple). For women these problems may be equally bad, or worse as they face significant masculinisation, including deeper voice, facial hair development, baldness similar to that of a male, and genital problems. For both genders increased levels of acne, higher levels of aggression and a worse temperament as well as a change in blood pressure may occur.

Many professional body builders and sports stars put themselves at serious health risks to try to get to the top of their game. Is it really worth it? Besides the health risks, performance-enhancing drugs are controversial as the potential they have to produce an unfair advantage has led to their use being banned by most sporting bodies. In countries where anabolic steroid are banned there is often a black market for these drugs.

Scotland is often cited as the 'sick man of Europe' and faces an obesity epidemic. The Fitness Industry has been quick to use this to its advantage and persuade people to part with their hard earned cash in order to achieve the widely publicised 150 minutes of exercise per week. "The Gym" has become a nationally accepted pastime and even the more unfit among us are looked on more favourably if seen to be making a conscious effort to improve their fitness level. The 5.2 million adult private gym memberships across the UK is evidence enough to support this. Gym membership costs anything from £20 - £60 per month resulting in an industry worth billions. People get caught up with advertising and peer pressure, with the result that many people spend far more than they can afford on the "necessary" products to keep themselves fit and healthy. Including pre-workout protein and gym membership, even at the lower end of the spectrum consumers will be paying in the region of £60 per month which is over £700 per year! The Fitness Industry benefits far more than the average consumer, who could easily achieve similar results by eating a healthy diet and taking general exercise? In our current economic climate is it really worth almost £1000 a year for the average person to stay healthy?

The health problems and cost of healthcare associated with poor diet and obesity clearly demonstrate that people need to stay fit and healthy and perhaps the government could do more to help promote affordable fitness for the large numbers of people who are unable to afford gym membership, for example. Young people are perhaps the most vulnerable to advertising and health problems associated with increasingly younger children taking supplements or excessive exercise are becoming common. Education young people on the benefits of healthy diet and exercise and how to incorporate them into everyday life may help to protect young people from the pressures of advertising so that the can make informed choices about what they really need to keep them fit and healthy and not what the Fitness Industry tells them they need.

Author: James Pinkerton S5